Thornbury skipper Harry Thomas smashed an unbeaten 191 from 130 balls to help his side to a standout 113-run win over Bridgwater in Premier One of the West of England Premier League.
Thomas crunched 15 fours and 12 sixes as his side made 357-6 after Bridgwater had won the toss, sharing in a third-wicket partnership of 182 with opener Chris Gibson (85). Opening bowlers Cani Gunaratnam (3-36) and Jack Worgan (3-46) then reduced the champions to 7-3 before they were eventually bowled out in the 39th over.
It was Thornbury’s fifth win of the campaign, and it took them above bottom-of-the-table Bristol while Bridgwater, despite the defeat, remain in second place and closed the gap to two points on leaders Dumbleton, who slumped to an eight-wicket defeat by Bedminster.
Max Tryfonos took 3-25 as Dumbleton were shot out for 118 in the 39th over, a score Bedminster went past in the 27th over.
The win catapults sixth-placed Bedminster back into the race for top spot – Frocester, Burbage & Easton Royal and Midsomer Norton are also in the title hunt – with the top six separated by just nine points with three games each to play in what is set to be a grandstand finish.
Wimma Perera took 6-44 for third-placed Frocester, but Burbage & Easton Royal still made 271-8, which was 90 runs too many for the home side.
Opener Masoor Khan anchored Downend’s innings with an unbeaten 95 to help his side to a 198-run win over Golden Hill in Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset. Skipper Jordan Garrett pressed the accelerator with 92 from 48 balls – 11 fours and five sixes – as Downend made 314-5. Ahmed Syed took 3-72 for Golden Hill before they were bowled out in the 28th over, with Matthew Jackson (3-19) and Ross Robbins (3-36) the pick of the Downend bowlers.
Skipper and opening bat Parikshith Sanjeev Shetty led from the front with 91 from 79 balls as Twyford House chased down Old Bristolians Westbury’s 216 all out with four wickets and almost six overs to spare. Connor Crane took 3-37 for Old Bristolians. Earlier, Ben Harris had top-scored with 55 for Old Bristolians while Charles Bevan collected 3-38 for Twyford House.
George Driver-Dickerson thumped an unbeaten 102 as Hatherley and Reddings cruised to an eight-wicket win over Marshfield in Premier 2 Glos/Wilts, sharing in a second-wicket partnership of 194 with Harry Arthur (78). Marshfield had been bowled out for 197 with skipper Tom Hage taking 4-44.
Tewkesbury opening bowler Thiwanka Kekulawala picked up 4-11 in 8.2 overs as Painswick were bundled out for 118 in 31.2 overs. James Cooley chipped in with 3-20 as Painswick fell 70 runs short of their target. Opener Tom Stevens had held Tewkesbury’s innings together with 63 while Jonathan Conolly took 3-25 for Painswick.
Brislington overcame Bedminster 2nds by 15 runs in Bristol & North Somerset after making 271-7. Cameron George made 76 and Francisco Couana a quickfire 65 before Bedminster were dismissed from the final ball of the 50th over. Milo Ayres (3-40) was the pick of the Brislington bowlers while Caleb Alexander (53), Ben Meek (53) and Ben Cunliffe (50) were Bedminster’s main run-getters.
The prolific Saurabh Rawat hit seven fours and eight sixes in his 70-ball 97 as leaders Bishopston defeated Downend 2nds by 151 runs. Opener Tristan Jungbauer made a rapid 64, but Blake Sculthorpe took 3-42, and Andrew McEwan picked up 3-53 for Downend as Bishopston were dismissed for 264 in 39.5 overs. Downend were bowled out in 34.1 overs with Gerald Mubiru taking 3-2 in 2.1 overs.
Cheltenham 2nds made it three wins on the bounce – and four in five – as they raced to an eight-wicket win over Chipping Campden in the Gloucestershire Division. Mike Kelly hit 170 from 110 balls – 26 fours and six sixes – as Cheltenham, who hadn’t won a game before their recent run, overhauled Chipping Campden’s 300-9 with 7.3 overs to spare. Chris Williams was unbeaten on 55.
Earlier, Chipping Campden opener Sam Groves had crunched 119 from 79 balls – 17 fours and five sixes – while Sam Nicholls had made 72. Paul Turner (3-43) and Pasca Mutekwa (3-48) were the most successful of the bowlers for Cheltenham, who remain ninth in the table.
Max Shepherd (3-44) and Gabriel Green (3-47) helped unbeaten leaders Bourton Vale to a 98-run win over Corse & Staunton, who were bowled out for 182 in the 44th over. Dylan Driscoll was Bourton’s top scorer with 77 while Callum King picked up 3-35 for Corse & Staunton.
Sam Didcote claimed 5-40, and Anthony James picked up 3-20 as Aston Ingham raced through Stroud’s batting line-up, dismissing them for 93 in 33.2 overs. Earlier, Alex Garland had taken 3-24 for Stroud in Aston Ingham’s all-out 170.
