Under cloudless skies and temperatures in the 30s, the host’s captain, Tim Scott, had no hesitation in batting first, although his side found run-scoring difficult on a slow pitch in the face of disciplined bowling from Tobias Rice and Ben Stitfall. First change bowler Tom Metcalfe-Smith made the first breakthrough, bowling Sam Simmons in the 11th over for 10, and struck twice more to end with 3-31 as Bath stumbled 74-3 in the 21st over. When Joe Crutchley (2-38) struck twice in two balls in the 28th over, including the dismissal of combative opener Jack Goodwin for 57, Bath found themselves 111-5, and in danger of not making the most of an important toss. However, at this point, Samuel Preece and Scott chose to attack the wilting bowlers, finding and clearing the boundaries in a 7-over partnership of 55 that was ended by a confident catch from Caolan Pearce at long on off Alfie Rendell to dismiss Scott for 33. Joe Prescott joined Preece and continued to put Lodway’s bowlers to the sword before Pearce took his second catch, this time off Rice, to send back Preece for a 44-ball 63, and, although Rice (2-44) and Rendell (2-31) were each to strike once more in the closing overs, Bath were able to close on 220-9, having run Lodway ragged in the final overs.

After sheltering in the shade of the clubhouse during the break, Lodway knew that the Bath bowlers would find the heat no less oppressive, but nonetheless Pearce struggled against Robert Patch’s opening spell, and was bowled by young Patch (1-15) for a 10-ball duck. Although Adam Robson and Rice started to find the boundary in their putative second-wicket partnership, the dismissal of Robson, sharply caught close to the ground by Luke Welsh at midwicket off Scott (2-18) for 13 proved to be the beginning of the end, as Lodway’s famed middle order were blown away, with Stitfall, Ewan Mason (run out in embarrassing fashion) and Rendell all falling for ducks to leave Lodway 41-5 before the first drinks break. Although Tom Arnall at least broke the duck trend in a brief partnership with Rice, his LBW dismissal for 3 had the visitors 59-6 with little prospect of claiming any batting points, as wizened gloveman Stephen Edmonds came to the crease. Perhaps emboldened by encouraging words from his new friends in the cordon, Edmonds launched his second ball into the next field to be lost forever, and proceeded to play jauntily as he smote 25 from 14 balls before Joe Prescott had his revenge for the two huge maximums by bowling Edmonds with the score on 94. Joe Crutchley helped Rice reach the relatively heady heights of 100 before the visiting skipper was bowled by Prescott (4-40) to become the fifth duck of the innings, and, when Rice finally fell in the 26th over for a patient and resilient 41, the end was nigh, with Matty Crutchley (7) becoming the last man out at 120.

This emphatic victory drew Bath to within 15 points of Lodway at the top of the table, with the leaders needing to bounce back in the cooler temperatures of next weekend as they host relegation-threatened Hanham at Ham Green.