Lodway 1st XI chalked up their ninth - and most comprehensive - win at Ham Green on Saturday, defeating illustrious visitors Bath 3rd XI by 4 wickets in an exceptional run chase.

Having won the toss on another hot, balmy summer’s day, Bath skipper Will Ireland had little hesitation in choosing to bat first, and his decision was justified as Luke Stringer and Sam Simmons made it to the 15-over drinks break unscathed, in spite of a decent opening bowling spell from Brothers Rice Ryan (0-36) and Tobias. The consumption of Team Tangfastics at the break soon played dividends, with Stephen Edmonds taking a leg-side catch off skipper Joe Crutchley the first ball after drinks, with fellow gloveman Stringer surprised to be given out by his own umpire for 18 to leave Bath 70-1. Veteran Bill Simmons joined son Sam, with the father playing a number of accomplished shots before he drove Ben Stitfall (1-49) to the surprisingly-safe hands of Alfie Rendell at extra cover on 24. Young Simmons was the next to fall for an idiosyncratic 79 from 76, caught at long on by Stitfall off Crutchley J (2-57), and when Paul Stubbs caught Ben Harper (28) to become Matty W Crutchley’s first victim, Bath found themselves 167-4 in the 30th over and in danger of falling short of reaching 200. However, number 6 Josh Norgrove-Gray soon put paid to Lodway’s optimism, striking the ball in devastating fashion, including taking 30 off a hapless Crutchley MW over, bringing up his 50 in just 16 balls, and finally falling to another Stitfall catch from Rendell (1-42) for an 18-ball 55 that contained 5 4s, 5 6s and a couple of damaged cars, but, perhaps most importantly for the match situation, caused a groin injury to Norgrove-Gray that was to render him unable to field in Lodway’s innings. Norgrove-Gray fell in the 35th over with the score on 236, and, although Tim Scott attempted to push the score to an unattainable level, Matty Crutchley managed to strike at the other end, finishing with 4-47, even after Edmonds had grassed a low but regulation offering. Rice T returned at 263-8, and made short work of the remaining batsmen, bouncing out Scott for 40 and dismissing skipper Ireland the very next ball, Edmonds taking his second catch of the match, as Bath were dismissed in the penultimate over for an above-par 263.

After a break in the shade, Lodway openers Adam Robson and Tobias Rice made another solid start, putting on 90 together in the first 20 overs, before Rice holed out at long on off Charlie Pritchard’s googlies for 38. Pritchard then bowled Stitfall off bat and pad for 8 with the score on 100, and the required run rate now above 9. Number 4 Caolan Pearce combined with Robson in a 6-over stand of 57, with Pearce striking 4 4s and 1 6 in his 19-ball 26 before Edmonds adjudged him palpably LBW to hand Pritchard (3-58) his third wicket. Next man Paul Stubbs and Robson continued to chase down the target, scoring 46 in 5 overs, but, with the score on 203 in the 33rd over and Robson at the other end on 99*, Stubbs was clean bowled by the teenage pacer Luke Welsh for a run-a-ball 16. At this point, with Rendell for company, Robson decided to accelerate, bringing up his 2nd century of the season and reaching 114 before Rendell was bowled by Welsh for 2, with the Lodway score on 221-5 and 43 still required from the last 5 overs. Robson, with support from new man Ewan Mason, scored 16 from the next over and a half, before Welsh (3-48) had Robson caught behind for a magnificent 109-ball 123 containing 21 4s and 1 6, and Robson received a rousing round of applause from the partisan Ham Green crowd as the team’s old man, Edmonds, strode to the crease with 27 required from 21. After an horrendous hack first ball, Edmonds got into his stride, taking 5 off the rest of Welsh’s final over, and then hitting three boundaries in Shivakumar’s next, as the 38th over went for 16 to bring the equation down to only 6 from 12. Bath skipper Ireland brought himself back to bowl the penultimate over, but, after a single from Mason (bringing a calming presence to proceedings with 4*), a misfield on the boundary and then a scampered single saw Lodway reach their target with an unimaginable 8 balls to spare as Edmonds’ 11-ball 25 led Lodway to 264-6.
With only two games to go, this excellent result probably comes too late to resurrect Lodway’s promotion chances, but may have mortally-wounded Bath’s own, even though they had looked like certainties to go back up for so much of the season. Lodway next head to the seaside on Saturday to take on already-relegated Clevedon, for the last away trip of 2025.