Whitchurch 3rd XI 91 all out v Methodists 204-9

The Methodists’ final game of the season saw them thankful to be taking on Whitchurch thirds on a muddy Stanton Drew pitch, after several days of heavy rain had put the fixture in doubt.

Asked to bat first, the Norton side lost a couple of early wickets but Alex Nash and Stuart Green (23) were able to then build a partnership of ninety one in fifteen overs - Nash again in great touch and finding the boundary regularly.

Whitchurch skipper, Martin Peters (2-40) and Josh Jones (4-30) kept the hosts in the contest as seven batsmen departed for single-figure scores - nobody able to stay with run-machine Nash for very long. Having brought up his century with time to spare, he was still on for a personal best, but eventually fell for 137 with three overs to go - the final team total being 204-9 at tea.

After the break, Lee Hodge (24) anchored the early part of Whitchurch’s reply while regularly losing batting partners to the naggingly accurate in-swingers of Daniel Shearn (4-15). With the score on 56, the ever-alert Nash finally ended Hodge’s stay with another brilliant run-out, while Richard Turner claimed his first wicket for the club to put the home side into real difficulties at 58-6.

Peters and Terry Buffery then added some respectability with a stand of twenty eight runs before Methodists’ captain, James Green (3-4) sent them both back to the pavilion in quick succession, leaving Tom Howlett to bowl the last man and wrap the innings up for 91, the visitors’ 113-run victory, rounding off a sixth win in as many games in this all too short, Covid-affected cricket season. David Shearn