An Andy Cox five-wicket haul couldn’t get Midsomer Norton their second win of the season last Saturday. Playing Old Bristolians Westbury, Cox was near unplayable during his ten-over spell, taking 5–22. He probably should have had more.
Despite Cox’s fine personal effort, loose bowling and fifties for James King (89 not out) and Steve Jacobs (59) propelled Old Bristolians to a 99-run win.
Old Bristolians made 259–7 from fifty overs, a score that was well above par on a slow wicket with variable bounce. King, in particular, took the game away from Norton. Through King’s 87-ball innings, 64 runs came from boundaries as he waited for over-pitched or wide balls, belting them over the field to the fence. Not that he could hit Cox. Nobody could.
Cox opened the bowling and had two early wickets, both caught in the slip cordon. He was getting the ball to bounce and seam erratically off the soft wicket, hitting a good length which had batsmen struggling to follow the ball. When he returned to bowl his final three overs at the end of the innings, Cox was unhittable, despite the efforts of King and the lower order, taking three more to complete his five-wicket haul. All the wickets went to the Cox’s, with brother Martin Cox and leg-spinner Nick Cox chiming in with one apiece.
In reply, Norton’s batsmen failed to apply themselves. Only three batsmen got to the twenty mark, with Martin Cox top scoring on 29. Jon Harvey scored 28. Paceman, Stuart MacArthur, removed Norton’s top three for just 23 runs, while Tom Barrington and Ben Orr also claimed three wickets later in the innings. Norton were all out for 160.
See this weekend’s fixtures on page 31 of The Journal.