A MAGNIFICENT all- round performance by South African Cliff Deacon, allied to penetrating bowling from Mike Palmer and David Lamb, helped Stratford to their seventh win from eight matches when they outclassed a determined Halesowen in freezing conditions last Saturday.

The relatively comfortable victory margin by four wickets flattered to deceive as both sides struggled on a green seaming wicket, but two vital partnerships at the end of the day saw Stratford home to leave the Panthers 45 points clear at the summit.

Halesowen openers Willetts and Firth got off to a flyer after being inserted as they ploughed into Elliot Wilson and Deacon who were having trouble with the damp footholds, scoring 27 runs off the first three overs.

Things looked even more ominous as Stratford were reduced to ten men in the field when Wilson had to retire to the pavilion with a back spasm.

Replacement Palmer soon found the perfect length and, together with the aggressive Deacon, who snapped up the wicket of the dangerous Willetts, the run rate fell to a manageable three an over after 17.

Firth, who had been peppered with short deliveries from the burly Springbok, was next to go padding up to a fuller delivery.

Ahmed faced just three balls off the next over from Palmer, before he fell lbw and Stratford were reasserting themselves.

While Tandy was batting simply to survive, scoring only two singles from his first 30 balls, Morrison, after a slow start, began finding the short boundaries with some lofted drives.

After a partnership of 45 in 12 overs, he drove once too often and was easily caught at mid-off by Simon Wootton.

In the next over, Lamb, who had replaced the excellent Deacon, had the slow but sure Tandy brilliantly stumped down the legside by Spencer Platt, who more than made up for his two earlier spills.

Richard Cox looked nervous while British-born Australian Hodgkiss, having witnessed the difficulties of batting, decided to go on the offensive, thumping two 4s and an enormous 6 in his counter attack.

The partnership of 23 off just four overs was cut off in its prime when an uncertain Cox edged Palmer.

Hodgkiss then spooned a simple catch to David Graham at point off a perfect leg cutter from Lamb.

By now, resistance was crumbling as Lamb carved through the Halesowen tail of captain David Manning - his 50th wicket in the Birmingham League - and Gary Williams.

When Gareth Williams was spectacularly bowled by Palmer, the last three wickets had only mustered another 20 runs, leaving Halesowen on an underachieving 153 all out.

A tricky quarter of an hour session before tea, yielding 21 off five overs, was safely negotiated by openers Neil Humphrey and Hugh Jones as Hodgkiss and Warner bowled too short and wide, giving away nine extras.

An attempt by Halesowen, whether unknowingly or illegally, to roll the pitch in the tea break was soon stopped by an eagle-eyed Platt but batting still proved no easier for the rest of the match.

Nine balls into the resumption, Humphrey drove loosely at a full delivery and was bowled by Warner.

Disaster struck six balls later as Jones was yorked for 13 by a fired up Hodgkiss who then on the last ball of the same over uprooted Graham's off stump.

At 34-3 off nine overs, Stratford were looking down the barrel. Jim Troughton and Wootton batted as if their life depended on it, having to defend against some fine seam bowling, leaving well outside the off stump and running the ball into gaps for quick singles to keep the board ticking over.

Eleven solid runs from 50 balls by Wootton, though extremely slow, calmed Stratford's nerves and it was unfortunate when Troughton was adjudged lbw for a likewise patient 14 off the medium pace of Gareth Williams.

Another lbw nine runs later, this time by Gary Williams, soon claimed the wicket of Daryl Mitchell to bring in the hero of the hour.

Without further ado, having sized up the situation off his first two balls, Deacon took the Hodgkiss approach. Anything in his half was going and he announced his innings with a powerful off drive for four.

While he continued to sting the cover fieldsmen's hands, Wootton was a rock of at the other end, steadfastly forward in immaculate defence.

A valuable 35-run partnership off 50 balls, consisting of some sweetly timed clips off the legs by Deacon, was ended when Wootton fell to a dubious leg before decision for a match saving 27.

There followed a matchwinning 47 off 48 balls by Deacon who, together with captain Platt, tore into the Halesowen attack as the ball began to lose its shine.

A 4 and a massive 6 off the luckless off spinner Ahmed brought Stratford to within six runs of victory, which was duly accomplished seven balls later with a scampered single.

An extremely tight game with only ten men had not found Stratford wanting, emphasising their newly discovered resolve and strength in depth.