At the halfway stage of the season in the West of England Premier League (Bristol and North Somerset), Timsbury have at last notched up their first win of the campaign.
Despite the demands of the Glastonbury festival, which stretched the club's resources to the full, a committed all-round performance saw them defeat Stapleton at home by three wickets. After morning storms, Timsbury won a vital toss and invited the visitors to bat.
The home opening bowlers, Neil Hucker and Nathan Hawkins, asked plenty of questions and both bowled their full allotment of overs without a break. Hucker returned the impressive figures of 3–23 and gained the prize scalp of Stapleton's overseas acquisition, Sandun Dias, courtesy of a fine diving catch from Andy Carter. There were also two catches for wicketkeeper, Stuart Earle, who became the seventh person to keep wicket for the First Team this season.
From 52–4, Stapleton mounted a recovery with a 48 partnership between Skipper, Danny Chard (34), and Oliver Sharp (36), but gradually, a three-wicket haul from Steve Clothier (3–31) and two wickets in an over from Andrew Girvan, together with an economical spell from Jon Strand (1–18 in 8.3 overs) saw the visitors dismissed for 173.
When Timsbury replied, Carter soon fell to the pace of young pace bowler, Hanza Sultan-Ali, but a crucial partnership between Captain, Mark Sage, and Vice-Captain, Strand, laid the foundations for the win. They added 85 for the second wicket before Sage was dismissed for sixty. Strand was to go on to play his best innings for the club and when he was bowled for a well-constructed 57, the home side had reached 148–4. Paul Cracknell hit a quickfire eighteen and despite a few nervy moments befitting a side looking for its first league success of the season, they got over the line with just over four overs to spare.
Next week, Timsbury will be hoping to keep up the momentum when they visit promoted Bristol YMCA. The scheduled meeting between the two sides earlier in the season was cancelled due to rain.