Suby Eapen held his nerve as Bristol Aces got home by four runs against Bitton in an exciting Fourth Division clash in the Bristol & District League. Just five runs came from the final over – his fifth – as Bitton fell just short of Bristol Aces’ score of 217.
Eapen was one of nine bowlers used by skipper Robert Fernandes – Balu Abraham was the most successful with 2-17 – as Bitton’s innings closed with their seventh-wicket pair at the crease. Sheraz Raja Muhammad (64) and Muhammad Ramzan (54) were the top run-getters for Bitton, while Sineesh Syril, batting at nine, made 56 after Bristol Aces had at one stage been 76-6.
Coalpit Heath overcame Bradley Stoke & Almondsbury in a high-scoring game in the Senior Division. Danny Slade made 118 from 96 balls – 16 fours and four sixes – as Coalpit Heath, who were put into bat, made 321-7. But Bradley Stoke, and skipper Owen Onslow in particular, made a real go of overhauling their total with Onslow smashing 10 sixes in his 36-ball unbeaten 87 before his side fell short by 16 runs.
Bristol 2nds squeezed home by six runs against Winterbourne after bowling out the visitors for 166 with Neil Pollard (3-22) and Jonty Hall (3-29) the most successful of the bowlers. Earlier, Graham Herring had held the Bristol innings together with 89.
Joe Baggaley Mott and Ash Bonynge-Pearce took 4-16 and 3-15 respectively as Midsomer Norton were shot out for 82 in reply to Golden Hill’s 238-8, while Umair Javed’s 109 helped Pak Bristolians to defeat Whitchurch by 104 runs after the home side closed on 152-9.
Jack Boulton snapped up 4-16 in eight overs as Shirehampton were bundled out for 123 by Keynsham 2nds, who knocked off the runs in 21.3 overs for the loss of one wicket in the First Division.
Early-season pacesetters in the Second Division, Twyford House, eased to a seven-wicket win at Clevedon after bowling out the home side for 127 with James Marks and Alfie Huxtable taking 3-18 and 3-32 respectively.
Madhav Mehta then steered Twyford House home with an unbeaten 55, with the victory coming in the 23rd over.
Bristol West Indian Phoenix overcame Bohemians by 25 runs after scoring 200-8 with Reuben Batt top-scoring with 76. Krishan Kuma made 55 for Bohemians, but it wasn’t enough as Ricardo Thompson claimed 3-33.
Bradley Stoke & Almondsbury 2nds held firm to win by one wicket against Bristol Sri Lankans in the Third Division. Number 11 Wayne Passmore hit the winning boundary after sharing in a last-wicket partnership of 12 with Jack Scriven (21 not out) after Guy Long had kept them in the game with 69. Earlier, Bristol Sri Lankans had been dismissed for 194.
Frenchay also got home in a tight game, beating Hampset by seven runs with Amarajeewa Kuruppu, Ben Helps, and Sonny Reynolds all chipping in with two wickets as Hampset were dismissed for 143 in the final over.
There were a couple of close games in the Fifth Division, with Pak Bristolians 2nds beating Bristol Lions by one wicket, while Bristol United Banks defeated Stoke Bishop by two wickets. Suba Subramaniyam made a run-a-ball unbeaten 83 in Bristol Lions’ 228-5, and at one stage Pak Bristolians were 164-2 in their reply. They eventually got home with just two balls remaining. Bristol United Banks chased down Stoke Gifford’s 128 in the 37th over despite Enzo Cryer taking 4-16 in five overs. Earlier, Bilal Raja took 3-35 for Bristol United Banks.
Opener Aravind Sundar retired on 104 as Bristol Eagles made 240-4 against Abbots Leigh in the Sixth Division. That was too many for Abbots Leigh, who were shot out for 109 with Vipendeep Singh collecting 3-15 and Rishi Maktedar 3-20.
It was much tighter for Golden Hill 4ths, who overcame Knowle 3rds by eight runs after posting 204-8, an innings that was built around Nick Price’s unbeaten 107. Knowle were dismissed with two balls remaining.
