Bristol and District Association Eighth Division

Thornbury thirds 321-4 beat Hanbrook seconds 212-6 by 109 runs

THORNBURY thirds comfortably beat Hanbrook seconds by over a hundred runs in their Bristol and District Association Eighth Division mid-table clash on Saturday at Tockington Manor.

Thorns were looking to bounce back from defeat the previous week when they were given a roasting by Saltford Fairway.

Skipper Simon Weeks won the toss and elected to bat on a flat looking wicket and with a strong batting line up.

Weeks and David Hammond opened up and capitalised on some fairly average bowling as they went racing to 65-0 in just ten overs.

The runs continued to flow, and in no time the one hundred partnership was brought up.

Not happy with plodding along at six an over, Weeks decided to attack the spinner, and but he holed out to long on for 56.

Colin Blick came in next, and alongside Hammond, they continued to keep the runs flowing, bringing up another one hundred partnership.

On 240-1 with ten overs to go, Thornbury thirds were in a great position to win the match.

However Hanbrook's Mark Dyer bowled two great balls to remove first Blick for 72, and then Hammond, who had gone on to score 93, in his final over, both great knocks.

Jordan Hicks was promoted up the order, and, with support from Alex Allen and Richard Hughes, scored 46 not out, helping Thorns to a massive 321-4 off 45 overs.

This was, indeed, the biggest score in recent memory at the Tockington Manor ground.

Hambrook were never in the running when they batted, and Thorns looked to pick up as many bowling points as possible on the ever flattening pitch.

Hicks made the early breakthrough, taking a one handed return catch to remove skipper Richardson.

Kyle Banger also picked up a wicket, but, after that, Amos and Richards batted sensibly and frustrated Thornbury, despite some tidy bowling from Greg Messer and Jimmy Halliwell, both making half centuries in a stand of over one hundred runs.

Hicks' return brought the wicket of Amos, and a fantastic bowling spell from Alex Foulner saw him pick up two wickets, finishing with 2-13 from five overs.

Baner picked up one final wicket, but Thorns missed out on maximum bowling points, primarily due to some sloppy catching as Hambrook finished on 212-6.

Overall, however, it was a convincing win, and hopefully it will see Thornbury thirds building some momentum as some more difficult fixtures await in the coming weeks.