A BAD day at the office for Barnes' league teams shifted the focus onto Sunday's entertaining fixture against the Apothecaries and Artists, who won a run feast by three wickets in the final ball.

The Apothecaries and Artists (A & A) is more a meandering than wandering team with a vibrant social approach combined with pure talent to back up a tradition that can be traced back to W.G. Grace.

Barnes made a seemingly impregnable 249-6 thanks to Miles Halliwell's elegant 30, Andy Morris'quick-fire 44, including three sixes into the road, Oliver Blunt's 31 and Jason Alexander's 50.

Staring down the barrel of six an over, A & A were soon in trouble. Theo Collier produced an assured 63, but the run rate crept up to nine as the injury-troubled Blunt proved almost unplayable off two paces.

Paul Ford, the former Barnes keeper and vice-captain, started to conjure runs from all parts of the pitch on his way to 93. Even so A & A still needed an unlikely 27 off the final six balls.

Ian Stevenson then produced an astonishing onslaught of straight sixes, leaving A & A to get the one run they needed off the final ball.

Barnes 249-6 (Alexander 50, Morris 44, Blunt 31, Halliwell 30)

A & A 250-7 (Ford 93, Stevenson 50).

Barnes first XI produced an almost mirror image of the previous week's league defeat by letting South Hampstead escape from 69-5 to 289-8 in 55 overs. The reply, with skipper Fraser Stewart top-scoring again with 55, was a limp 159 in 43.5 overs.

This Saturday Barnes are at home to Southgate, 1.30 p.m.

Barnes Colts, under the coaching of Adrian van Zyl and Dave Faure, are making fine progress as can be seen every Saturday morning between 9 and 11

Training sessions are open for children aged eight to 13 and three teams are entered into the Surrey Colts League for games played on Friday evening or Sunday morning.

The under 13s have recorded four wins in succession. The team, which plays a 24-over game, posted 140-6 and then bowled out Beddington for 72.

Anyone interested in joining should contact Adrian van Zyl on 07949 032973 or Danny Buckland on 8549 5770.

July 8, 2002 16:30