Midsomer Norton CC 1st XI (133-9) Bedminster CC 1st XI (146)

Midsomer Norton notched a nail-biting win in a topsy turvey game against table topping Bedminster last Saturday.

With rain in the area, and a green tinge to the pitch, Potter had no qualms inserting Bedminster, as Norton hoped for plenty of movement for their bowlers. They started well, both Gould and Mosena beating the bat on occasion, but despite their efforts, the early luck appeared to ride with Bedminster. It was Mosena who finally made the breakthrough, pinning Tryfonos on the crease, unquestionably trapped in front of all three stumps. Gould was unfortunate to not get any wickets in his opening spell, but Davis and Hampshire continued the tight bowling. It was Davis who induced a top edge from Elphick to bag a second wicket. Hampshire found movement in the air and off the pitch and, with the pace not easy to judge, he made effective use of a tight stump to stump line as he ripped through the middle order, trapping three batsmen LBW and Bedminster slumped to 105–5.

After rain intervened for the first time, the game was reduced to 48 overs per side. With a little bit of juice back in the pitch, Hampshire took advantage, snaring his fourth LBW of the innings, and Davis found Drissell’s edge, aided by a fantastic diving catch from Jon Harvey behind the stumps. James Carter tried to up the run rate, but when he too was caught behind, a well-deserved wicket for the persevering Gould, and McCormack miscued Mosena to mid-off, Norton hoped to wrap things up quickly. The weather had other ideas, as forty minutes were lost and the game reduced to 42 overs per side. It didn’t take long though for Norton to wrap things up as Busby became the sixth LBW victim, Mosena finishing the innings at 146 all out.

Knowing that any chase wouldn’t be easy on a wicket still offering plenty of assistance to the seamers, Norton got off to the worst possible start as the LBW parade continued. Pang was trapped in front to the very first ball of the home side’s reply. Alex Lear looked to negotiate some sideways movement in

circumspect manner, but Martin Cox had few qualms.

Batting like a man with two undefeated hundreds behind him, Cox took the fight to the bowlers. After hitting Sillars out of the attack, he then took a shine to former England all-rounder Mark Alleyne, crashing him down the ground with force, before an imperious straight loft scattered the crowd in front of the clubhouse. Meanwhile, Lear was induced into offering a return catch to Knapp.

The rain returned and Norton’s overs were reduced to 38 with a revised target of 133 to chase. Cox was soon back into his stride, but the added rain had not made conditions easier and Mosena was adjudged LBW. Shortly after, Cox moved to another half century.

Clifton assisted in pushing the score along before he was dismissed in bizarre fashion, as the ball flicked his pad on the way through to the keeper, and he was given out. Captain Potter looked determined to see his side home and he and Cox added forty runs, taking Norton to the brink before Cox was incredibly unlucky to fall, victim to yet another LBW decision. Just as it looked like Norton would glide to victory, Pugsley intervened, and in the space of four balls removed Harvey and Hampshire first ball, and then accounted for Davis, and Norton suddenly slipped to 128–9.

As nerves rose, Sam Gould, undaunted by the situation, caressed the ball through the covers. The rain, however, had slowed the outfield and the ball stopped agonisingly short of a match-winning boundary as the batsmen scampered three runs. Potter played out the over, and it was Pugsley to bowl, hoping to cut Norton short, with some confusion as to whether the game would be a tie or not, given the reduced target.

After happily playing out the first half of the over, Gould appeared to have pierced the ring and set off. Potter hesitated, but went, and the fielders were unable to get the ball to the keeper’s end in time, and Norton and their support celebrated wildly as they sneaked home.

Beating the top team in the league only proves what this Norton team can do when they get it right. This Saturday the Firsts make the long trip to a Minehead side rooted to the bottom of the table. On the same day, the Seconds welcome Clevedon to Withies Lane and the Thirds visit Oldfield Park. The Sunday Seconds travel to Bradley Stoke.