At Norton Hill, visitors, Saltford Fairway, asked the Methodists to bat first on a pitch still damp from overnight thunderstorms, with the fearsome combo of Aiden Taynton and Jamie Pattimore opening the bowling.
Meths’ opening pair, Martin Woolley and Jason Stotesbury, did well to survive until the fifth over against some awkward deliveries, but eventually, Taynton found a way through Woolley’s defence, bringing the in-form Craig Eyles to the crease.
A stand of 24 runs from six overs saw some crashing boundaries from Eyles (18), but the lesser pace of Dave Holmes eventually did for him – the first of the afternoon’s many brilliant Saltford catches.
The Methodists continued to hit some fine boundaries but kept on losing wickets – Holmes (3–17) picked up another two, before Becky Stroud chipped in with a handy 3 for 19 – their hopes of reaching three figures now in the balance. The hundred was finally brought up in the thirtieth over, amid applause from the boundary, but the innings lasted just 27 more balls – the Methodists posting a modest 113 in 34.1 overs.
After an early tea, Saltford, as expected, set out to chase down their target as quickly as possible, with Pattimore and Captain, Alex Parsons, peppering the boundary from the start. James Sackett grabbed the consolation prize of Parsons’ wicket in the fourth over with the score on 27, but Pattimore and Saltford’s number three, Aiden Taynton, continued to smash the bowling around the park.
Pattimore hammered a quick 57, with five fours and five sixes, before skying a catch to Stotesbury to give Josh Potter the second and final wicket of the innings. However, Taynton (36*) then took nineteen from the twelfth and final over to seal another comprehensive seven-wicket victory for the powerful Saltford side.
Daniel Shearn