Match Reports | 31st July 2004
Article Date: 1st August 2004
31/07/2004 - Report by Dave Reynolds
Bristol and District Senior Division
Chipping Sodbury 1st XI v Blagdon (HOME)
Chipping Sodbury entertained Blagdon at the Ridings on Saturday in a tie, which would decide whether Blagdon would hold onto first position in the Bristol & District Senior Divison. Sodbury won the toss and decided to bat first on a hard and flat pitch. A steady opening partnership between Craig Scully and Rich Bennett took the score to 32 from 12 overs before the latter was bowled by Andy Nairn for 19.
Tight bowling from Nairn and Paul Hudd restricted the scoring during the mid-innings stage and wickets fell regularly as a result. With 10 overs remaining, Sodbury were 121 for seven with Scully having compiled a patient and determined 53.
Sodbury knew that only a total of over 200 would be competitive given the excellent batting conditions and therefore a good final ten overs was needed. Steve Clapp and Richard Wood duly provided the goods with an excellent stand of 74 taking Sodbury to finish on 209 for 7 after their allotted 45 overs. Clapp finished with 28 not out and Wood made a blistering 60 not out from just 39 balls including 4 fours and 2 sixes.
Blagdon started their reply well progressing to 95 from the first 20 overs before Smallridge was bowled by Steve Clapp for 24. Sodbury didn't help their cause by dropping two simple chances from Board who went onto farm an interesting 78, at which point the score was 146 for 2 and Blagdon were comfortably positioned to knock off the remaining runs.
Edwards helped take the score within sight of the finishing line and with the score on 184 Penfold entered the attack for his second spell and had Edwards caught on the boundary by a diving Steve Clapp for 48. That sparked a major collapse, which saw the next 6 wickets fall for just 23 runs, and an extremely tense finish was in prospect.
Blagdon needed just 3 to win with one wicket in hand and 10 balls remaining, but in the end the winning runs were hit from the penultimate over leaving Sodbury to regret those earlier missed chances.
31/07/2004 - Report by Mark Reynolds
Bristol and District Senior Division 2nd XI
Chipping Sodbury 2nd XI v Pheonix West Indians (AWAY)
With former league leaders Sodbury losing their last two games and Pheonix winning their last two, this match was well poised from the start. Sodbury won the toss and elected to bat, looking to get the best from a pitch which didn't look as if it would get any better to bat on.
Sodbury Innings
Sodbury didn't start well as opener Paul Crabtree and number 3 Mark Reynolds were removed by Burnett in successive balls in the third over. The score 5-2. The main partnership of the Sodbury innings was then to follow where 84 vital runs were added taking the score to 89-3.
Lee Walters (35) was first to go after some clean hitting followed by a very good 54 from opener Mark Graham . Wickets then fell consistently but crucially runs came with them. The Sodbury innings closed in the 45 th and final over as they were all out for 162.
Pheonix Innings
With a defendable target the Pheonix innings began with seamer Alex Tebbitt taking a wicket in his first over. Then in the second Daryll Jones took a good catch at cover from spinner Cav Smythe, putting Pheonix in a spot of bother at 6-2. Tebbitt then produced his best spell of bowling this season as he consistently beat the outside edge, proving to be too good for the Pheonix batsmen.
Tebbitt bowled all of his allotted 15 overs which saw 3 wickets coming from them for just 19 runs. An exceptional spell. The Pheonix innings never really looked to threaten Sodbury's total and in the 38 th over they were bowled out for 107 with the wickets spread around Sodbury's 5 bowlers. A good win for Sodbury. They now look for a slip up from league leaders Bristol Pakistanis.
31/07/2004 - Report by Steve Doidge
Bristol and District Division One 'A'XI
Chipping Sodbury 3rd XI v St Mary Redcliffe (HOME)
Chipping Sodbury continued their relentless pursuit of the ‘A’ Division title with yet another superb win. Geoff Mead, the captain of St Mary Redcliffe won the toss and elected to bat first on a hot sunny day. Superb bowling displays from Richard Deane (34-2), Tony Garton (38-2), Alan Case (32-2) and Ross Grainger (23-3) kept St Mary Redcliffe down to a total of 132 though to be fair there was a ‘lot’ of help from a rather interested wicket.
Main batting contributions came from M Evans (42) and S Moore (22). In reply a superb 86 from veteran Rob Wakefield and contributions from Phil Barnett, Richard Kingscott and Malcolm Soper saw Sodbury win in under 26 overs with the loss of only 2 wickets. With Sodbury in this form the title must now be a formality.
