Hosts Brislington asked the Methodists to bat first, and Mark Robinson got things off to a brisk start with a quick fifteen.
Two wickets in, three balls from young Seth Kingston then shook things up a bit, removing Robinson and the dangerous Alex Nash, before Martin Woolley and skipper, Stuart Green, again steadied the ship. Their stand of 37 laid a platform on which Green and the Meths’ number five, Craig Eyles, then built a handsome partnership – the brothers-in-law adding 119 runs in nineteen overs, to put the Norton side in a great position. Both passed fifty and, once Eyles (58) was eventually dismissed, Green (77) was able to boost the total up to 218–6 after 38 overs, when a heavy downpour curtailed the Methodists’ innings.
After tea, some accurate bowling from Eyles and Daniel Shearn applied early pressure to the home team, who unfortunately were unable to ever get going. Craig was at his brilliant best, spinning his way to five wickets as Brislington’s top order succumbed. Robbie Dowding and Seth Kingston both impressed with the bat, but there was no way back from 43–9 for the home side. A final wicket stand of thirty between Nightingale (10) and Matt Henley (20*) added some respectability, but when Andy Powell removed the final Brislington batsman, it wrapped up an emphatic 145-run win for an elated Methodists team.
Daniel Shearn