A blustery afternoon at Norton Hill saw the Methodists playing host to promotion-chasing Frenchay Thirds, with the home side again winning the toss.

Asked to bat first, the visitors had reached fourteen in the fifth over when the first wicket fell. Another one went down in the seventh, then Josh Tiley and Will Ferguson added a run-a-ball 24 before Ferguson skied a catch to Simon Howlett to give bowler Daniel Shearn his 500th wicket for the Methodists. Another brace in the following two overs from Shearn (5-21) saw Frenchay in big trouble at 47-5, but Will Packwood and Lewis Moss were then able to build a partnership of 35 to bring the visitors back from the brink. Moss eventually fell to Howlett, but Packwood (25) added another 33 runs with Will Forsyth before becoming the first of three victims for James Green (3-23), who finished off the innings to bowl Frenchay out for a modest 127.

After the break, Alex Nash and Craig Eyles batted sensibly against the bowling of Charis Oram, Rachel Le Poidevin and the impressive Ellie Donaldson to amass 58 runs for the Methodists' second wicket. Frenchay's Joe Redgers then dismissed both Eyles (22) and Nash (34) in quick succession, before the introduction of quick bowlers Forsyth and Moss put the batsmen firmly on the back foot. James Green and Matt Kerr did well to weather much of the pacy pair's assault.

Stuart Green and Simon Howlett were able to put together an unbeaten stand of 43, getting the home side over the finish line for a valuable, hard-fought win.

Daniel Shearn