MIDSOMER Norton Methodists' last home game of the season saw them hosting a strong Saltford Fairway XI - however, the visitors proved too strong for their rivals, winning by nine wickets.

Methodists batted first, but spinner Jake Evans Jones (5-10) had them in early trouble. A wicket in the fourth over slowed the home team's progress, but the real damage happened when he then ripped through the top-order batting.

Skipper and opener James Green had survived the carnage as the side slumped from 28-1 to 35-5, and, joined by dad Stuart, then looked to restore some stability to the innings. However, just four overs later, a miss-timed shot off the bowling of young Freddie Rider (1-13) saw Green Jr chip a catch and depart for 31.

Stuart and keeper Dave Sackett then took advantage of some less accurate bowling to add 29 runs for the seventh wicket, but Haseebullah Oryakhil (2-41) eventually broke through. This precipitated another collapse, as the Methodists' tail-enders succombed to the Saltford bowling - Green Sr (32*) remaining unbeaten at the end, but the final total of 98 looked way short of par for the conditions.

After tea - with cakes graciously supplied by sponsors The Pudding Kitchen - Saltford set out to knock off their target quickly. Circumspect at the start, Alex Parsons and Rob Bailey took time to get settled, putting on fifty in a fairly leisurely nine overs. However, after the departure of Parsons (15), big-hitting Bailey (66*) and new partner Wes Taynton (14*) finished the job rapidly - adding a further 52 runs in just 19 deliveries to wrap up an emphatic win.

Teatime cakes supplied by ball sponsors The Pudding Kitchen. Methodists' Player Sponsors - The Dental Implant Clinic, Westsell Packaging, Mulberry, Purple Bricks.

Methodists 98 all out, Saltford Fairway 102-1