In a thrilling encounter at Hobbs Lane on the longest day of the year, Bristol Sri Lankans CC edged past Barrow Gurney CC by just 10 runs in another closely fought encounter.
After being put in to bat, Bristol Sri Lankans overcame a shaky start, losing both openers with just 8 runs on the board. The loss of batsman also brought the loss of one of our bowler as Ed did his hamstring in just the 3rd over of the innings! A third-wicket partnership between Lahiru Perera (83 off 100 balls) and Thiyanan Jeganathan (54 off 64) resurrected their innings perhaps helped by some suspect catching. The duo added 120 runs and navigated the side past the 150 mark however Barrow’s bowlers continued to bowl well under pressure with the last few wickets falling quickly as Sri Lankans ended on a below par 206 A/O. Guy Fisher was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 2 for 22 from 8 overs in a very accurate spell. A mention to Jason Cryans (yes your eyes don’t deceive you) who also claimed 2 wickets bowling some serious heat.
In reply, Barrow Gurney stumbled early, losing four quick wickets before reaching 40. Josh Yelland added a counterattacking 33 but despite some resistance from the lower middle order we were on 114-7 with just 12 overs left. The innings was well anchored and accelerated by one legged Ed, who compiled a brilliant 81 off 87 balls, including 5 fours and 4 sixes. A spirited eighth-wicket stand of 70 between Holdaway and Frank Forge (23 off 28) brought the home side back into contention. However, after Ed’s dismissal with the score at 184, the rate increased and we couldn’t quite sneak over the line. Another shoutout to Guy Fisher who was the runner for Ed on the day and was out there for almost our whole innings on the hottest day of the year!
Twyford House A XI produced a strong all-round display to secure a 49-run victory over Barrow Gurney 2nd XI.
After winning the toss, Twyford House elected to bat and posted a solid 218-4 from their allotted 40 overs. The foundation was laid by George Millett (35) and Ross Opie (23) before middle-order contributions steadied the innings. Seb Davis anchored the innings with a composed unbeaten 46, supported by skipper Tom Dawes who added a brisk 40. Si Preece also chipped in with an unbeaten 44 to take Twyford past the 200 mark. Pick of the bowlers was Linden Alway’s tidy spell of 2-23 from 7 overs.
In reply, Barrow Gurney lost wickets regularly and were eventually bowled out for 169 in 38.1 overs. Matt Edgar was the standout performer with a fluent 48, while Chris Milton added a patient 27 in the middle order. However, no other batter was able to settle, as Twyford’s bowlers shared the spoils. Johnny Groves and Nathan Browne led the attack with two wickets apiece, while Jack Richards, Louie Anderson, and Benjamin Smith each claimed a scalp. Two run-outs, both involving sharp work from Alfie Welch, further dented Barrow’s chase.