Gloucestershire County League Division Two

Cranham 200-9 lost to Thornbury 2nds 201-7 by three wickets

THORNBURY seconds are in the promotion places in the Gloucestershire County League Division Two after making it three successive wins with victory over Cranham on Saturday.

However, Thornbury seconds did their level best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Stand in skipper Colin Blick lost the toss and Thornbury had a go at fielding first.

Josh Riggs and Jimmy Tunnicliffe opened up the attack and bowled a decent line and length scattered with the obligatory wide here and there.

In fact, when Luke Franklin replaced Jimbob, here and there would have been a blessing as his first bowl of the season barely threatened the cut strip as the wides were flying everywhere (as was Blick behind the stumps trying to stop them).

Thankfully, another player bowling for the first time this year, Jack Gillett, remembered how to pitch it straight and he was immediately rewarded with two wickets in two balls, Nichols (8) and Alex Pockett (0).

Gillett also made quick work of the dangerous James Pockett (16) and Thornbury were well in the hunt.

However whilst runs off the bat were scarce, runs via extras continued to mount up as all the bowlers seem to suffer from the Franklins.

Alex Allen was the exception as he decided to bowl with some control and deserved his wicket of Hayes (30).

Tunnicliffe returned and saw off the lower middle order by bamboozling the batsmen with straight deliveries, Riggs doing the same to the tail.

Cranham ended 200-9 off the allotted 45 overs, extras practically doubling any individual score with 67 of them that included 56 wides.

After the interval Cranham appeared to catch the bug by bowling some proper balls which Dury, Riggs (43) and Tunnicliffe (33) capitalised on to put Thornbury 70-1 off just seven overs.

The Cranham spinners then took some control and the runs began to dry up, James Pockett removing Tunnicliffe and Blick, Hopkins producing a great delivery to bowl Marcus Wormwell and Overs, apparently, trapping Hammond LBW.

Thornbury 165-7 and the wobble was on.

However Gillett (18 not out) and in particular Allen (25 not out) produced a vital partnership to secure victory by seven wickets within 41 overs.