The Methodists journeyed to a parched Memorial Ground in Failand to play Old Bristolians Westbury Thirds.
Accurate bowling from David Baker and Daniel Shearn saw to it that early scoring opportunities were limited for OBW’s batsmen, and by the end of their opening sixteen-over spell, only 42 runs were on the board.
Dimi Naeem’s innings of 44 was the foundation of OBW’s total, his initial caution giving way to more expansive shots as he added 38- and 29-run stands with Nathan Williams (26) and Adam Stenlake (24), respectively. However, once Naeem was bowled by Josh Potter, the regular fall of wickets kept the Methodists in the game – James Sackett (3-26), Stuart Green (2-39) and Craig Eyles (2-34) ensuring that the hosts only posted a moderate score of 161 at tea.
The Methodists’ reply began brightly, as Alex Nash and Mark Robinson added a quick 28 in 34 balls, but a double-strike from the impressive Henry Andrews (2-25) saw Nash and Eyles leaving the field of play. Meths’ Captain, Stuart Green, then joined Robinson, and the pair began peppering the boundary ever more frequently as they built a partnership of ninety in nineteen overs.
Robinson (32) – the perfect foil for his more-attacking skipper – was eventually undone by a Naeem slower ball and was replaced by the experienced Baker to help finish things off. Green’s match-winning 73 not-out saw the visitors to their target with five overs and seven wickets to spare, giving the team a vital win in the battle to avoid relegation from Division Ten.
Next week, the Methodists are home to Bohemians’ Second XI.
Daniel Shearn