Bath CC v South Wilts CC – ECB National Club Championship

Bath 1st XI made a positive start to their National Club Championship campaign by beating South Wilts CC by 73 runs on Sunday.

 After Bath’s skipper, Harry Ellison won the toss and elected to bat first, the home side lost the dangerous, Brad Porteous (10) with only 25 on the board. But contributions from Jack Scrivens (38) and Ben Church (27) pushed the score onto 95-3 in the nineteenth over. Sam Young then posted a run a ball 62 and Louis Brown, batting at seven, hit a 44 ball 67 to take Bath up to a very challenging 264-7 from their 40 overs.

 In reply, South Wilts started positively, moving to 35 without loss before Harry Broderick (19) became Bath’s first wicket caught off the bowling of George Axtell. South Wilts then slipped to 55-3, and although Ben Draper (46) and Mathew Falconer (44*) made very solid contributions, Bath continued to take regular wickets through the off spin of Louis Brown (4-47) and the pace of Ollie Heard (3-29). In the end South Wilts were bowled out for 191 in the 37th over, still 73 runs adrift of Bath’s total.  Bath’s 1st XI progress to the second round to be played on 10th May.