Having won the toss for the first time in a number of weeks, Lodway skipper Joe Crutchley had no hesitation in batting first, but the top order’s struggles were no better batting first, as Andrew Barnsley (3-32) and Cam Elswood reduced Lodway to 27-3 and then 41-4, including a first ball duck for debutant Siya Sowati. From this burning platform in the 14th over, fifth wicket pair of Tobias Rice and Alfie Rendell felt they had no choice but to consolidate on a pitch with variable bounce, taking 21 overs to put on 90 to restore some respectability to the score. It took the return of Elswood (2-39) to break the partnership, with Rice being caught at mid on for 37, shortly before Rendell brought up his mature and well-earned half-century. However, Rendell was unable to add any more to his 50, bowled by Karabo Motlhanka, and, although 7th wicket partnership of contrasting pair Ryan Rice (17*) and Stephen Edmonds (14) tried to up the rate in their 22-ball stand of 26, they were unable to find the boundary, with Edmonds doing more damage to his own zygoma than the bowlers’ figures before he became Motlhanka’s (2-25) second victim shortly before the innings closed on 177-7.

In reply, Cleeve’s opening pair made more of their opportunity, supported, as ever, by Lodway’s generosity with extras, as Motlhanka and Jack Spiers put on a 50-partnership in the first 8 overs. The introduction of Joe Crutchley (1-28) at least briefly lifted the visitors’ spirits, as he bowled Spiers for 23, but this was a pyrrhic victory, as it brought Mitchell Want to the crease, who batted like he was on a promise, striking all bowlers to all parts with an aggressive ruthlessness. Although he gave one chance, chasing a wide delivery from Matty Crutchley’s first ball that the despairing dive of Edmonds could not cleanly gather, most of his shots went over fielders, finishing unbeaten on a 38-ball 85 as Motlhanka struck the winning boundaries in the 21st over to end on 34* as Cleeve moved to joint-second with both Lodway and Lansdown with 5 games remaining.

Lodway return to Ham Green for the next two games, hoping that they’ve fully regressed to the mean, and that the odds are in favour of them beating basement side Timsbury on Saturday.