HENRY Cheal and captain Joe Tolman combined to share an unbroken partnership of 80 as Downend 2nds rallied to close out a two wicket home victory over Claverham to stay third in the Senior Division of the Martin Berrill Sports Bristol & District League.
The visitors appeared to be in charge after reducing Downend to 87-8 as they chased a target of 164.
But Cheal went on to reach 75 from 90 (five fours five sixes) and Tolman, at number ten, added a crucial 26 to secure win number three of the summer for the historic Bristol club.
Captain Cameron Perry produced a memorable spell to finish with 5-24 from 5.5 as Hambrook clinched their first win of the campaign in Division One, overcoming Whitchurch by 96 runs.
Shirehampton romped in by ten wickets at home to Bishopston 2nds, Lewis Mason taking 5-35 from eight as the visitors were dismissed for 221.
And Nathan Brown (88) then led the charge for Shire who stay second in Division Two behind leaders Bristol 3rds who defeated Old Down by 41 runs, captain Chris White weighing in with an unbeaten 47.
Bedminster 3rds stretched their winning run to five outings with a last over one wicket victory away to Frenchay 2nds in Division Three.
Opener Joe Moss was out for exactly 100 off 125 (13 fours, two sixes) as the home side totalled 230-9 after losing the toss, Calum Mason the pick of the attack with figures of 4-57.
Tim Ozanne responded with 111 from 112 at the top of the order for Bedminster but it still needed 59 from Dan Turner and calm heads from the last wicket pair of Joel Haverson and Alex Bindloss to bank the points with five balls to spare.
Rizwan Pervaiz grabbed 6-51 from eight and followed up with 57 for Bristol Asians in a two-wicket home victory over Bishopston 4ths in Division Eight North.
And in the same division, Ben Rencher took 6-19 from 6.4 overs for Stoke Gifford who dismissed local rivals Bradley Stoke & Almondsbury 5ths for 71 ahead of racing to a seven wicket success.
Opener Muzammil Hussain batted all 40 overs for a superb unbeaten 135 off 127 (18 fours, four sixes) as Pak Bristolians 2nds reached 221-2 away to their Timsbury counterparts in Division Six.
But the home side coasted to the points by seven wickets with almost four overs to spare.
Opener Suleman Butt was unbeaten on 132 off 106 (23 fours, one six) as Hambrook 2nds chased down a target of 209 at home to Golden Hill 5ths in Division Seven North.
DOWNEND will host a special benefit match on Friday between David ‘Syd’ Lawrence’s All Stars XI and a Lashings World XI (3pm).
John Lewis, Martyn Ball, Matt Windows, Tim Hancock and Devon Malcolm are set to line up for Syd’s All Stars which will be captained by the former England and Gloucestershire paceman’s son, Buster.
And the Lashings squad is set to include Courtney Walsh, Gordon Greenidge, Chris Lewis, Monty Panesar and John Emburey.
