We are at the business end of the disability cricket season, and there is plenty on the line. All of our sides were in action multiple times this month. There was a special match for our D40 hardball team as they got to play at the Cooper Associates County Ground, home of Somerset County Cricket Club, against their D40 counterparts.
Here is how all the teams got on in July. As always, the match reports have been written by those taking part.
If you’re keen to learn more about disability cricket, then click here or get in touch with Jeanette Tate.
D40 team
vs Worcestershire
We took a break from league action, as we welcomed Worcestershire to Minchinhampton for a friendly. After scoring over 250 here recently, we won the toss and chose to bat first with confidence.
This time, however, things didn’t quite follow the same script. Henry Clelland and Arlo Pockett opened with a steady start before Henry was bowled, and from there wickets fell regularly.
Unfortunately, we were unable to reverse the momentum and were eventually dismissed for 124, with Chris Bermingham the standout performer, making 31 from just 18 balls.
Despite the low total, we saw this as an opportunity to test ourselves by defending a below-par total. It was a scenario we were yet to face this season, and it would be a real test of our bowlers.
Worcestershire began strongly, reaching 37–0 after five overs. A change in bowling brought immediate impact: Liara Hampton and Hamish Haseler both struck in their first overs, with Arlo and Henry adding a wicket each. Despite those wickets, we were unable to keep chipping away, and Worcestershire chased down the target comfortably with 11.3 overs to spare.
The visitors were incredibly friendly, and the game was played in great spirits. It served as an important reminder that nothing can be taken for granted — we must work hard every game and earn every win.
vs Somerset
Our 2nd match this month was the big one at the Taunton County Ground, against local rivals, Somerset. It was a fantastic opportunity for the squad, and a match where a win would almost guarantee the league title. There was plenty on the line.
We won the toss and chose to bowl first, opening with Oliver Sutton and Hamish Haseler. Hamish struck early, but Somerset’s top order responded superbly. Their number one and three both retired on 75, and the number four followed with another 75. Our bowlers worked tirelessly in the heat with little luck, the ball narrowly avoided fielders and dropped into gaps. On another day, they could have gone to hand.
With the hosts aiming for an explosive finish, it was Hamish who had the final word. Returning for a second spell, he produced a brilliant burst to claim four more wickets, three of which were bowled, securing his first ever five‑wicket haul. A superb effort. Somerset closed on a huge 284.
Andrew Stracey and Naomi Forecast opened our reply, but Somerset’s bowlers were sharp from the start. Under pressure from accurate bowling, we found ourselves 19–4 and in need of something special. Oliver and Henry Clelland then staged a remarkable recovery, putting on 123 and both reaching well‑earned fifties.
Thanks to Hamish’s earlier wickets, we calculated that reaching 175 would put us one point ahead of Somerset in the league table. With the new target set, the batters dug in. With three overs left, we still needed 20. Up stepped Hamish—already having a dream day with the ball—and alongside Benjamin Stracey, he produced composed batting and excellent running to get us to 175. We were delighted; Somerset, despite winning by over 100 runs, looked far less pleased.
With Sussex conceding our fixture on the 26th July, the league title is now within touching distance. One match remains—Wales—and a win will crown us league champions.
S9 League team
vs Somerset Disabled CC
As has been the theme of the summer, the sun was beating down at Stroud Cricket Club as we won the toss and chose to bat first. Early conditions surprised us as Somerset took three quick wickets before Dave Smart and Sam Lloyd held their ground and stayed out in the middle.
Everyone had to be incredibly alert as there were two runners on the field. It is cliché, but the chaos with runners eventually came to pass. After Sam’s wicket eventually fell, it was quickly followed by Ben Hodge being run out. That brought Ruben Schubert-Rowles to the crease, and he scored a quick 27 not out, with Dave finishing on 35 not out, leaving us on a grand total of 142.
Somerset’s reply started with Eli Mei taking a great catch early to set us on the right track. However, Somerset’s batters hung around and kept their wickets intact. We had to wait until the 11th over for our next victim, with Sam taking a catch behind.
We kept going and fielded very well, with some fantastic stops, but struggled to get anymore wickets. But we kept the run rate low, knowing that an opportunity could still give us a chance to win the game. Unfortunately, it was not enough as in the 26th over Somerset scored the winning runs with K Martin finishing on 35 not out and A Johnson finishing on 23 not out.
A close game in the end with both teams playing well.
vs Dorset Cricket Disabled
An earlier start at Broadstone CC meant that we played our 2nd game of the month with a cooling breeze (at least to start with). For the 2nd match in a row we won the toss and chose to bat first.
