Bath 1sts see off basement boys, Goodwin cracks century for 3rds

Round-up of Bath Cricket Club’s matches – Saturday 1st August.

The bails fly as Bath 1st XI take a Thornbury 1st XI wicket during the West of England Premier League game at North Parade on Saturday 1st August | Photo © jeremyrichardsphotography.com

Bath 1st XI’s battle against relegation from West of England Premier League Premier 1 took a massive boost on Saturday 1st August.

The city side went into their match with basement side Thornbury 1st XI at North Parade lying third-bottom in the table, one place above the drop zone.

Although Bath remain there after beating the South Gloucestershire outfit by six wickets, the gap to second-bottom Bristol 1st XI is now 16 points with four rounds of matches remaining.

Jack Scrivens hits out for Bath 1st XI as they make their way to a six-wicket home win over Thornbury 1st XI on Saturday 1st August | Photo © jeremyrichardsphotography.com

At the end of the season, the lowest two teams are set to be relegated to Premier 2.

However, Bath can target at least a mid-table finish. They are 16 points behind seventh-placed Bedminster 1st XI but Burbage & Easton Royal 1st XI, in fourth position, are only two points better off than the team from The Clanage.

Thornbury were back in the hutch for 180 after being inserted. They lost their final five wickets for 30 and were all out in 39.2 overs.

Number five Josh Riggs top-scored with 36 off 23 balls. He was one of a trio of victims of James Arney, who snared 3-25 in seven overs.

Louis Brown had 3-46 off seven overs.

Bath 1st XI bowl during their crucial victory over bottom side Thornbury 1st XI in West of England Premier League Premier 1 | Photo © jeremyrichardsphotography.com

Opener Ben Wells hit a six and five fours in making 48 from 38 balls in Bath’s reply.

But his side slipped to 103-4 from 14.3 overs.

It was left to Jack Scrivens and captain Harry Ellison to see the hosts to victory.

They put on an unbroken 81 for the fifth wicket, steering Bath to 184-4 from 30.4 overs.

Scrivens finished with 38 not out – and Ellison was unbeaten on 49 from 53 balls.

Thomas Vermaak proved Thornbury’s most successful bowler, returning 3-40 in seven overs.

Bath 2nd XI were undone by six wickets when they visited table-topping Bishopston 1st XI in West of England Premier League Bristol & North Somerset on 1st August.

The guests chose to bat at Westbury Fields but were restricted to 183-8 in their 50 overs.

The biggest partnership was between Harry Allen (41) and Ben Harper (38), who added 74 for the second wicket.

However, Bath slumped from 120-3 to 143-7.

Number five Ross Newman, who was eighth out, chipped in with 30 off 29 balls.

David O’Brien shone in the Bishopston attack, snaffling 4-41 from 10 overs.

But the most economic bowler was Dan McCudden, whose eight overs brought him one wicket and went for only 13 runs.

The hosts fell to 36-2 in response but the innings was turned around by skipper O’Brien (53) and Saurabh Rawat (70), who plundered 108 for the third wicket.

Rawat was run out to leave Bishopston 144-3. But when O’Brien was the last man to depart, this in the 37th over, his team needed only 17 more runs.

They made it to 184-4 with 11 overs to spare, Alex Burkhart, Max Dangerfield and Josh Sutton each pocketing a wicket.

Jack Goodwin smashed a ton as Bath 3rd XI thumped lowly Keynsham 2nd XI by 125 runs on 1st August to stay on course for the Bristol & District Cricket Association Division One title.

With four rounds of games left, Bath hold third spot and are only four points behind table-topping Cleeve 1st XI, who have a single-point lead over second-placed Lansdown 2nd XI.

Bath elected to bat at the Brownsword Ground and made 274-4 in their 40 overs, opener Goodwin striking half-a-dozen sixes and 10 fours in his 127-ball 121.

Number five John Bean compiled 90 not out from 73 deliveries, his knock featuring four sixes and eight fours.

The duo clocked up 171 for the fourth wicket, the partnership ending when Goodwin was bowled by Jack Tweedie after 145 minutes at the crease.

Tweedie bagged two wickets, as did Charlie Husband.

With Scott Woolley scoring 33, Keynsham made their way to 111-3 in reply.

Despite being aided by 40 extras, they were shot out for 149 in 30.5 overs, Bath’s Rob Patch impressing with 6-31 off 7.5 overs.

Bath 4th XI lost by six wickets at Golden Hill 4th XI in Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Six on 1st August.

The visitors mustered only 144-7 from their 40 overs after being put in, this despite a fine partnership by openers David Pippett (40) and Thiaan Aspeling (39) that yielded 70 runs.

But the only other score of note was Jack Pippett’s 26 not out, Bristol outfit Hill’s Henry Taubman collecting 5-18 in eight overs and the virtually unplayable Luke Colling returning 0-8 off eight overs, of which four were maidens.

A 90-run stand for the first Golden Hill wicket, courtesy of Wilf Newton (48) and Romesh Tenuwera (51), laid the foundations for a convincing win for the home XI.

They closed with 146-4 from 31.1 overs, Max Woodman taking 2-36 off seven overs.

Forthcoming fixtures:

Saturday 8th August:

West of England Premier League:

Premier 1: Potterne 1st XI v Bath 1st XI (at The Grove, noon).

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

Bristol & District Cricket Association:

Division One: Claverham (Yatton) 1st XI v Bath 3rd XI (at Wood Memorial Ground, 1pm).

Division Six: Bath 4th XI v Bristol Eagles 1st XI (at Brownsword Ground, 1pm).

Sunday 9th August:

Vitality Club T20 (ECB National Club T20):

Group 5 area final semi-final: Bath 1st XI v Paignton 1st XI (at The Parks, Bridgwater, 10am).

West of England Premier League:

Women’s Premier Division: Bath Wanderers 1st XI v Bridgwater Women’s 1st XI (at North Parade, 1pm).

Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation:

35-Over Competition: Cam Ladies 1st XI v Bath Wanderers 2nd XI (at Everlands, 1pm).