A match round-up by Hampset Cricket Club – Saturday 16th August.
Hampset 1st XI were thumped by 130 runs when they hosted Old Down 1st XI in Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Two
Hampset 1st XI’s battle to avoid the drop from Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Two suffered a major blow with a crushing 130-run defeat by Old Down 1st XI on Saturday 16th August.
Home side Hampset bowled first and were quickly on top, with Freddy Hiscott and Sam Marquiss striking early.
George Williams, Old Down’s number three, started imperiously and punished anything full.
However, Ethan Silcox bowled a devastating spell (5-24) to remove batters at the other end.
Old Down were at 86-6 when the key partnership formed. Several boundaries including reverse hits and the ball clearing the clubhouse soon put the visitors in the ascendancy.
Hampset fought back and achieved the breakthrough, with Jon Pullin being caught at long on after a very good support innings of 39.
The return of Hiscott (2-43) resulted in the next batter being bowled for a duck.
Williams continued to attack, passing his century by dispatching yet another reverse hit.
Marquiss then returned to snare the number 10, Aaron Holman, to have figures of 2-45.
Aptly it was Silcox who wrapped up the innings by taking the wicket of Williams (120). Old Down closed on 234 all out.
Batting second was not going to be easy with the pitch offering uneven bounce.
And Hampset’s innings almost started off in disastrous fashion, Conor McDonald being dropped and then almost run out off the first ball.
Things did not get much better for Hampset as wicket after wicket fell to beautiful deliveries, several balls that kept low and poorly executed shots.
There was no innings of note which led to Hampset being skittled for just 104.
Hampset now face two must-win games – the first at Bishopston 2nd XI on Saturday 23rd August. Only 10 points separate the three teams battling to avoid relegation.
