DUMBLETON are within touching distance of a dream day out at Lord’s after a superb 122-run victory away to Cropston in the quarter-finals of the Voneus Village Cup.
Opener Ross Martin (68) and Adam Stuart, who pulled a hamstring midway through his unbeaten 54, were the main contributors in a total of 240 after the visitors won the toss.
And Myles Holland (4-12 from four) then led a fine bowling effort to see Dumbleton through, fellow seamers Jamie Diamond (2-15), Ollie Horne (2-16) and Will Sharp (2-21) also playing key roles. Next up is a semi-final on July 31 away to Rainford who play in Division One of the Liverpool and District League.
Reaching the semi-finals equals Dumbleton’s longest ever run in the most famous club cricket cup competition of them all when, in 2011, they also reached the last four only to lose to Rottingdean who, in turn, were defeated in a rain-affected final at Lord’s.
PRAFUL Waghela smashed a memorable unbeaten 265 that featured 44 fours and seven sixes for Frenchay who overcame Cam by 106 runs in the quarter-finals of the Stuart Canvas Gloucestershire Trophy.
The opener faced only 136 balls as he helped propel the visitors to 354-3 from 40 overs before Cam made a brave attempt at their target, opener Nick England compiling an unbeaten 138 from 124 that included 17 fours and three sixes. Frenchay will now be away in the last four to Kingsholm or Bedminster 2nds, who meet on Sunday.
Langford, meanwhile, were 23-run victors at home to Gloucester AIW Sports which ensured a home quarter-final against Westbury-on-Severn on Sunday when Bristol Pakistanis will host Chipping Sodbury.
The Stuart Canvas Gloucestershire Cup, meanwhile, also continues on Sunday with a quarter-final between Bedminster and Bristol.
BRISTOL beat favourites Bath and then held off Painswick by just three runs to become WEPL T20 champions and progress to the last 32 nationally of this ECB club competition.
Painswick got a hectic day of action at Bristol underway with a 26-run defeat of Bishopston which featured a blistering unbeaten 99 from opener Keegan Jansen Van Rensburg who followed up with figures of 3-25 from four.
Bath were then restricted to just 113-8 by Bristol, Miles Kantolinna capturing 3-15 from four before an unbroken stand between opener Nic Halstead Cleak (60) and captain Louie Shaw (37) sealed an eight wicket success with almost five overs to spare.
The final was a much tighter affair, Bristol reaching 154-5 after winning the toss, Shaw top scoring on 56 from 44.
Van Rensburg gave Painswick’s reply real momentum with a blistering 57 off just 36 (four fours, three sixes) while Rogan Wolhuter’s 51 from 45 kept the pressure on. Painswick started the last over needing 11 to win and appeared to get their noses in front with a single and then a boundary off the first two balls.
That meant just six were needed off the final four deliveries. But Tommy Probert kept his nerve to grab a wicket with the third ball while there was a runout off the fourth and the fifth went for only two before no runs were scored off the last ball of a titanic struggle.
Bristol will now be in action in one of eight area finals at Bridgwater on August 7. Wadebridge, representing Cornwall, and Bradnich (Devon) are also already through with the South Wales qualifier yet to take place.
Main image courtesy Brian Rossiter