Bradford Town v Spye Park

Bradford Town 1st XI (16 points) beat Spye Park 1st XI (6 points) by 3 wickets.

On a breezy and overcast day, Bradford Town stand in skipper Matthew Harrington won the toss and inserted the opposition, Spye Park, to bat first.

Bradford’s opening bowlers Nick Gerrish and Kegan Smart made life extremely difficult for the opening batsmen and had soon reduced the innings to 5 runs for 3 wickets and were both bowling excellently.

A mini revival by Tim Hues and Mark Hulse stabilised the innings but when they both fell in quick succession, Hues clean bowled and Hulse superbly run out by Jon Moss, Spye were struggling again on 50 for 5.

Spye were again able to build a partnership and were able to reach a respectable 142 for 7 from the 45 overs, Charlie Doel making a good 40 in difficult conditions.

Bradford’s bowling was led by Gerrish 12-4-31-3, Smart 11-4-24-1 and Sam Edwards 11-4-24-1.

Bradford Town’s reply got off to an excellent start with opening batsmen Clive Warren and Nick Gerrish capitalising on anything loose and putting on 50 runs for the first wicket.

Gerrish made 24 and Warren 45 and together they established a firm foundation for Bradford’s assault on the Spye Park total.

However, Spye bowlers Nick Church (11.4-5-39-3) and spinner Mark Hulse (10-1-34-3) had other ideas and picked up key wickets to reduce the reply to 121 for 7.

It wasn’t to be for Spye though as the experience of Darren Jones, supported by Paul Ashton eased Bradford home with 10 overs to spare to seal a 3 wicket win.

The result leaves Bradford with a 100% record, which they take to Wroughton on Saturday, hoping to extend.

Bradford Town 2nd v Keevil XI

Bradford Town 2nd XI (1 point) lost to Keevil (23 points) by 8 wickets.

Keevil skipper, Andy Hallett, won the toss and put Bradford Town 2nds into bat on what seemed to be a bowler friendly pitch.

The Keevil opening bowlers, Gary Hargreaves (11-4-27-4) and Alex Forsey (12-4-27-2) certainly made the most of the damp conditions.

This opening pair made a weakened Bradford side struggle.

Matt Edmunds was the first to fall in the fifth over with the score on 9.

Dean Bird and Tony Burrows attempted to resist the bowling of Keevil, but wickets began to fall at regular intervals until the nineteenth over when, with the score on 50-6 Richard Smith came to the wicket.

Smith frustrated the bowling, but the score moved on slowly.

With the introduction of Dick Waylen (5.5-1-8-3) The Bradford innings was soon finished off in the 33rd over for a total of 73.

The start of the Keevil reply was delayed due to rain and ten overs were lost.

Keevil then had a revised total of 57 to win from 35 overs.

The reply was started with confidence and opener Simon Gunstone played beautifully for a well deserved 30. The Bradford bowlers tried admirably to take wickets, but were unable to emulate the excellent display from Keevil. Dean Bird was the pick of the Bradford bowlers and was unlucky not to take a wicket.

Keevil finished off a well deserved victory in the sixteenth over having lost only two wickets.