Bath CC 1st XI v Bedminster CC 1st XI
Bath’s 1st XI travelled to Bristol to face Bedminster CC’s 1st XI on Saturday, and even 100 overs of cricket couldn’t decide a winner, as the match finished in a nail biting tie.
After winning the toss and choosing to field first, the Bath opening attack made two swift breakthroughs, first removing Max Tryfonos (4) and then Ollie Meadows (7) to leave the home side 17-2. William Salzmann and James Matravers then briefly built a partnership of 34 before Matravers went for 10. Bedminster now needed a solid partnership and they delivered with two fifty stands, firstly through Salzmann (54) and Brooks (56), and then Brooks and Sainsbury (43) to take Bedminster up to 163-5 in the 37th over. Contributions from the lower order then took the home side to 243-8 from their 50 overs. James Arney (2-38), George Axtell (2-47) and Josh Sutton (2-57) all picked up two wickets.
Similar to Bedminster’s innings, Bath struggled at the top of the order, losing Ben Wells (1) and Jack Scrivens (10) with only 31 on the board. Sam Young (7) soon followed and at 51-3 Bath’s batters had a lot of work to do. However, Australian overseas Harry Dixon and skipper Harry Ellison then settled the innings down with some positive cricket, both scoring at a run a ball to compile a stand of 99 before Ellison was trapped in front for 45. Dixon then went on to post his best score for Bath as he went painfully short of his first century for the club on 96, which included seven sixes. At 196-5 with 13 overs to be bowled Bath still looked in a very good position, and when James Arney added a positive 43 to take the away side up to 233-6, needing just 11 runs off the last three overs to win, the match looked in the bag. However, some excellent tight bowling from Bedminster and two run outs left Bath painfully short of a win, as they were bowled out for 243 to leave the match tied with both clubs picking up 15 points each to both remain on 71 points in Prem One. Jamie Brooks (3-30) and Fahab Sabir (2-36) bowled particularly well at the end of the innings to restrict scoring and take key wickets.