This Sunday Barrow travelled to nearby Bedminster and the home team had assembled a team drawn from a mixture of their senior and junior sides including some who had played in the winning Under 15 team against Barrow in the previous week.
An early success from Nick Heal (2/52), bowling one opener, only led to a long partnership between Jones and Hedges of 134, scoring comfortably at 6 an over. Despite a spirited effort in the field the best hope of breaking the partnership seemed to be a retirement. This came when Jones reached 3 figures. After losing James Mitchell, unexpectedly taken ill, Mick Hardy bowled with his customary guile and control, and in partnership with Guy Fisher exercised some restraint on the scoring rate, bowling to their field, before Mark Fisher (4/46) returned to take 4 quick wickets (all bowled). Oscar Livesey (2/31) chipped in with a couple in the 40th over, including a stumping from stand-in wicketkeeper Connor Jones who impressed in that role throughout. 231 (the target) was surely out of the question with one of our two first team regulars out although Bedminster kindly lent an Under 13 Gloucester player to replace the absent James.
The Barrow innings began with some sharp bowling and the top order crumbled with no-one making double figures until a spirited partnership between Mick and Barrow’s man of the match Mark Fisher both of whom made 19. The 10th wicket pair, Messrs Reeves and Holdaway briefly brought back memories of yesteryear to keep the opposition out in the cold and chilly air, making sure Barrow lasted the 40 overs and just passing 100 and a rather one-sided encounter was brought to a close.