Bedminster push aside Taveners to seal league title

Bedminster 3rd XI comprehensively beat Taveners by nine wickets to secure promotion and the title of winners of B&D Division 6 on a sunny day at the clanage.

After having won the toss and electing to bowl, Bedminster restricted Taveners to 159 for 8 from their allotment of 45 overs. Bailey Peacock once again bowled an impressive opening spell, gaining movement both ways and making scoring difficult for batsmen as he had Taveners opener caught behind by Kruz Belcher. Bailey was well supported by Andy Sheldrake who took his count of maidens for the season to 51 before being replaced by Adam Mawer. Mawer then proceeded to bowl an excellent spell in which he looked capable of taking a wicket every ball, as he extracted extra bounce from the surface as well as movement. He proved too much for Taveners batsmen, taking four wickets, in addition to having a number of close lbw appeals. Adam was well supported by the magician Kishen Patel from the other end. Kish mesmerised the batsmen with his tricks, including viciously turning off breaks, the leg break and the top spinner as he bowled 9 overs taking one wicket and conceding only 23 runs . The other wicket taker was Lee Shorney, who bowled the final over for only 2 runs to restrict Taveners to 159.

Simon Roche and Lee Shorney opened Bedminster's reply. Shorney took the attack to the bowlers and got the team off to a flier, going over the legside and through the offside as he scythed a number of boundaries. Roche was the more circumspect of the pair rotating the strike well before unfurling a number of sweeps off the leg spinner, as the openers shared a hundred partnership. Shorney was first to his fifty, bringing it up with a six over mid on. After which he kept on going, blasting his way to 89 before being bowled. Jon Jones walked in at number three with 20 required for victory. Roche nudged a single to the leg side to bring up his fifty, before crunching a back foot punch through the offside for four. A boundary from Jones then left the target within a single shot, before he timed an on drive for four to seal the title of champions in a sun bathed clanage.

This was an excellent result for Bedminster, who were new to this division having been promoted last year. The title is the culmination of 18 weeks of hard fought cricket and congratulations go to all involved, both on and off the pitch.

See the match scorecard on play cricket.