Bath 1sts are crowned West of England Premier League T20 champs

Round-up of Bath Cricket Club’s matches – Tuesday 14th to Sunday 19th July.

Bath 1st XI came out on top in the West of England Premier League’s Twenty20 Finals Day here at North Parade on Sunday 19th July | Photo © Richard Briggs

Bath 1st XI have won the West of England Premier League’s Twenty20 competition, the Premier Cup.

Two wins from two games in the Finals Day round robin at North Parade on Sunday 19th July earned the hosts the trophy.

Finals Day opened with a five-wicket victory for Bath over Midsomer Norton 1st XI.

Brad Parry (76 not out from 29 balls) was the star batter for Norton, who scored 219-5 in 20 overs after being inserted. Ben Privett (58) and Gabe Gallman-Findley (46) made important contributions.

There was one wicket apiece for Matthew Cadywould, Jack Scrivens, Harry Dixon and Spencer Gammon.

Scrivens hit 69 – with seven sixes and half-a-dozen fours – off 25 balls and Sam Young finished unbeaten on 87 – with five sixes and six fours – from 48 deliveries as Bath replied with 220-5 in 18.4 overs, Callum Harvey and JC Harding each taking two scalps.

Norton then defeated Potterne 1st XI by three wickets.

The day’s concluding match resulted in a seven-wicket romp for Bath against Potterne, who were all out for 122 in 15.1 overs after electing to bat.

Manelker de Silva (45) top-scored for the Wiltshire team, Scrivens (3-8 off 2.1 overs) and Jacob Lewis (3-18 from four overs) starring with the leather for the home side.

Bath raced to 123-3 off only 8.3 overs in response, Scrivens the hero with 52 from 18 balls. He cracked four sixes and half-a-dozen fours.

Young smashed four sixes and hit one four in his 32 not out off 13 deliveries.

Morlon Simon, Joe King and de Silva grabbed the wickets.

Bath topped the Finals Day table with four points, Norton coming second with two and Potterne last with none.

Bath 1st XI started their weekend by losing by 45 runs at home to Gloucestershire outfit Frocester 1st XI in West of England Premier League Premier 1 on 18th July.

Frocester were ripped out for 173 in 49 overs after they opted to bat, skipper and opener Will Naish their leading scorer with 48.

James Arney (3-29 from nine overs) and Louis Brown (3-36 off 10 overs) impressed in the Bath attack at North Parade.

But there was no way back for the hosts after they collapsed to 54-6 in the reply.

Despite number four Young’s defiant 40 from 74 balls, they were skittled for 128 off 40.3 overs, Richie Cave snapping up 4-22 in 10 overs, and remain in penultimate place in the table.

Bottom side Bristol 1st XI are only three points behind, following a shock success against league leaders Burbage & Easton Royal 1st XI.

Harry Dixon’s 156 not out was in vain as Bath 1st XI were beaten off the penultimate ball by their Premier 1 rivals Bedminster 1st XI in the Somerset Major Cup semi-finals on Tuesday 14th July.

Bedminster won a high-scoring tie by four wickets at The Clanage, Bath having posted 235-5 in their 20 overs after being put in.

Opener Dixon carried his bat, hammering 12 sixes and 14 fours in his 65-ball innings. Harry Ellison (41) gave good support, the duo sharing a 109-run stand for the third wicket.

Jamie Brooks, with two scalps, was Bedminster’s most successful bowler.

The hosts also had a bat-carrying centurion. Opener Ollie Meadows hit an unbeaten 105 off 62 balls – his innings including a six and 17 fours – as the Bristolians made their way to 238-6 in 19.5 overs.

Scrivens and Cadywould each pocketed two wickets.

Defeat meant Bath bowed out of two cup competitions in the space of 48 hours, having lost to Shepherd’s Bush 1st XI on Sunday 12th July in the ECB National Club Championship.

In the Somerset Major Cup final at the County Ground in Taunton, Bedminster will play the winners of this week’s semi between Bridgwater and Yeovil.

Harry Allen shone with bat and ball as Bath 2nd XI were 28-run winners over Frenchay 1st XI at the Bob Stone Ground on 18th July in West of England Premier League Bristol & North Somerset.

Allen (44) and Sam Price (20) gave Bath – who chose to bat – a solid platform by compiling an opening stand worth 57.

Captain Charlie Rustell (27) and Hamish Bell (24) were the most successful of the remaining batters.

Bath closed on 174-9 from their 50 overs, Harangaddeep Singh, Kavin Panagoda, Chare Smith and Madushan Ravichandrakumar each snapping up two wickets.

