Bath CC 1st XI v Potterne CC 1st XI

Bath’s 1st XI made it three wins out of three on Saturday, when they registered an away win against Potterne CC 1st XI.

After Potterne won the toss and elected to bat first, Bath put in one of their best bowling performances of the season, as they quickly picked up three wickets to leave the home side 41-3 in the 14th over. There was then a brief rebuild from Cyrus Shafi and Josh Kelly, but when Kelly (32) was run out by stand in skipper, Sam Young in the 32nd over, Shafi also departed soon after for 75. With Potterne 125-5 and two new batters at the crease, the home side still had more work to do to get up to a defendable score on such a small ground. Skipper, Neil Clark (31), Chris Aubrey (25), and Morlon Simon (25*) were all up to the challenge, as Potterne were eventually bowled out in the last over for 254. Bath seamers, George Axtell (2-35), Spencer Gammon (2-64), Matthew Cadywould (2-38), and James Arney (2-54) all bowled well.

Bath’s reply could not have started better as openers, Ben Wells and Brad Porteous flew to a 115 opening stand inside 13 overs before Porteous went for 38. Harry Dixon then joined the destructive Wells, and these two batters added a further 63 and Wells registered an incredible century off just 53 balls before he was the second wicket to fall, leaving Bath 178-2 in the 23rd over. Dixon (33) also went five balls later, but Sam Young (28) and Jack Scrivens with 43 not out from just 18 balls took Bath to victory in the 31st over, to win by six wickets. After their recent winning run, Bath are now within touching distance of a number of mid table clubs in Prem One, and 25 points clear of the drop zone.