Bath CC 2nd XI v Bristol West Indian Phoenix CC 1st XI

Bath 2nd XI remain top of WEPL Bristol & North Somerset after another convincing win built on an excellent batting display.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Charlie Rustell’s side lost Dollin Jansen (5) early, but Charlie Brain and Alex Haleem took the away sides score up to 92-2 when Haleem went for 20. Kester Mosely (6) soon followed, but when skipper Charlie Rustell joined Brain with the score on 104-3, it was crucial that these two batters forged a partnership, and they really delivered. Putting on 177 in just 25 overs, both batters pasted centuries with Rustell hitting 106 off just 92 balls with a staggering nine sixes before he was the first to depart with the score on 281-4. Brain continued to bat positively with Hamish Bell (39*) as these two batters took the Bath total up to a towering 348-4 with Brain finishing on an excellent undefeated 129 off 117 balls.

The Bristol West Indian reply stuttered as they lost two early wickets to leave them 41-2, but as former Bath player, Ashur Morrison (48) and James Pearson (58) added 85 to take the home sides total to 126 inside 24 overs, the match looked in the balance, but the introduction of Kester Moseley to the attack (2-34) proved crucial as he removed both batters. Despite contributions from Dylan Young (27) and Rushabh Yadav (22) the home side continued to fall behind the run rate and eventually finished on 249-8, 99 runs adrift of the Bath total. In addition to Moseley, the pick of the Bath bowlers was Alex Burkhart with 4-42.