A fine all-round performance from Gary Pearcy was not quite enough to earn Timsbury victory away to Stapleton in the Bristol and District League Senior Division but they came agonisingly close before losing by two wickets against opponents who are third in the table .
After being put into bat Timsbury made a dreadful start and at 33-6 the game looked as good as over. However, Pearcy was joined by teenager Joe Kinnear and together they added 54 vital runs before Kinnear was caught for 22. Another member of the under 19s squad wicketkeeper Cory Versfeld then continued the good work contributing 22 runs and when Pearcy was eventually out for 29 the visitors had reached 125 and one batting point. Opening bowlers George McEndoo (5-35) and Liam Glen (3-26) did most of the damage for Stapleton.
Any hopes that the home side had of an easy passage to victory were soon shattered as a result of a superb spell of bowling from Pearcy who took all five early wickets as Stapleton slumped to 29-5. Just like Timsbury the home side then mounted a stubborn recovery with a sixth-wicket stand of 65 between McEndoo and Ken Gainsford. When Gainsford was eventually dismissed by Jon Strand for 40 the door opened again for the visitors but McEndoo ended a fine all-round display by seeing his side home with an unbeaten 44. Pearcy finished with figures of 5-44.
Stapleton 2ndXI completed a club double when they defeated Timsbury’s second eleven by 104 runs in the Bristol and District League Division 5. After inserting the visitors Timsbury made a good start and kept a tight rein on affairs upto the halfway mark. But a fifth wicket stand of 93 between James Slade (65) and Andy Jones (39) swung the match in favour of the visitors who finished on 191-7 from their 40 overs.There was a brace of wickets for Martin Richards (2-25) and Freddie Hosford (2-26). In reply the home side reached 49-1 but when captain Ben Hosford had been dismissed for 26 the innings imploded. The last nine wickets fell for just 38 runs with only Freddie Hosford (20) showing any resistance. Slade followed up his batting heroics with 3-8 and Mani Baird took 3-28.
Timsbury third eleven were no match for Bradley Stoke fourth eleven and were beaten by 162 runs in the Bristol and District League Division 13. The home side amassed a sizeable total of 250-6 from their 40 overs with Oscar Mallon Timsbury’s best bowler with figures of 2-35. Acting captain Ashley Davis battled hard for the visitors with 29 and Neil Watkins made 17 but Timsbury were bowled out for 88.
Malcolm Tucker