Cleeve CC 2nds hosted St Mary Redcliffe in their sixth league game of the season in the Bristol and District Division Eight West this weekend and secured a nine-run win after an unnecessarily close finish.

With captain George Parsons out injured stand-in skipper Stuart Williams also had the pressure of trying to retain the 2s unbeaten start to the season.

It was tightly contested between the two sides, but it was a game in which Cleeve seemed unable to catch the ball, leading to a nail-biting finish and win by just nine runs after both teams batted for the full 40 overs.

Williams won the toss and put Cleeve into bat.

Dan Jones holed out early for eight at 18-1 before number three batsman Alfie Parsons and veteran opener Charlie Grubb booked in for a stay, adding 62 runs before Parsons misjudged the length to depart, bowled by Pritchard for 21.

Alex Soch joined the fray, running well with Grubb and adding another 30 runs between them across seven overs before Grubb was bowled for a fine 46 in the 22nd over at 110-3.

Five runs later, Cam Elswood was caught for four off Hall bringing captain Williams to the crease.

As the field went back boundaries were hard to fine, but there were plenty of opportunities for ones and twos and a partnership of 67 runs was added in the next 12 overs before Williams was bowled for 23 at 182-5 at the start of the 36th over.

Freddie Basnett departed the same way 12 runs later as Alex Soch’s fine knock was ended as he was bowled for 62 at 207-7.

James Boulton, seven runs, and Robbie Wilsher, 12, added the extra runs as the not out batters as Cleeve posted 220-7 after their 40 over innings.

Cleeve’s bowlers started well, making runs hard to find as Tom Redding, seven overs 1-18, struck in the 7th over putting Redcliffe at 16-1, and he combined well with Boulton who was unlucky not to secure wickets in his eight overs for 30 runs.

Extra pace from Elswood forced an edge to keeper Alfie Parsons and then Alex Grubb removed Joss Coventry in the same way a ball later, taking both wickets for no runs with Redcliffe at 52-3.

At the halfway mark, 73 runs had been scored by Redcliffe’s batters and they needed what looked like a mammoth 150 runs at a near 7.5 per over run-rate.

Williams was unsuccessful during his three overs but as catches were being dropped on a regular basis frustration in the Cleeve camp grew, and Redcliffe’s confidence rose as they accelerated their scoring.

Despite five or six catches going down from Grubb’s deliveries he finally bowled Brown in the 32nd and took another using Parson behind the stumps two balls later to finish 3-51 from his eight overs and could have ended with far better figures if it wasn’t for dropped catches.

Meanwhile Redcliffe’s Shackleton had enjoyed a cat-like innings and pushed his team to 211 with his 70, nine runs shy of Cleeve’s total before Freddie Basnett, 1-48 from six overs, bowled him in the 40th over to end the game and secure a narrow but deserved victory for Cleeve.

So it will be catching practice this week but Cleeve still remain undefeated in the league and will head to Twyford House on June 15th as they look to maintain their momentum.