Lodway 1st XI’s winning run stretches to 5 matches now, and their promotion push remains intact, after they beat bottom side Winterbourne 2nds on Saturday by 2 wickets, thanks in no small part to an unbroken 9th wicket partnership of 41 from the Crutchley brothers.

Choosing to bowl first after a slightly delayed start, which saw no reduction in overs, Lodway struck early as Pearce (1-16) clean bowled the Winterbourne opener Vamplew, but it was not until the end of Rice’s erratic spell (1-24) that the next wicket fell, as ‘keeper Frost was bowled for 31. Returning skipper Crutchley J withdrew Pearce from the attack early to bring himself on. It was rewarded with two wickets in another niggardly spell of 8 overs 2-11, as the Winterbourne batsmen struggled to get him away. Stitfall (0-32) was unable to have similar success at the other end, but the introduction of Rendell reaped immediate dividends as he clean-bowled Williams with his first ball on his way to 2-45. Matty Crutchley was the next new bowler to strike, but 116-7 soon became 150-7, thanks to home captain Lingard’s half-century, perhaps inspired by encouraging words at drinks by Dalbon. However, Lingard soon fell after reaching his 50, caught by Rowsell at the fourth attempt off Crutchley M, and, although the last three batsmen added 30 to the score, Matty Crutchley was able to take the final wicket in the final over on his way to 4-19 as Winterbourne were dismissed for 180, which felt below par.

Rice began the chase confidently after being struck in the box first ball, clothing a couple of boundaries to race to 14 before inexplicably leaving a straight one from Andrews. The confident start soon looked very shaky as Harris again fell cheaply caught in the covers, Pearce was bowled for a 4-ball duck full of big shots that didn’t connect and Stitfall was bowled for a run-a-ball 21 to leave Lodway 50-4 after the first 10 overs.
Stubbs became the impressive Sanders’ third wicket, finding square-leg with a pull to make it 56-5, and Rowsell and Dalbon then set about repairing the innings with more than 100 still required. They managed to combine well in a partnership of 38, including one huge six from Dalbon, but the slog sweep became the chunky Australian’s undoing as he picked out the deep midwicket fielder for 22. Rendell was next to join Rowsell, who was playing a more measured innings than last week’s, and the pair combined for a crucial stand of 43 to take the runs required to less than 50, before Rowsell drove straight to the opposition captain on the ring for 30. With Rendell run out for 12 coming back for a non-existent second shortly after, the Crutchley brothers found themselves together at 140-8 with the unattractive prospect of only Edmonds left in the changing room. Helped by some wayward bowling, the fraternal partnership was made to look as easy as a childhood game of back-garden cricket, with each brother striking one maximum (thankfully it wasn’t “6 and out” at this level) as they put the Winterbourne bowlers to the sword, culminating with little brother Matty hitting the winning single with almost 7 overs to spare.

With maximum points secured and Timsbury losing, Lodway find themselves in 3rd place with one game to go, just 2 points behind local rivals Portishead. The message for Saturday’s game at home to Lansdown is clear - get a maximum 20-point victory and hope Portishead drop points at home to Winterbourne to secure runners-up spot in Division 1