Midsomer Norton continued on their winning ways last Saturday with a dominant batting display dispatching a spirited Brislington side.
Upon winning the toss, captain Potter elected to field on a wicket tinged with green, with some showers in the area and a helpful breeze. His bowlers did not immediately deliver, however, as some inconsistent lines saw Brislington race out of the blocks early.
The introduction of Martin Cox and Niel Brooks turned the tide and a triple strike put Norton on top. Brooks saw off both Will Ollis and Jake Williams and Cox lured the dangerous Khanapurkar into a false shot. Rhys Grove batted with some fluency but, after Brooks' breakthroughs, Nick Pang lured him into offering a sharp return catch which he gleefully took.
As veterans, Rich Ollis and Chris Munden, looked to repair the damage, the scoring rate dropped as Pang bowled to his field and, combining with Nick Cox, Norton rattled through the overs. It was the latter who broke the stand, beating the defences of Munden before quickly pinning Beedel in front. This brought Rogers to the crease who, with Ollis, launched something of a counter offensive, upping the rate to ensure the visitors finished with a flourish.
Ollis' vigil ended shortly after passing fifty, but Leigh Iles struck some good boundaries and Rogers rattled up 42 runs to help Brislington reach 238–7, a total that felt about par on a wicket that was rewarding good effort from bowlers.
Norton's plans to make a positive start soon went by the wayside as Nick Cox was drawn into an edge by Rogers without scoring. That was to be the last time Brislington would hold the upper hand in the game, however, as both Lear and Cox quickly began to find some boundaries as the scoring rate rattled along. Lear soon passed fifty, carving Iles over cover.
Soon after, Khanapurkar managed to beat Lear with a googly, rattling the top off stump. Mosena happily picked up where Lear left off, however, striking the ball with purpose from the get go. Cox quickly reached his fifty, never looking troubled and bringing more misery to a Brislington side whom he has prospered against in the past.
Mosena too passed his fifty, unfurling a few monster sixes over midwicket. The pair continued to find the boundary, Cox putting the ball on top of the changing rooms twice, and fittingly the game ended with another imperious boundary as Norton romped home by eight wickets.
This Saturday, Midsomer Norton's First XI travel to the wide open spaces of Old Bristolians Westbury looking to continue their rise up the table – the top two now firmly in their sights. Chew Magna provide the opposition for the Second XI at Withies Lane, while the Third XI visit Hampset. The Sunday Seconds are also at home this weekend with a fixture against Leema CC.