Gloucestershire County League Division Two

Oldlands 187 all out lost to Thornbury 2nds 321-5 by 134 runs

WITH top of the table Thornbury seconds arriving at the Oldlands Cricket Ground on Saturday with a one hundred per cent record and Oldlands missing six first choice players, the expectation levels at Abwell were, to say the least, a little tempered.

However, with the visitors batting first on a beautiful batting track, home optimism was suddenly heightened in a penetrating first over when Dave Walton found the edge of opener Ali Dury's bat for Bobby Woolams to take the catch. Then, quite remarkably, in the following over, Brad Thomas induced a drive from James Tunicliffe to a ball that swung and skipper Steve Pennington calmly pouched a sharp chance at slip to reduce the visitors to 8-2.

This, though, was as good as it got for the home side as the third wicket pair of Josh Slade and Marcus Wormwell at first consolidated, but then got quickly into their stride, playing some gorgeous shots and embarking on a record partnership of 262.

Both eventually fell for 121, first Slade caught behind and then Wormwell, adjudged lbw, both falling to the pick of the bowlers, Dave Walton (3-50).

With Pennington (1-45) picking up the other wicket to fall, it was a tough afternoon in the field for the young Oldlands side, but with an impressive bowling debut by Jacob Waite and energetic fielding from Declan Bowen, the home side showed great character in sticking to their task really well.

Then, in reply to what was always going to be, at best, a hopeful pursuit of such a mammoth total, the home side started well, reaching 72 for the first wicket through Nick Grove (36) and Brad Thomas (34), although following their dismissals, despite an impressive cameo from Doug Walton (28), a continuous fall of wickets saw the eventual total reach only 187 all out.