MIDSOMER NORTON 186-9 WESTON-SUPER-MARE 181-8
A dramatic, last-ball victory over Weston-super-Mare at Withies Lane last Saturday maintained Midsomer Norton’s 100% record in the second week of the 2019 season.
With eight wickets down and needing three runs to win off what should have been the last ball of the game, Midsomer Norton’s Dan Chard was on strike, and was run out at the bowler’s end. Chard was dismissed, but the umpire also signalled a wide, which meant that Chris Hampshire was on strike for the re-run of the final ball. Hampshire duly dispatched this delivery beyond the boundary rope for six to secure a nail-biting one-wicket victory for the home side.
On a sometimes sunny and sometimes chilly day, Norton skipper, Nick Pang, won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first. No Weston batsman managed to dominate the Norton attack, and opener, Rob Turner, top scored with 44. Three Weston wickets fell in quick succession to leave the visitors 86-4.
There were to be no significant run-scoring partnerships, but Weston’s ninth wicket pair of Ahmed and Knight added what could have been a vital undefeated 22 runs at the end of the Weston innings. Dan Chard was Norton’s most effective bowler, taking 3-30 in his ten overs. Filer, Hampshire and Pang also got amongst the wickets.
Chasing 182 for victory, Norton faltered at the outset and soon found themselves 18-4. Player Coach, Jake Rowe, and Martin Cox then steadied the ship for a while, but Cox went for 18 and Norton were still very much on the wrong end of things at 53-5. ‘Keeper, John Carroll, strode to the wicket and with some lusty blows; he scored 39 off 44 balls to help add 74 for the sixth wicket.
After Carroll’s dismissal, and still needing 55 to win the game with just four Norton wickets left to fall, Weston were still very much in the driving seat. The departure of Rowe for a gritty 62 further dampened the home side’s hopes, but Chris Hampshire came to the wicket and his 26 runs off just seventeen balls (including two fours and two sixes) meant that Norton secured a well-fought, if nerve-jangling, victory.
Having won two out of two, fourth-placed Midsomer Norton this Saturday, 18th May, visit fifth-placed Bishopston. The game starts at 12.30 p.m.
At Withies Lane on Saturday, St Mary Redcliffe are the Second XI’s opponents. The Third XI, undefeated so far this season, visit Carsons & Mangotsfield CC. Both games start at 1.30 p.m.
On Sunday, 19th May at Withies Lane, Norton host Frome and Bristol in a series of round-robin group matches in the WEPL T20 tournament. The three sides play each other on the same day and the action starts at 10.30 a.m. Also on Sunday, the Midsomer Mavericks, Norton’s Women’s team, visit Frome for their next round of Somerset Ladies League softball fixtures.
Charlie Matthews