After winning their first two league games of the season in convincing style, Timsbury came down to earth with a seven-wicket home defeat against Old Bristolians Westbury in the Bristol and District League Senior Division.

After winning the toss and deciding to bat, the home side struggled from the outset, and their total of 128 never looked to be enough.

Six of the Timsbury batsmen got into double figures, but none of them went on to play a significant innings, with opener, Mark Sage, top scorer on nineteen. The nine-wicket partnership of 28 between skipper Steve Clothier and Neil Hucker was the best of the innings, before Clothier ran himself out. Timsbury were grateful for a generous donation of thirty extras. Rupert Swetman, son of former England wicketkeeper, Roy Swetman, bowled beautifully to take 3-10 from his nine overs, and there were also three wickets for skipper Stuart Macarthur.

Swetman then proved a thorn in Timsbury’s side, when OBW replied and an opening partnership of 109, with Australian overseas signing, Ricardo De Nobrega, laying the foundation for a comfortable win. Nobrega was eventually caught behind by Adam Brinkworth off the bowling of Ellis Hancock for 44, and Swetman was bowled by Jon Strand for a well-constructed sixty, but OBW cruised to victory with more than seventeen overs to spare. Strand took two of the wickets at a cost of 24 runs.

Malcolm Tucker