CRAIG Wood gave Kidderminster Victoria CC a lift with a well-hit century in Saturday's winning draw against strugglers Bromsgrove at Chester Road.

After poor team performances with the willow last weekend, Wood gave his side a much-needed lift with an impressive 124.

It helped his side earn 15 points and keep alive hopes of sixth-placed KVCC finishing third in the Birmingham and District League Premier.

The eight points that plucky Bromsgrove made was not enough to ease their relegation worries, as they remain bottom of the table, 24 points from safety with just one match of the season remaining.

KVCC won the toss and elected to bat on a slowish wicket. Openers Wood and Matt Pardoe had 33 on the board by the 10th over, but Pardoe was caught by Tom Hill and bowled Paul Munn for 16.

The next two batsmen, Neil Pinner and James Ralph, have somewhat disappointed.

Some good innings but too often they have not produced the runs both are capable of.

Pinner was caught by Munn and bowled by Nick Husbands for four runs, while Ralph fell to Husbands with Hill taking a second catch, having reached 10.

The scoreboard showed 72-3 from 23 overs with Wood playing cautiously but scoring runs.

Andy Kimberlin, slowly showing his ability at the higher level, joined Wood in a partnership of 82 before he was caught by Tom Green for 26.

Chris Pyke, who usually scores runs for the second team, was trapped lbw by Lyndon Jones for 13, leaving the score at 187-5.

This left the home side only seven more overs to build up a decent score.

Captain Jonathan Wright has by his own admission had a poor season but he came in and showed just how good he could be.

He attacked the bowling immediately and together with Wood accelerated KVCC's scoring.

Wright faced 25 balls, hit six sixes and three boundaries in his score of 58 not out, the fiercest onslaught seen for a long time at Chester Road.

This slightly overshadowed Wood's fine 124 not out. He had batted with great skill, scoring seventeen fours.

This was his highest score in the league and his total of 672 is his highest aggregate.

For Bromsgrove, Husbands took 2-44, Paul Munn 2-81 and Lyndon Jones 1-46 as the home side made 261-5.

With a big total to chase, Bromsgrove's opening batsmen Ashley Newdick and Jayden Levitt put up the 100 in the 27th over and had reached 131 before the first wicket fell. Seam-bowling was not producing any wickets, but when Wright and Mark Mansell took over the run-rate fell dramatically.

Newdick was the first to go, caught by Pinner and bowled by Wright for 57.

The next two wickets fell at 147 and 158. Levitt was run out for 69, while Tom Green was caught and bowled Mansell for seven.

By now 40 overs had been bowled and Bromsgrove’s top batters had been dismissed but KVCC's bowlers struggled to dismiss the visitors.

At 195, Tom Friend was caught by Pinner off Wright's bowling, while Jones was caught Ralph bowled Baylis.

The hosts were denied victory by some stubborn batting the visitors Mark Evenson was run out for one run and then Baylis dismissed Tom Hill for one.

Baylis took probably the most important wicket of the innings when he bowled Shaun Levy for 46.

Levy had gone in at number three and played well. With him at the crease, Bromsgrove were creeping ever-nearer to Kidderminster’s total, but Levy was last man out, leaving Paul Munn unbeaten on 11 as the away side held on for a share of the points with 235-8.

Baylis took 3-46 off his 46 overs, with Wright getting 2-60 and Mansell 1-60.

KVCC end the season at relegation battling Leamington on Saturday (noon start).