Cleeve CC thrash Whitchurch by 144 runs to move to fifth

Cleeve elected to bat first, with skipper Williams and Want providing a solid start, putting on 77 for the first wicket before Williams was dismissed in the 15th over for 30.

29 more runs were added to the total before James Ball holed out for 13 with Cleeve at 106-2 after 21 overs.

Want charged on before being caught for a fine 86, which included 15 fours, whilst Glenn Lewin, who had joined him at the crease, was added to the caught list in the 36th over for a nicely timed 46, at 203-4.

Then followed a 75-run partnership between Tom Birt, who guided the ball for 30, and Andy Barnsley, who was in a hurry as he crashed a 31 ball 51 runs, with both not-out after the allocated 45 overs to leave Cleeve posting 278-4 at tea.

In reply, Cleeve’s bowling delivered both fire and control.

Barnsley, nine overs for 33, caused frustration that ably assisted partner Jack Spiers, who soon picked up three wickets in his first three overs to put Whitchurch at 21-3 at the beginning of the 6th over. 

Williams then brought himself into the line-up as and he immediately took two wickets in three balls as Whitchurch sat on 65-5.

The batsmen rallied momentarily before the introduction of youngster Cam Elswood, 2-29 from six overs, removed Thatcher to put the batters at 105-6 in the 23rd over, and it was then only a matter of time as the Cleeve pair ran through the Whitchurch tail.

Elswood added one more wicket to his haul as Williams took three more to complete his 5-35 outing as Whitchurch were toppled for 134 at the start of the 30th over, with Cleeve winning by 144 runs and moving to 5th in the table.

Cleeve now move on to more cup action on June 26th as they host Barrow Gurney in the 3rd round of the Tony Hitch Bristol & District Cup and then back to league action on June 29th at home for Past Players day as they host 2nd placed Winterbourne in the league.