Bath 1sts out of Premier 1 drop zone, 4ths in 10-wicket romp

Round-up of Bath Cricket Club’s matches – Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th July.

Bath 2nd XI strive for a wicket during their heavy defeat by Bristol West Indian Phoenix 1st XI at North Parade on Saturday 25th July | Photo © Liz Bugg

Bath 1st XI caused a big upset in West of England Premier League Premier 1 by beating championship-chasing hosts Midsomer Norton 1st XI by three wickets with four balls to go.

The result on Saturday 25th July hauled Bath out of the relegation zone and into eighth place in the 10-team division.

And with Bristol 1st XI, who are also battling the drop, winning by six wickets at high-flying Bridgwater 1st XI, there are new occupants of the basement slot.

Thornbury 1st XI slumped to the bottom of the table, courtesy of a three-wicket home loss to Bedminster 1st XI.

Bath are two points ahead of second-bottom Bristol and 10 points in front of Thornbury, each side having five matches remaining.

Norton were asked to bat at Withies Lane and posted 226-9 in their 50 overs, having been 82-4 off 25.5 overs.

Bath 2nd XI bowl against Bristol West Indian Phoenix 1st XI in West of England Premier League Bristol & North Somerset | Photo © Liz Bugg

Their innings was rescued by a fifth-wicket partnership between Finn Kelsey and Callum Harvey. The pair added 85 before skipper Harvey was trapped leg before by Harry Dixon for 31.

Kelsey went on to make 92 – with 10 fours – from 123 balls, his departure coming during a collapse that saw the homesters slide from 204-5 to 214-9.

Spencer Gammon was Bath’s hero with the leather, taking 5-31 in 10 overs.

The visitors lost opener Jack Scrivens off the first ball of the reply. But Ben Wells (62) and Dixon (71) hit back to add 126 for the second wicket in 29.3 overs.

Captain Harry Ellison, batting at number five, struck an unbeaten 35 off 37 deliveries as Bath reached 230-7 in 49.2 overs.

Nick Pang pocketed 3-52 from nine overs for Norton.

Bath 2nd XI at the crease during their innings of 216 all out against Bristol West Indian Phoenix 1st XI in the West of England Premier League | Photo © Liz Bugg

Bath 2nd XI were hammered by 120 runs when they faced Bristol West Indian Phoenix 1st XI at North Parade on 25th July in West of England Premier League Bristol & North Somerset.

Phoenix piled up 336-6 in their 50 overs – a remarkable total considering they had been 97-4 after 16.3 overs and 151-6 from 29 overs.

Bath had not bargained on Neiland Cadogan and Otis Lemon plundering an unbroken 185 for the seventh wicket.

Cadogan slammed 123 not out off 70 deliveries, his innings containing 10 sixes and seven fours.

Lemon’s knock was less explosive, his 63 balls bringing him 45 not out.

Alex Burkhart was the most successful member of the Bath attack, his four overs earning 3-20.

Alex Haleem (56) and Charlie Brain (32) opened the hosts’ reply with a first-wicket stand that yielded 84.

But the only other partnership of note was the 49 that Ben Harper (32) and Kester Moseley (23) managed for the third wicket.

And Bath crashed from 193-4 to 216 all out, their innings closing after 41.3 overs.

Cadogan completed a superb all-round performance, and proved Bath’s nemesis once again, by grabbing 4-35 in 7.3 overs.

Bath 3rd XI also faced a target of more than 300 – and failed to reach it – when they took on Timsbury 1st XI at the Brownsword Ground on 25th July in Bristol & District Cricket Association Division One.

The villagers decided to bat and powered to 309-4 in their 40 overs. The total proved too much for Bath, who lost by 46 runs.

Timsbury’s star performer was opening bat Mark Sage, who whacked 103 from 97 balls. His knock featured a six and 16 fours.

Number three Kevin Sibley made 72. He put on 98 with Sage for the second wicket and then added 90 for the third wicket when partnered by Freddie Hosford (55 from 35 balls).

Tim Scott, Joe Prescott and Peter Biggs shared the wickets.

Bath reached 81-1 in reply but slid to 93-3.

Sam Preece (66 off 48 balls) and Scott (48 from 46 deliveries) steadied the ship with a fourth-wicket stand worth 96.

Thereafter, only number 11 Veera Sasidharan (13) got into double figures, Bath all out for 263 off the final ball.

Gary Pearcy was the main destroyer, picking up 4-38 in six overs.

Bath 4th XI romped to a 10-wicket victory at Timsbury 2nd XI in Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Six on 25th July.

The hosts made 185-9 in their 40 overs after choosing to bat, number seven Yosef Parvez (51) and number nine Tom Parfitt (45) the shining lights for a side who were 68-6.

Alan Alex snared 3-19 from eight overs for Bath, who required only 33 overs to rack up 190-0 in reply.

Carrying their bats at Timsbury Recreation Ground were captain David Pippett and Richard Pandya.

Pippett cracked 77 not out – containing a six and nine fours – off 101 balls.

And Pandya finished with 105 not out – including a six and 18 fours – from 105 deliveries.

Timsbury, whose defeat sent them to the foot of the table, used seven bowlers without success.

Forthcoming fixtures:

Saturday 1st August:

West of England Premier League:

Premier 1: Bath 1st XI v Thornbury 1st XI (at North Parade, noon).

Bristol & North Somerset: Bishopston 1st XI v Bath 2nd XI (at Westbury Fields, noon).

Bristol & District Cricket Association:

Division One: Bath 3rd XI v Keynsham 2nd XI (at Brownsword Ground, 1pm).

Division Six: Golden Hill 4th XI v Bath 4th XI (1pm).