HORRINGTON 187-8 METHODISTS 185-7

With Covid lockdown restrictions having eased enough to allow local sport, the Methodists were able to travel to Horrington on a pleasantly sunny afternoon for their annual season-opening friendly.

The visitors were asked to bat first and got off to a great start as Martin Woolley and Mark Robinson put on an entertaining 58 for the first wicket in seventeen overs. The experience of Iain Locke eventually saw the end of their productive partnership, with Robinson caught for 22 by ‘keeper Cox, who also then stumped Woolley for a sparkling 35. Thereafter, the rest of the Methodists’ batsmen were able to get a start, but none made it too far into double-figures before again departing for the pavilion – Jason Lane-Sellars’ 4-44 keeping Horrington firmly in the game.

The match was paused at 3 pm as the nation marked the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh, and when play resumed the Methodists, aided by ‘keeper Dave Sackett’s breezy 19 not out, were able to post a useful 185-7 from their forty overs.

The home team’s reply was expertly managed by wicketkeeper/batsman James Cox, who kept the perfect tempo throughout his magnificent innings and was guiding Horrington to a comfortable win when he fell one short of his century, bowled by Robinson (2-16) in the 34th over. For the other batters it was, like the Methodists’, a story of brief stays at the crease – the match still in the balance until Nick Western’s calm unbeaten 23 finally saw the home side to victory with twenty balls, and two wickets, to spare.

Daniel Shearn