Lodway 2nds 217-5 v Methodists 200-6

The Methodists escaped local showers as they journeyed to Pill to play Lodway 2nds.

Invited to bat first, the home team were relatively becalmed early on, but Nick Rice (38) and Angus Mason (37) were able to put on 49 for the third wicket to get the scoreboard to 79-3 in the 23rd over. Alfie Rendell then helped Mason add another 38, before he and Joe Rowsell really kicked on towards the latter stages. A hundred runs came from the final eleven overs of the innings as Rendell (64*) and Rowsell (43) peppered the boundary, the Methodists’ bowlers unable to contain them as they boosted Lodway’s total to a handsome 217-5 at tea.

After the break, Martin Woolley and David Baker got the Methodists’ innings ticking over with 65 for the second wicket - Baker finding the boundary twelve times as he reached an even fifty. But two wickets in an over for Fraser Dawe (2-17) saw both set batsmen sent back to the changing rooms and the visitors having to start again, still requiring 147 from 24 overs.

Alex Nash and Stuart Green gave the home team something to worry about as they added a handy 72 in thirteen overs, but Nash (62) was then bowled by Rowsell (2-32) to tip the balance back in Lodway’s favour again. Some late pyrotechnics from Green (53*) eventually brought up the Methodists’ 200 in the final over, but the hosts had done enough to take victory by the margin of 17 runs.