After winning their two pre-season friendlies away to Purnell and Frome, Timsbury got their league programme off to an encouraging start with a seven wicket win away to Downend Second XI in the newly-structured Bristol and District League Senior Division.
A heavy storm near the end of the Downend innings meant that nearly an hour and a half of play was lost and a revised target of 113 runs in 25.1 overs was comfortably achieved by the visitors. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Downend were soon in trouble, facing the young Timsbury attack of Sam Hoddinott and Alex Young. When they had completed their spells, the home side were 56–5 with Hoddinott finishing with 3–29 from his nine overs and Young with equally impressive figures of 2–25. Jon Strand then dismissed home skipper, Matt Crawford, but from 59–6, Downend, in the form of Oliver Ralph and Jon Southgate, mounted a strong recovery. Together they added an unbeaten 120 and when rain brought an early close to the innings after 40.1 overs, Southgate was undefeated on 68 with Ralph on 57.
The revised target did Downend no favours, but the young pace bowlers, Duval Pierre and Hamza Sultan Ali ensured that Timsbury had to work hard for their runs. The experience of Mark Sage was again to prove invaluable for the village side. He paced his innings to perfection, ending 61 not out as Timsbury reached their target with just under five overs to spare. He received good support from Nathan Hawkins (15) and Paul Cracknell (18) as the visitors collected a haul of 24 points.
Malcom Tucker