Rain doesn’t dampen Methodists’ success – Old Park 93-6 (24 overs) Methodists 146-7 (31 overs)

Changeable weather at Fry’s in Keynsham saw both sides initially confined to their cars by rain but, after about 35 minutes, play was able to get underway.

The Methodists were asked to bat first on a soft, damp pitch with a revised innings of 31 overs, instead of the usual 40. Having lost an early wicket, Martin Woolley and Craig Eyles knuckled down and began to build a total – their partnership eventually growing to 62 valuable runs from 14 overs. Eyles (32) had his fun cut short first by the accurate Josh Rowe (2-15), while Woolley was run out shortly after for a very handy 25, but a platform had been laid for the Methodists’ middle-order to build on. Skipper Stuart Green then upped the ante somewhat – having seen off the dangerous Shane Sheppard (3-21) he, along with various partners, set about adding another 68 runs in the remaining 13 overs, finishing unbeaten on 38 as the Methodists posted a very useful 146 for 7 at tea.

More rain during the interval saw another delay, but Old Park were keen to get back out on the field and push for the win, looking for 115 runs from a further-reduced 24 overs of play. The visitors opened the bowling with Daniel Shearn and Craig Eyles, who were able to exploit the now unpredictable pitch and reduced the batting side to 2 for 2 in the fourth over, when run-machine Sheppard was crucially dismissed after a top-edge. With Old Park’s top-scorer relegated to the shed, the bowlers were able to keep the brakes on the scoring, with Shearn (1-8) and Eyles (2-14) conceding only 30 runs from their initial five overs apiece. This left 85 needed from 14 overs, and some tidy bowling in difficult conditions from Green, Josh Potter and James Sackett saw to it that, despite a concerted effort from the Park’s Rowe (25) and Galsworthy (27*) , the home side were unable to score at the rate required to reach their target.

So a great team performance in the field by the (ten-man) Methodists side eventually saw them claiming victory by 22 runs under ‘Duckworth-Lewis’, a fitting reward for braving the unpleasant playing conditions!