As THE curtain comes down on another season , Oswestry are celebrating their highest ever position in the Birmingham League, with a very respectable fourth in Division One, despite losing their final game of the season at Leamington in the narrowest of fashions.

Oswestry continued their policy of giving youth a chance by introducing three more teenagers to first team cricket with Josh Darley, Mattie Davies and Floyd Owen given their chance.

Oswestry's very young side made Leamington fight every inch of the way before their Warwickshire hosts, chasing a total of 285-5, finally got home with just five balls and three wickets to spare.

Stand-in skipper Warrick Fynn was bowled by Matt Davison for 25, 35 runs short of his 1,000 league runs, but scored 1,070 runs in all Birmingham League competitions this campaign – a magnificent achievement.

This brought 17-year-old Darley to the crease and he put on an excellent 71 for the second wicket before Joe Carrasco fell one short of his 50, being caught off the bowling of William Mashinge.

Undeterred, Darley showing his appetite and mind-set for first team cricket, continued to bat sensibly as he and Roman Walker put on 73 for the third wicket when Darley was finally trapped lbw for a patient and mature 34 off 75 balls.

Walker cut loose, as he and Josh Coleridge took the attack to Leamington adding 67 for the fourth wicket in even time before Coleridge was out for 29.

Walker, for the second time this season fell just five short of his century, when caught be Joe Midgley off Mashinge, underlined his raw talent, coming off just 74 balls and including 15 fours and two sixes.

In reply, after losing Mathew Payne early – clean bowled by Walker – the home side dug in and had reached 72 when Waqar Ahmed was caught and bowled by Carrasco. The once occasional off-spinner struck again when skipper Jonathan Wigley was caught by Sam Davies for a valuable 51, as Leamington were reduced to 89-3 with 30 overs to go.

With danger man Massinge still at the crease, the home side remained very much in the game.

Wicket keeper Chris Calcott played his part with a valuable 22 before being bowled by Fynn, but with only 18 runs required off the last two overs and Massinge (97 not out) on course for his century Leamington were firmly in the driving seat and finished with five balls to spare.

Fynn used eight bowlers at his disposal in Oswestry's attempt to secure victory, but it was not to be and he finished with 3-54 off his 10 overs, just three dismissals short of his 50 league wickets for the campaign.

Oswestry second XI lost by just three runs to Newport in a thriller at the Stonehouse Oval. Batting first, the visitors, through Paul Furniss (73) and Dave Knock (28), looked set to post a large total, but Ivor Pearsall (6-12) changed the complexion of the game as the visitors were bowled out for 138 in 32 overs, while Ben Wilson claimed 2-4. Oswestry looked on course for victory with youngsters Ollie Roberts (35) Johnny Davies (18) and Keenan Oakley (19) all batting well before Oswestry collapsed. Harry Darley resisted well before Keith Sadler and Stu Owen tried to eke out the winning runs. Owen was finally bowled by Furniss, with Oswestry falling agonisingly short of their total. Furniss finished with 3-16 and Knock 5-31.