Jacob Emler took 6-47 as bottom-of-the-table Bristol upset the form book by beating leaders Burbage & Easton Royal by 46 runs in Premier One of the West of England Premier League.
Jordan Fullager chipped in with 3-52 as the visitors were dismissed for 241 at the end of the 48th over. It was Bristol’s third win in 12 games, with the victory set up by a fourth-wicket partnership of 139 between Jake Carstens (79) and Gloucestershire batter Kamran Dhariwal (61).
Burbage & Easton Royal’s defeat means the top five teams in the division are now separated by just four points as they enter the final third of the campaign.
Third-placed Dumbleton are three points off the pace after securing a thrilling two-run win over second-placed Bridgwater. Tom Kelly, who is enjoying an outstanding season, made 82 from 68 balls as Dumbleton made 332-8, while skipper Myles Holland (70 from 61 balls) and his brother Dan, who made 53 at the top of the order, also made important contributions.
Bridgwater were 190-2 in the 27th over, but Dumbleton kept taking important wickets before the visitors closed with their eighth-wicket pair at the crease. Angus Catto (2-64) held his nerve to bowl the final over, which went for seven runs.
Fifth-placed Frocester made it three wins in a row as they overcame Bath by 45 runs. Richie Cave took 4-22, and Wimma Perera picked up 3-32 as Bath were dismissed for 128 in the 41st over. Skipper Will Naish top-scored for Frocester with 48.
Downend raced to a 10-wicket victory over Congresbury in Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset after bowling them out for 133 in the 35th over. They then knocked off the runs in just 12.5 overs with Callum Loud smashing 103 from 46 balls, an innings that contained 12 fours and eight sixes.
Third-placed Golden Hill remain two points behind leaders Taunton Deane after seeing off Weston-super-Mare by eight wickets. New-ball bowlers Kerwin Mungroo (4-38) and Jacob Stevenson (4-36) did most of the damage as Weston-super-Mare were bundled out for 95 at the start of the 27th over. Golden Hill then reached their target by the end of the 16th over.
A second-wicket partnership of 209 between opener Nemika Benthota (114) and Worcestershire and ex-Gloucestershire star Gareth Roderick, who made 102 from 67 balls, helped Cheltenham to 363-7 against Hatherley and Reddings in Premier 2 Glos/Wilts. Stan Brown also thumped 50 from 27 balls in a total that was 89 too many for Hatherley, who would have suffered a much heavier defeat but for an unbroken eighth-wicket partnership of 120 between Tom Hage (78) and Joel Price (66).
Rushabh Yadav returned the remarkable figures of 5-5 from his 10 overs as Bedminster were shot out for 55 in 20.1 overs by Bristol West Indian Phoenix in Bristol & North Somerset. Fellow new-ball bowler Neiland Cadogan picked up 4-49 before Bristol West Indian Phoenix eased to victory by eight wickets in 14.2 overs.
Runaway leaders Bishopston remain unbeaten after overcoming Bristol Pakistanis by 97 runs. Skipper David O’Brien made an unbeaten 94 and Saurabh Rawat hit 76 – they put on 148 for the third wicket – to help their side to 274-8. Rahul Deshmukh was unbeaten with 60 as Bristol Pakistanis closed with their last-wicket pair at the crease. Earlier, Urfan Malik took 3-45 for Bristol Pakistanis.
Stroud’s Louis Gegg was bowled with one ball of the innings remaining to give Hawkesbury a nerve-tingling one-run win in the Gloucestershire Division. Gegg made 115 from 100 balls and had hit Davis Newcombe’s previous delivery for six. Newcombe finished with 3-49 after Hawkesbury had earlier made 258-4 thanks largely to an unbeaten 126 by Kudzai Maunze. Nimesh Ilukwatte was the pick of the Stroud bowlers with 3-35.
Leaders Bourton Vale squeezed home with just two balls remaining against Chipping Campden after the home side had made 226-6. Musa Twala made an unbeaten 93 as Bourton won by five wickets after scoring 37 runs from the last 16 balls. Earlier, Sam Nicholls made an unbeaten 73 for Chipping Campden while opener Sam Groves scored 60.
Scott Montgomery fell one short of his century, but he was still celebrating at the end of the game as in-form Gloucester beat Corse & Staunton by 54 runs. Montgomery added 156 for the third wicket with Lafras van Vuuren (59) before Corse & Staunton were dismissed for 242 in the 44th over, with Van Vuuren picking up 4-54.
