Threes fall short in epic chase

Bedminster 3rd XI lost by 12 runs to Chilcompton Sports 1st XI despite an excellent 116 from Joe Shean and an even better 69 from Ben Cunliffe.

Match Report by Ben Cunliffe

On an overcast Saturday at the Clanage, Skipper Harry Pleass walked out to the middle confident that he would win the toss. Naturally he lost the toss and was sent in to the field like he wanted to anyway!

The second change bowler Andy Sheldrake was surprisingly given the new ball and opened the bowling. Shellars started off with a good over despite the batsman slogging him to cow corner! The following over Bailey was taken a liking to by Sam Hudson, but Shazil Butt dropped a simple catch off Bailey’s bowling. However a few balls later Shaz redeemed himself as another edge went straight to him, which he clung on to this time.

Adam Mawer was then brought into the attack and he started off well as he bowled the opening batsman for (51). From their Adam bowled tightly and accurately. Jack filer came in to bowl with a great deal of confidence from his performances in the last few games, but was bowling balls the batsman seemed to enjoy facing. At the other end was Shazil butt, who prior to the game claimed he would take a 5 wicket haul in this match, however the batsman had other ideas as they took Shaz on started to hit a number of boundaries and even a few maximums as we all went quiet in the field.

Cunliffe was asked to bowl and all spectators were shocked by the batsmen’s ability to deal with his pace, which was comparable to Brett Lee. At the other end Joe Shean, despite bowling slower than Cunliffe, bowled on the stumps and built pressure as a few balls later the batsman was run out by Adam Mawer off the bowling off Shean.

As we walked back in looking tired, having been hit for 326 for 4 off our 45 overs we went for tea to refuel and crawl up in the fetal position and wonder why we spend our Saturdays doing this to ourselves?

Terry Barnes and Ben Cunliffe opened the batting, the two batsman started slowly even though chairman Terry hit a six off the bowling of Lee Cleverly that gave him a confidence boost as he was trying to hit it for four! But it was a slow start for Ben and it wasn’t until he hit a boundary that he started motoring.

Wanting to smash the ball over the train tracks. Terry miscued straight to mid-off and was dismissed for 17. Ben was joined by Joe Shean who came in looking confident, as they both started to pick the run rate up. Shean got to his fifty with cracking shots and he looked supremely confident as his innings progressed. Ben reached his fifty and started open his shoulders, hitting a number of boundaries but then was bowled for (69).

Sam Hedges came in to join the attack with Sheaner and a few overs later Joe reached a wonderful hundred and then Hedges getting out caught was not what we needed. An over or two later Joe was caught for an excellent 116. With the two new batsman, Aidan Jones and Harry Pleass, knowing we needed over a run a ball miscommunicated over a run and Skipper Pleass was on his way for 2. Adam came in to bat in a critical time and got to see at close quarters Aidan hit the biggest 6 off the day. Not long after a smashing cover drive from Adam Mawer started to worry Chilcompton.

Aidan was dismissed bowled, but after that Shaz came in and scored at a run a ball and was looking good but Adam was bowled which wasn’t what we needed. Jack Filer came in to bat knowing that we need a big innings from him, he started to do that with consistent 4's coming out of the English willow but with more wickets falling Shaz was run out for 11, Bailey Peacock came in and made only a single before getting run out trying to scamper some much needed runs. With six balls to go we needed 13 off the last over with Shellers batting. Unfortunately the first change bowler blocked it out to stop the bowling team from getting a bonus point!!!

Bedminster 3's were so close to chasing down 326 off 45 overs, it would off been one off the best chases we have ever chased down but unfortunately we lost the game by 12 runs.

See the match scorecard on play cricket.