Midsomer Norton Cricket Club’s league campaign got off to a nail-biting start, with the Withies Lane outfit falling to defeat by the smallest of margins.

Travelling to Winterbourne for the season’s first competitive fixture, the home side won the toss and decided to bat. Norton started well with two early wickets falling to Chris Phylips and the home side were 21–2. Winterbourne’s middle order batters played well though with half century partnerships for the third, fifth and sixth wickets and Norton found wickets harder to come by. Norton stuck to their task though and the other wickets fell to Thomas Hankins, Nick Pang and Caleb Rowe.

The visitors were quick out of the blocks after the break with the half century partnership for the first wicket by Nick Pang (39) and Paul Robbins coming up in the seventh over – but the partnership was broken in the same over with the dismissal of Robbins. The run rate couldn’t be maintained and Norton lost wickets steadily but remained in the game, Caleb Rowe top scoring with 41. Norton’s tail wagged – but not quite enough and the visitors fell short by one run with three balls remaining.

At Withies Lane, the Second XI fixture was abandoned. The home side won the toss and chose to field. Visitors Backwell Flax Bourton reached 169–7 off 37 overs, the wickets falling to Max Bartlett, Niel Brooks, Chris Hampshire and Martin Cox. Less than seven overs of the Norton innings were completed when the home side were 48–2.

In the Third XI fixture, Midsomer Norton won the toss and decided to bat, reaching 161, Tom Webb scoring an unbeaten half century. Visitors Pucklechurch scored the winning runs in the penultimate over, winning by three wickets. Norton’s wicket takers were Phil Mortimer, George Fuller, Callum Bicknell, Rob Fuller and Nick Potter.