Hampset 1st XI end poor run with nerve-jangling away win

A match round-up by Hampset Cricket Club – Saturday 26th July.

Hampset 1st XI won for the first time in five Bristol & District Cricket Association games

Hampset 1st XI won for the first time in five Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Two matches when they overcame hosts Frampton Cotterell in a nerve-jangler on Saturday 26th July.

With Frampton going into the match only a couple of points below Hampset near the bottom of the table, the fixture promised to be the most important one in the league so far for the men from Bloomfield Rise.

Hampset skipper Sam Marquiss lost the toss and his team were put into bat.

A steady start from Ollie Smith (17) and Louie Gratton-Peters (26) saw Hampset reach 62-1 after the early loss of Freddy Hiscott.

Smith’s removal brought Matt Hill to the crease. He started his innings with a flurry of boundaries through the leg side.

Gratton-Peters was dismissed after a lazy shot left him chopping one onto his own stumps.

Fergal McDonald (15) came and went quickly, having hit a few boundaries, but Hill continued to score freely.

Marquiss then arrived at the crease. Steady scoring and regular boundaries from the captain and Hill saw Hampset reach 142-4. However, Hill was caught for 38.

Marquiss continued to score freely, despite the fall of wickets around him, to go through to his first 50 of the year.

A couple of boundaries to finish the innings saw Hampset close with 196-8 from their 40 overs, Marquiss posting a superb 62 not out from 47 balls.

With the pitch having something in it for the bowlers, a score of almost 200 looked to be respectable.

Marquiss and Hiscott opened the bowling and both had the ball swinging and carrying through, making it difficult for the Frampton batters to get any sort of momentum to start their innings.

Regular wickets were taken, with Marquiss picking up one and Hiscott bagging two to remove the Frampton top three.

Ethan Silcox (7-1-16-1) bowled tightly as the first change, beating the bat consistently before finally being rewarded with a wicket.

Dan Roberts took a wicket from the other end to leave Frampton 66-5 and Hampset firmly in control.

A bit of spin was brought into the Hampset attack, Tom Marquiss causing problems straight away. He grabbed two wickets to leave Frampton 89-7.

So 197 looked a long way off for Frampton. However, a great partnership of 71 between their numbers seven and nine batters frustrated Hampset and got the South Gloucestershire team back into the game.

Tom Marquiss finally broke the partnership to remove the number seven, on his way to the respectable figures of 7-0-37-3.

The number nine batter continued to score boundaries and rotated the strike brilliantly, putting the Hampset fielders and bowlers under pressure.

Frampton were 193-8, needing four runs to win, and it looked as though Hampset might have let another commanding position slip.

But Hiscott removed the Frampton numbers 10 and 11 batters off consecutive balls to see the home side bowled out for 193.

Hiscott returned figures of 6.4-0-38-4 and continues his charge up the league bowling charts.

The result was huge – a 19-point, three-run win for Hampset, who will return to Bloomfield Rise on Saturday 2nd August for a match against bottom side Winterbourne 2nd XI.