METHODISTS 77-5 CHIPPING SODBURY 4ths 76 all out.

Chipping Sodbury were asked to bat first on a pitch softened up by a week of rain, and quickly ran into difficulties as a wicket fell to just the third ball of the game.

Scoring was slow early on, as the Methodists’ opening bowlers, Daniel Shearn (1-4) and James Sackett (2-8), kept to a tight line and length, and restricted the visitors to 14 for 3 after ten overs. Then Simon Rossiter (25) and James Northover (19) added a very handy 42 runs, before the Methodists again got amongst the wickets – Josh Potter (1-26) and David Baker (2-8) this time causing the opposition’s downfall.

Skipper Stuart Green (4-4) eventually wrapped things up, breaking up the last pair of Rosie Tregear and Ravi Mistry, who had stretched CSCC’s score to 76 by the time the final wicket was claimed in the 33rd over.

In reply, the Methodists too found scoring slow-going – their first wicket also falling after three balls – with Tregear (1-7) and Chris Young (2-23) ensuring that chasing down the small target would not be plain sailing.

Alex Nash (18) and Mark Robinson steadied things briefly with their stand for the fourth wicket, but the pace of Northover (2-17) threatened to blow away the middle order before the home side could reach their goal. Eventually the visitors’ shortage of experienced bowlers swung the contest in the hosts’ favour – extras coming to the rescue and contributing 27 of the 77 runs required – as the Methodists got home by five wickets in the 27th over, relieved to have survived their batting wobbles, and claiming victory in an unexpectedly close contest.