High-flying Lansdown Cricket Club were given a tough test by strugglers Keynsham before emerging victorious in the West of England Premier League Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset derby on Saturday 19th July.
Second-placed Lansdown got home against lowly Keynsham with five balls remaining
The city side prevailed by three wickets with five balls remaining in a tense tussle at the Frank Taylor Memorial Ground.
Keynsham, who have won only two league games this year and are battling to avoid the wooden spoon, posted 231-7 off their 50 overs after electing to take first knock.
Openers Ant Cains and Will Burston took the hosts to 43 before the former was trapped leg before by Will Goymer for 16.
Skipper Burston and Tom Kennedy then added 39 for the second wicket, the partnership ending when the captain was caught for 31.
And Burston’s exit marked the start of a decline which left Lansdown 114-4.
However, number five Ranuda Somarathne showed his mettle with 50 – with a six and five fours – off 51 balls and middle-order team-mates Dilshan Wijayakumar (23) and Harry Mattingley (25 not out) made important contributions.
Lansdown’s Praneel Choughule snapped up 2-30 off eight overs, and George Scott returned 2-45 in 10 overs.
The visitors lost opener Dan Lezar cheaply but Scott and skipper Jordan Smith put on 86 for the second wicket.
The duo were parted when Scott was out leg before to Somarathne for 46 from 81 balls.
Next to fall was Smith, caught by wicket-keeper Scott Tweedie off Mattingley for 32, to leave Lansdown 125-3.
Keynsham kept pressing and bagged two wickets for one run in the 160s, Marc Lezar (16) and Luke Charlesworth (1) departing.
Choughule stood firm until he was gloved by Tweedie off Somarathne for 61. He faced 69 deliveries and hit six boundaries. His wicket tumbling meant Lansdown had seven down and still needed 33 runs to win.
However, Sam Pearce (15 not out) and Josh Smith (18 not out) shared an unbroken eighth-wicket stand that took Lansdown to 232-7 from 49.1 overs.
Somarathne was relatively expensive but pocketed 3-61 off 10 overs.
Next up for Lansdown is a home game against Old Bristolians Westbury on Saturday 26th July.
