Bradley Stoke & Almondsbury won their first Senior Division game of the season in the Bristol & District League, getting home by eight runs in a low-scoring thriller against Pak Bristolians.
Stanley Norton was their hero, taking 5-25 as Pak Bristolians were dismissed for 88 at the end of the 43rd over, but he was not alone because Owen Onslow returned 2-7 in his nine overs while Dan Qureshi, who claimed the last two wickets, picked up 2-13. Earlier, Umair Javed (3-20) and Waqas Ahmad (3-30) had been the most successful bowlers for Pak Bristolians as Bradley Stoke & Almondsbury were bowled out in 42.2 overs at Whitehall Playing Fields.
Coalpit Heath are the new leaders after their five-wicket win over Bristol 2nds in another low-scoring game. Bristol were shot out for 109 in 27.3 overs with Aaron Jones taking 3-27, before skipper John Donaldson guided the home side to victory inside 21 overs with an unbeaten 36.
An unbeaten 138 from 127 balls by opener Nic Tindall, who hit 17 fours and five sixes, helped Stapleton post 340-6 against Golden Hill, who fell 126 runs short of their target with Aaman Syed picking up 3-30.
Bristol 3rds rushed to a nine-wicket win over visitors Hanham, who won the toss and then were bowled out for 111 in the 33rd over with Dan Hutchinson picking up 3-14 in seven overs. Opening bat Alan Hunt (62 not out) then helped second-placed Bristol knock off the runs by the end of the 22nd over.
Old Down clinched their first win of the campaign in the Second Division, although it was very tight because they won by one wicket after Clevedon had been bowled out for 181. Numbers 10 and 11, Josh Little (20 not) and Barry Phillips (1 not), were at the crease when they got home in the 35th over after Greg Welsher had top-scored with 40. Earlier, Welsher had taken 3-29 as Clevedon were dismissed in the 39th over.
A remarkable innings of 120 from 69 balls by Junaid Khan – six fours and 11 sixes – helped Pakistani Express to overhaul Bedminster’s 295-6 with three wickets and five balls to spare. Opener Sayab Zulfiqar had earlier made 59 at quicker than a run-a-ball for Pakistani Express while Daniel Brussow made 129 for Bedminster.
Nikhil Bhajipale snapped up 6-14 in eight overs as Bohemians bowled out Bishopston for 145, but that was to prove 20 runs too many for the visitors as Kegan Smart took 4-10 and James Pennington 3-19.
Gagandeep Singh made 118 from 105 balls while Krunal Visavadia scored 67 as new leaders Hambrook beat Knowle by 22 runs after scoring 251-5.
Previous leaders, Twyford House, went down by 59 runs to Bristol West Indian Phoenix after being shot out for 140 inside 32 overs, with Cameron Jeffers (GCF employee) grabbing 4-20. Earlier, Bristol West Indian Phoenix had recovered from 114-7 thanks to number seven Renal Stewart, who made a run-a-ball 61. Mark Fowler took 3-19.
Opener Reece Bevan, 96 from 98 balls, and Ben Pine, who smashed 69 from 37 balls, shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 124 as Frenchay 2nds, second in the Third Division, made 252-6 against Bradley Stoke & Almondsbury 2nds. That was 103 too many for the home side, with Dan Evans (4-36) and Kavin Panagoda (3-28) the most successful of the Frenchay bowlers.
Table-topping Carsons & Mangotsfield earned a narrow eight-run win after restricting Frampton Cotterell to 176-8 with Will Thatcher picking up 3-13 in his eight overs. Earlier, Brendan Foreman had taken 3-35 in Carsons & Mangotsfield’s 184-9.
Sarath Raveendran snapped up 3-12 and Sineesh Syril 3-22 to set Bristol Aces on their way to an eight-wicket win in the Fourth Division over Chilcompton Sports, who were shot out for 82 in 24.1 overs. Bristol Aces knocked off the runs in 11.1 overs.
Bristol United Banks won a thriller in the Fifth Division, beating Bristol Pakistanis 2nds by one run to climb to the top of the table. Previous leaders, Bristol Pakistanis closed on 248-9 after Muhammad Suhaib bowled a dot ball with the final delivery of the match to Bahadar Sher, who had previously taken 17 from the six balls he had faced, including two maximums. Earlier, Sher had taken 5-58 as Bristol United Banks posted their score for the loss of eight wickets, with opener Dan Lockwood the top scorer with 76. Simranjit Marok (67) and Moaz Khalid (63) were Bristol Pakistanis leading run-getters while Amir Mohammed collected 3-37.
Indika Pathiranage took 6-21 for Bristol Lions as they enjoyed a 74-run win over Keynsham 3rds, who were shot out for 79, while opening batter Tom Wong made 100 of the University of Bristol Staff’s 155 in their five-wicket win over Congresbury 2nds.
Bristol New Eleven, the leaders in the Sixth Division, eased to a 100-run win after bowling Lodway 2nds out for 71 in 25.5 overs with Shan Thomas (3-14) and Akshaykumar Suresh (3-20) the pick of the bowlers. Suresh had earlier made 50 from 57 balls batting at seven.
