A blustery afternoon at Fry’s Club in Keynsham saw the Methodists win the toss and ask an under-strength Old Park to bat first.
The hosts’ opening pair of Mark Galsworthy and Martin Newman found scoring opportunities scarce to begin with, but stuck at it and by the tenth over, had thirty runs on the board. Continuing on, they managed to avoid the loss of a wicket.
David Baker bowled five maidens in his eight-over spell. Thirty overs came and went and still Galsworthy and Newman survived, while the visitors continued to strive for that elusive wicket. Finally, in the 34th over, a lofted shot from Galsworthy picked out Alex Nash, ending his dogged innings of 39 and the first-wicket stand of 86 runs. Another wicket followed in the 37th over (97–2), but Newman remained at the crease, bringing up a well-deserved maiden fifty in the final over to much applause. He finally perished to the penultimate ball of the innings, the second wicket for James Green, as the home side posted 111–3.
After tea, the Methodists made brisk work of chasing down their modest target. Having lost Martin Woolley in the eighth over with 35 on the board, Alex Nash joined David Baker and they quickly knocked off the remaining runs in a flurry of fours and sixes. Nash reached his fifty first with Baker getting there in the final over of the innings. The only wicket to fall was claimed, fittingly, by Old Park’s opening batsman, Mark Galsworthy. Daniel Shearn