Some great bowling by Dorset meant we got off to a slow start. However, we eventually found our feet with Felix Turkentine and Brian Woodcock, who both started picking up the run rate.
Brian was scoring more freely and managed to score his first-ever half-century for the team. His innings ended after he made 55 off 54 balls, and Felix scored 24 runs, which left Zac Gardener and Issy Sherrington- Lodge to finish off the innings. They propelled us to 154, a target that we felt we could defend.
After some great cricket teas from Dorset, it was time for the hosts’ innings. They started strongly with Tom Best scoring 53 and L Richer scoring 48 at a rapid pace, very much putting us on the back foot. However, Peter Hale managed to pick up the wicket of L Richer with his first ball. A chance to get back into the game?
When Felix claimed a smart caught and bowled chance, we started to believe. But it wasn’t quite enough as J Courtenay and A White got the remaining runs to win Dorset the match.
A good game and a very entertaining watch. Both sides had a batter pass 50, and there was plenty to take away from our performance, even though we didn’t manage to come away with the victory.
S9 Pairs team
With availability an issue, the S9 pairs side travelled away at Uphill Castle for a challenging fixture against Somerset. Rather than play with lopsided teams, the decision was made for the two sides to mix and ensure the game was as competitive as possible.
Availability wasn’t the only issue we encountered. Extremely blustery conditions made play difficult for both sides and caused unpredictable movement in the air. Despite this, the team showed strong determination, discipline, and teamwork throughout.
Saeed Majed produced an excellent spell of bowling, taking 3 wickets for 5 runs and putting the opposition under early pressure. Peter Hale also bowled well, with an economic spell.
Behind the stumps, Sam Lloyd was impressive, involved in five dismissals including three stumpings. In the field, Felix Turkentine and Andrew Goodman both delivered strong performances, restricting runs effectively and taking their chances well to maintain pressure on the opposition.
With the bat, Jack Giles played a key innings, showing composure and confidence while keeping the scoreboard moving with controlled, well-timed shots despite the challenging conditions.
Overall, it was a competitive away fixture at Uphill Castle highlighted by strong contributions from Saeed, Sam, Felix, Andrew, Pete and Jack in difficult weather. The game was played in excellent spirit and thank you to Somerset for being so accommodating.
Gloucestershire Growlers – Visually Impaired
Sunday 19th July
Our Visually Impaired side, the Gloucestershire Growlers, played Cheshire in their first game of the month. The atmosphere was great; it was lovely to play against a side so relaxed and friendly.
We won the toss and decided to field first. After a warm-up, we were ready to start our bowling effort. Our aim was simple, restrict their runs as much as possible. We opened the bowling with Anil, a new player to the team, and he bowled fairly well on debut.
We chipped away, claiming wickets, but the runs also flowed, and Cheshire managed to make a total of 237. Meaning that after tea, we would have to bat incredibly well to get the win.
We did the best we could do, but unfortunately, we finished on 169 for 3 off 25 overs, falling short of our target. Jamal was one of the highlights of our batting display as he retired on 53, while he was supported by Mike making 44 and Thomas 38.
Bowling: Mike Tasker 3 – 0 – 38 – 1
Batting: Jamal Naqvi 53 retired not out, Thomas Mills 38, Mike Tasker 44 retired not out
Sunday 26th July
The following weekend we were travelling to Birmingham for our final game of the 2026 season. After losing the toss, the Birmingham captain decided that we would bat first.
Our games against Birmingham this year had been tough affairs, so we decided to bat with positive intent. We aimed to try and set an imposing score, while squeezing in the field. We hoped that despite some last-minute dropouts due to illness, we could still be competitive.
It is safe to say our plan didn’t quite go as we hoped; we kept wickets intact through watchful batting, but the runs didn’t come with regularity. Billy Sharp made a composed 46, and Jamal added 26 not out, but we only managed to score 132 from 26 overs.
We knew it would be tough to defend that total, but we bowled with discipline and accuracy. However, Birmingham’s attacking batters started to find the boundary with regularity and our score of 132 was ultimately not enough.
It’s a shame that our 2026 season ended in this manner, but we can look on our efforts with a lot of pride. There were some outstanding results and individual performances along the way. We look forward to the 2027 campaign.
Batting: Billy Sharp 46, Jamal Naqvi 26 not out
Bowling: Jamal 1- 0 – 6- 0, Sheona Page 1 -0 -5 – 0
