WINTERBOURNE produced a devastating bowling performance to beat Ashcott and Shapwick.
It took until the fifth over for the first wicket fall after the visitors were put into bat - Matt Crane castling J Bartram for no score.
Three runs later Bill Smith was trudging back to the pavilion having made three after holing out to George Ford at mid-on, off the bowling of former Bristol Rovers footballer Phil Purnell.
Crane then yorked L Edmunds first ball and Sam Spencer lasted just three deliveries before he was caught by Mike Muston to give Purnell his second victim.
Ashcott fell to 12-6 as opener Alistair Barr drove straight to Ford, again at mid-off, having made six, then, after another of Purnell’s seven maidens, Crane removed Chris Pimm for a golden duck.
With 19 on the board, Purnell produced a delivery which Peter Royall gloved to be taken by keeper Williams down the leg side.
Tom Barr’s 38-ball score of three finished when Nav Nayak beat his defences to leave the visitors on 19-8.
D Franks hit out in an unbeaten 16 but Nayak accounted for Sam Edmondson and James Royall to bring the Somerset side’s innings to a close.
Batsmen Keith Ford and James Taverner opened for Winterbourne and didn’t find things any easier. In the fourth over Taverner’s scoreless stay at the crease was ended by a yorker form Barr.
After two boundaries, Nayak was deceived by a good delivery from Spencer for ten with the score on 17.
George Ford joined his father in the middle, and an unbroken partnership of 29 saw the hosts home inside 16 overs.
The seconds travel to Sleepy Hollow to take on Stapleton II in the local derby match on Saturday, looking to repeat their 17-run win of earlier in the season.
l The first team’s game at Ashcott & Shapwick fell victim to the weather, the match being called off at 10:30 am.
It was stated the water had got under the covers of the sloping ground making the pitch a muddy bog.
North Perrott’s nine-wicket loss to Bedminster means that Winterbourne move off bottom spot in the league. They must now wait until this Saturday’s fixture at The Recreation Ground against eighth placed Stapleton to look to further improve their position (1.15pm).
Adams Exhibitions Ltd Bristol & District Second XI League Division Three Stoke Bishop II (66-3) beat Winterbourne ‘A’ (65) by seven wickets The A team’s unbeaten run of eight matches came to an end when they went down to second-placed Stoke Bishop.
Put into bat on an unpredictable bouncing track, only one batsman, Mike Norman (10) achieved double figures as the visitors were shot out for 65.
CHIEF destroyer was medium pacer Arjun who took 4-18 from his six overs.
Bishop’s opening partnership of 42 from Tom Belletti (24*) and J Oelschlaegel (17) ensured there were going to be no hiccups for the home side.
Despite two wickets from veteran spinner Mike Oakes, the target was reached in the 21st over. The loss does not knock Winterbourne off top spot, but Stoke Bishop’s remarkable run of eight wins on the trot continues.
The A side will be looking to bounce back against Lympsham II at St Michaels on Saturday (2pm).
Bristol & District ‘A’ XI League Division Two Winterbourne ‘B’ (122-5) beat Whitchurch IV (121) by five wickets Winterbourne registered a five-wicket success against closest rivals Whitchurch to tighten their grip at the top of the league.
The visitors batted first and limped to 16-5 before their skipper Martin Peters (72*) and Ben Lloyd 21 steadied the ship with 21. However, the visitors could only muster 121.
This was thanks to 4-28 from Ben Cliss and three each for Bob Vickery and Dominic Lusmore.
A steady start by wicketkeeper Nick Bracey (12) and Simon Belsten (19) in a stand of 34 set the reply off well.
This was carried on by under-15 players Callum Brown, who made 31, and Greg White making 28, to take Winterbourne to the brink of victory.
Whilst the hosts did lose five wickets in getting across the finishing line, they were able to claim maximum points thus consolidating their position.
On Saturday, they take on South Gloucestershire side Pucklechurch III, who lie in seventh place in the league.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here