Bath 1st XI recovered from 36-4 to run Bristol 1st XI close in West of England Premier Cricket League Premier One.
Bath 1st XI will be looking for revenge for their June defeat here at Downend when they wrap up their home programme | Photo © Richard Briggs
Bristol emerged four-wicket winners with four balls to spare at Longwood on Saturday 16th August, although defeat for third-placed Thornbury means Bath are only a point adrift of the South Gloucestershire outfit with two rounds of matches to go.
With Jack Scrivens (2), Kester Moseley (1), Sam Young (6) and skipper Harry Ellison (2) departing cheaply, Bath found themselves floundering on 36-4 off 10.5 overs after being told to bat.
However, opener Brad Porteous stood firm. And he and number six James Arney got the innings back on track, adding 63 for the fifth wicket before Porteous was trapped leg before by Louie Shaw for 54. His knock spanned 85 balls and contained seven fours.
Arney was then partnered by Will Hope and they shared a sixth-wicket stand worth 53 before the former was run out to leave Bath 152-6 from 40 overs. Arney made 52, with three boundaries, from 98 balls.
Hope was eighth out, having hit 29 off 28 deliveries, and the tail wagged, with Josh Sutton making 19 not out, Louis Brown contributing 19 and Spencer Gammon chipping in with 18.
Bath were dismissed for 213 in 49.4 overs, Bristol’s Jake Carstens snaring 4-41 off 8.4 overs and Tom Probert bagging 3-34 from 10 overs.
Probert and Ash Lakhani made an excellent start to the reply, putting 77 runs on the board before the former was caught by Hope off Arney for 41 from 38 balls. Probert cracked two sixes and five fours.
But then three wickets for Brown accounted for Curtis Heaphy (7), Lakhani (36) and captain Shaw (0) to leave Bath in with a good shout – Bristol were 118-4 off 25.3 overs.
Carstens and Jack Ellison (25) steadied the ship by compiling 54 for the fifth wicket.
And although George Axtell removed William Rudge for 3 to leave the hosts 183-6 from 44.2 overs, Carstens was instrumental in getting them over the line.
He finished with 55 not out – off 99 balls and featuring a six and three fours – and shared an unbroken stand worth 34 with Miles Kantolinna (17 not out) to see Bristol to 217-6 from 49.2 overs.
Brown returned 3-47 off 10 overs.
Bath will complete their Premier One home programme when they take on Downend at North Parade on Saturday 23rd August.
And Bath will be looking for revenge, having been beaten at the WG Grace Memorial Ground in June after losing their final five wickets for 26 runs and conceding an unbeaten ton to Downend’s Masoor Khan.
