METHODISTS were away again over the weekend, travelling to Knowle CC to play their third eleven on their superbly prepared main ground.

Starting the game in overcast conditions with the visitors batting first, heavy drizzle interrupted proceedings with four overs bowled. After a break of 45 minutes, play then resumed - Alex Nash and Mark Robinson again getting the Methodists off to a fine start, the pair adding 73 runs in 15 overs.

After surviving an earlier chance, Nash then chipped spinner Harry Britton to the waiting hands of Jacob Lambert and had to depart for a solid 42. Stuart Green then made his way to the middle to bat with son-in-law Mark, who was again looking in good touch, and proceeded to inject some extra urgency into the running between wickets.

Now batting in persistent drizzle, they did a fine job to put on an unbeaten 98 in the nineteen overs available to them - Green finishing 47 not out and Robinson posting an excellent 74, as the Methodists finished on 171 for 1 from their reduced 34 overs.

After tea, Knowle took a measured approach to their run-chase - the opening pair of Tom Hammond and keeper Austin Empson ticking things over with relative ease. Empson (18) eventually holed out in the ninth over, with Vipul Bhaskar (26) replacing him, until injury ended his effort. Hammond (36) finally departed with the score on 89 in the 18th over - the match still finely poised - but the new pair of Charlie Ames (29*) and skipper Neil Brown (23*), noting the ominously dark skies, upped the ante enough to achieve victory by DLS method when the inevitable downpour finally came. Knowle 3rds 150-2 , Methodists 171-1.

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