A round-up of matches by Hampset Cricket Club – Saturday 23rd August.
Hampset 1st XI will host Shirehampton and Hampset 2nd XI will visit Knowle 3rd XI on a crucial last day of the season
Bishopston 2nd XI v Hampset 1st XI
Hampset 1st XI’s battle to avoid relegation from Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Two will go to the wire after defeat by Bishopston 2nd XI on Saturday 23rd August.
The visitors chose to bat first but experienced a difficult start, with both openers dismissed early on and runs proving hard to come by.
Extras top-scored with 51 followed by Freddy Hiscott with 27 and Sam Marquiss with 23.
Some poor shot selection and good Bishopston bowling resulted in Hampset’s middle order and tail crumbling.
Hampset managed to get to 132 all out, leaving pressure on the bowlers and fielders to secure a win.
The guests began to carve into the Bishopston batting line-up, with early wickets falling.
Marquiss (3-36) and Hiscott (2-21) brought Hampset right back into the game.
Two wickets for Willis Skardon and one apiece for Tom Marquiss and Ethan Silcox combined with the excellent glove work of Ollie Rose – who held three catches – made Hampset the favourites as the game continued.
With Bishopston 106-9, Hampset set about looking for the final wicket and a crucial win.
Two chances were almost taken, with the ball just clearing the tallest fielder on Hampset’s team by millimetres and another effort narrowly avoiding being held on the boundary.
Silcox thought he picked up the final wicket but the caught-behind decision went against Hampset and the number 11 batter remained.
Bishopston managed to sneak over the line and take the win, meaning Hampset go into their final game – at home to Shirehampton 1st XI on Saturday 30th August – needing victory to have a chance of maintaining their Division Two status.
Hampset 2nd XI v Midsomer Norton Methodist 1st XI
After four weeks of excellent displays and results, Hampset 2nd XI were confident of beating the drop from Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Seven East.
Unfortunately, the optimism to secure safety with a week to spare by getting the better of visitors Midsomer Norton Methodist 1st XI on Saturday 23rd August came to a grinding halt thanks to a very short innings, where accurate bowling and questionable shots had Hampset stumbling to a paltry 73 all out.
Knowing that early wickets were needed, Hampset employed the efforts of their strike bowlers immediately. But nothing came of this tactic, so quickfire overs were the order of the day.
Norton were not slouching and got the chase done inside eight overs for no loss of wicket.
Hampset will visit Knowle 3rd XI on Saturday 30th August knowing that a 20-point victory is the only outcome to guarantee safety without relying on other results.
That victory can be achieved, given the outstanding performances prior to the match against Norton.
Hampset 3rd XI v Old Park 1st XI
Hampset 3rd XI picked up 20 points in Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Nine East on Saturday 23rd August when scheduled opponents Old Park conceded.
A trip to Lansdown 3rd XI awaits Hampset on Saturday 30th August.
