Lodway 1st’s promotion prospects were severely dented on Saturday at Timsbury Recreation Ground, as they suffered a 41-run defeat.

Having chosen to bat first, Timsbury openers Mark Sage and Jon Strand made a slow and steady start against fraternal opening bowlers Toby and Ryan Rice, who were both unlucky to finish wicketless on a slightly damp, slow pitch. Although a few chances were created in the first 20 overs, Sage and Strand went to drinks at 73-0, and it wasn’t until Ben Stitfall (1-27) breached Sage’s defences to bowl him for 41 that Lodway had their first breakthrough after an 86-run opening partnership. Strand was next to fall, run out at the non-striker’s end for 47 as he attempted to get to his half-century quicker, but the Timsbury middle order all contributed for the remainder of the innings, even with Mini Metcalfe (1-32) and Matty W Crutchley (1-52) each taking a wicket, as the innings closed on 185-4.

Seasoned observers considered this a par score based on the quality of the pitch, but they were soon disabused by the performance of the Lodway top order and the Timsbury bowlers.

Facing the host’s battery of accurate but orthodox off-spinners, the first four wickets to fall were all clean bowled by either Strand (3-16) or Freddie Hosford (2-13), three of them for ducks, leaving Toby Rice fighting a lone hand at 30-4. That soon became 36-5, before the Rice brothers combined again for a mini recovery, taking Lodway to 58 on the cusp of drinks before Tank fell LBW to Sam Hoddinott (1-32) for just 1. Older brother Toby was next to fall, four runs short of a deserved half-century, at which point another fraternal partnership briefly bloomed as Joe and Matty Crutchley combined for 24, before big brother Joe was run out for 14, leading to a reaction that suggested Matty shouldn’t expect many birthday presents for a while. Matty tried to make up for his lack of calling by getting Lodway past 100 with a series of sweeps, putting on 22 with Min Metcalfe, before he fell to Greg Passingham (2-41) for 26, with the score on 118 and 5 overs still to bat. Last man Stephen Edmonds was in typically-pugnacious spirits, and he and Metcalfe combined in the highest partnership of the innings, securing another batting point as the score passed 125 and edged closer to respectability. When stumps were drawn, Metcalfe (17*) and Edmonds (18*) remained unbeaten as Lodway closed on 144-9, hoping for a better performance in the Tony Hitch Cup semi-final the next morning…