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Venue:
Bath CC 1st XI v Bridgwater CC 1st XI
Bath CC 1st XI v Bridgwater CC 1st XI
Bath 1st XI continued their unbeaten run in Premier Oneafter recoding a rain affected win in their top of the table home clash against Bridgwater CC 1st XI on Saturday.
After winning the toss and putting the away side into bat, the Bridgwater innings started strongly as they entered the eighth over with 45 runs already on the board, but James Arney then bowled Luke Pearson Taylor for a brisk 27. This shifted the momentum towards Bath as fellow opener, Harminder Singh (15) was removed just three balls later by Australian paceman, Aidan Cahill to leave the away side 45-2. Although Mike Coles (26) and Alfie Ogborne (27) both made solid starts, wickets continued to tumble around them as young fast bowler, Joe Heywood bowled an impressive eight over spell, picking up 5-23 to bowl out Bridgwater for 141 in 41 overs.
With rain affecting this match, Bath faced a revised target of 129 from 32 overs, but their response stuttered from the first ball of the innings as opener, Jack Scrivens was caught off the bowling of Alfie Ogborne. Ben Church (27) and Charlie Brain (11) briefly rebuilt, but Bath then slipped to 49-4 from their first ten overs. Skipper Tim Rouse then batted effectively with Harry Ellison (13) and Aidan Cahill (18), but when both of these batters were out, Bath still required 32 runs for victory with only four wickets in hand. But Rouse (31*) and James Arney (20*) forged a match winning partnership which took Bath to victory with four overs to be bowled. As a result of this four wicket win, Bath extends their gap over second place, Bridgwater at the top of Premier One to 30 points.