PORTISHEAD 1ST XI (132) MIDSOMER NORTON 1ST XI (323–9)Last Saturday, away at Portishead, Midsomer Norton won the toss and chose to bat. Alex Lear (55) and Nick Pang (83) raced to an opening partnership of 145 from eighteen overs before Pang was caught off the bowling of Mike Hooper (3–42).
Martin Cox (67) joined Lear and showed a return to form as he featured in stands of seventy with Shailesh Bhondekhar (46) and 53 with Nick Cox (32). Several balls were lost in the nearby lake as bat dominated ball, but Portishead stuck to the task and secured four bowling points before Norton declared on 323–9 in the 44th over.
Faced with a daunting total, the Portishead innings never got going, as wickets fell at regular intervals. Will Cooper (16) and Mo Habib (40) tried to take the attack to the bowlers, but Nick Cox (2–3) struck with his first ball to dismiss Habib.
Portishead earned a batting point before Chris Hampshire wrapped up the innings with 3–21 and Norton completed an emphatic win by 191 runs.
This Saturday, the First XI, now in fourth place in the table, welcome second place Winterbourne to Withies Lane – the game starts at 1 p.m. The Second XI travel to Chew Magna and the Third XI visit Nailsea. The Sunday XI are at home this weekend. The game starts at 2 p.m. and Keynsham provide the opposition. Charlie Matthews