Like Bath, Frenchay opened their innings with a decent stand, Shalinda Arachchige (54) and Ravichandrakumar (37) putting on 54 for the first wicket.

The South Gloucestershire side progressed to 130-4 and then lost their final six wickets for 16 to finish on 146 all out from 34.2 overs.

Allen completed a superb afternoon’s work by bagging 5-31 off 10 overs.

Joe Prescott caught the eye for Bath 3rd XI as they played out a tie at Lansdown 2nd XI in Bristol & District Cricket Association Division One on 18th July.

Prescott snared 3-40 off eight overs as Lansdown – who decided to bat – were held to 222-7 in their 40 overs at Combe Park.

Then Prescott hit 42 in the reply, Bath ending up with 222-6 from 40 overs.

Richard Pandya led the way with 46 and Freddie Stappard added 34.

Skipper David Pippett top-scored with 48 to spearhead Bath 4th XI’s three-wicket victory over Stapleton 2nd XI at the Brownsword Ground on 18th July in Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Six.

Stapleton opted to bat and were removed for 139, opener Harry Giles’ 38 the guests’ best knock.

The Bristolians fell from 68-3 to 77-6 and were back in the hutch after 34.4 overs, Max Woodman picking up 3-16 from 4.4 overs.

In the response, David Pippett and Jack Pippett (35) put on 68 for Bath’s third wicket, the hosts making their way to 142-7 from 31.4 overs.

Stapleton’s Milo Edwards returned 3-28 off 7.4 overs.

Bath Wanderers 1st XI raced to 321-5 against hosts Apperley Women’s 1st XI in the West of England Premier League Women’s Premier Division on 19th July and completed an overwhelming 234-run victory.

Skipper Emma Godman (67) and Katie Dolman (78) laid the foundations for the win by crafting a 100-run opening partnership for the visitors.

Genevieve Donaldson added 39 – and Emily Smith (28 not out) and Connie Osborn (36 not out) kept the scoreboard ticking over in the closing stages of the 40-over innings by putting on an unbroken 55 for the sixth wicket in 4.2 overs.

Bella Herring and Lily Rutt claimed two wickets apiece for Gloucestershire outfit Apperley, who were then dismissed for 87 in 26.2 overs. This was more than the villagers had looked like posting, as they crashed to 60-8.

Number three Herring was the standout Apperley batter, making a run-a-ball 23.

Charlotte Phillips was the most economic of Bath’s quartet of two-wicket bowlers, returning 2-8 in four overs. Smith, Lily Day and Dolman were the other visiting players to take two scalps.

There was heartbreak for Bath Wanderers 1st XI on Friday 17th July, when they lost by five wickets to St Cross Symondians Women’s 1st XI at the Brownsword Ground in the ECB Women’s Club T20 Group 4 final.

Openers Godman (26) and Dolman (28) and number five Maddie White (27 not out) scored the bulk of the runs as Bath made 131-5 from their 20 overs after being put in.

Kitty Redhead and Emily Wilson each took two wickets for St Cross, who replied with 132-4 off 17 overs. Opener Darcey Clarke’s 58 was the key contribution.

Day, Dolman, Smith and Osborn shared the wickets.

Hampshire side St Cross are now through to the national semi-finals, where they will face Tunbridge Wells Women’s 1st XI next month.

Bath Wanderers 2nd XI were seven-wicket winners at Brislington Women’s 1st XI on 19th July in a Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation 35-overs-per-side fixture.

Brislington were ousted for 138 in 28 overs after choosing to bat, extras (31) the leading scorer. Best of the batters was Kay van Dyk (19).

The hosts were 99-3 but fell away in the face of 4-15 from three overs by Katie Rux.

A superb knock of 70 from 47 balls by Bath captain and opener Anna Cooper inspired the travellers to 140-3 off 21 overs, Brislington’s Amanda Burnett pocketing two wickets.

Forthcoming fixtures:

Saturday 25th July:

West of England Premier League:

Premier 1: Midsomer Norton 1st XI v Bath 1st XI (at Withies Lane, noon).

Bristol & North Somerset: Bath 2nd XI v Bristol West Indian Phoenix 1st XI (at North Parade, noon).

Bristol & District Cricket Association:

Division One: Bath 3rd XI v Timsbury 3rd XI (at Brownsword Ground, 1pm).

Division Six: Timsbury 2nd XI v Bath 4th XI (at Timsbury Recreation Ground, 1pm).