Bedminster arrived at Withies Lane needing a win to maintain their title challenge and, having won the toss, put Midsomer Norton in to bat. Openers, James Harvey and Alex Lear, made a steady start, but then wickets fell quickly to leave Norton in trouble at 43–3.
Dean Clifton and Nick Potter steadied the ship as they put together a stand of 71 in eleven overs, before Potter was dismissed. Clifton scored freely against Carter and
Elphick and the batsman reached his half-century from only 41 balls.
Bedminster's spinners were able to keep the scoring under control, however, and the score progressed steadily rather than spectacularly. Clifton's partnership with Chris Hampshire (28) of 51 for the seventh wicket proved significant in the context of the game. Clifton was well caught on the boundary three runs short of what would have been a well-deserved century and the remaining two wickets added only a further five runs to set a challenging target of 234.
Norton made the best possible start after tea as Mitchell Turner and Alex Davis took a wicket each to leave Bedminster reeling on 0–2. Gareth Elphick and Vikash Patel then added 73 for the third wicket, before Nick Pang caught Patel off the bowling of Hampshire. Elphick looked in control, but he was dismissed by Pang for 42 and the game was in the balance at 95–4.
Bedminster needed a significant partnership, but Rob Cunliffe and Parag Khanapurkar struggled to find the fluency of their match-winning combination in the reverse fixture and Pang struck again to dismiss Khanapurkar.
Hampshire accounted for Carter, sharply stumped by Jon Harvey, and Cunliffe (31 not out) ran out of partners as the remaining batsmen tried to hit out rather than accumulate.
An excellent team effort by Norton in their last home league fixture of the season keeps them in fourth place in the table.
This Saturday, the First XI visit Street, while the Second XI welcome Nationwide House to Withies Lane. The Sunday Firsts take on Brislington at Withies Lane.