WINTERBOURNE made a fine start to the season with a comfortable victory over Twyford House, writes Rob Iles.

After their first two games were wiped out by the weather, Winterbourne’s bowlers made up for lost time by reducing the visitors to 11-3 with David Andrews removing opening batsmen Mark Fowler (6) and Richard Edwards (1) before George Ford (1-29) trapped Dominic Blake (0) lbw.

Andrews picked up his third wicket when he had Lee Chambers caught by Navin Nayak for nine and went for just six runs off his ten overs, but Ross Sutton (34) and Curtis Blakemore put on 46 to mount something of a recovery.

Marcus Purnell (2-25) then took the wickets of Blakemore and Simon Byas (11), with Phil Purnell (1-37) removing Dave White (2) to leave the score on 93-7.

Sutton pushed Twyford past the century mark before Nayak (2-8) entered the attack to get rid of him and then Andy Nairn in consecutive balls.

Last man Josh Sutton was bowled by Adam Moore (1-6) as the visitors lost their last three wickets without scoring.

Winterbourne were given an early scare in their reply when Nairn took two wickets in three balls with the departures of Sam Emmott (16) and Ford (0) leaving them on 20-2.

Nayak’s quick-fire 18 all came in boundaries, with one six, before he became Nairn’s third victim.

However, opening batsman James Bracey saw the job through with plenty of overs to spare as he finished unbeaten on 37, including four fours and one six, with Jonathan Oakes smashing two maximums and two fours in his 30 not out for an unbroken partnership of 67.