Loud’s an all-round star as Downend gain tense success
CAPTAIN Callum Loud led from the front with a tremendous all-round display as Downend held their nerve for a memorable three-run home defeat of Shapwick & Polden in WEPL Premier Two Bristol/Somerset.
Loud (68) and Ben Ford (44) shared an opening stand of 112 after winning the toss, paving the way for Downend to reach 248, with Olly Sharp weighing in with a typically brutal 43 from just 27 balls.
Calum Haggett held the Shapwick reply together but his dismissal, held off Loud for 99, made the score 193-6.
Downend went on to turn the screw and close out the win, Will Duggan’s two late strikes wrapping up the points as he finished with 2-37 with Loud (3-45 from ten overs) and Mark Litson (3-51) also impressing.
Opener Jake Carstens cracked a second successive century for Keynsham but his 107 off 140 (10 fours, two sixes) was not enough to prevent a four-wicket defeat at Bishopston, whose batting heroes were Tristan Jungbauer (97 off 64, 16 fours, three sixes) and Angus McKenzie (88 not out).
Tyler Leaman (68) and Sean Dickson (54) dominated Clevedon’s challenge of 266-7 at home to an Ilminster side that came up 114 runs short, as spinner Max Horton finished with 4-47 from 9.5 overs.
Golden Hill, meanwhile, romped past Bridgwater 2nds by eight wickets, reaching a target of 212 in only 28 overs.
Haseeb Noori (4-35) and Toheed Hamid (2-20 from ten overs) were the pick of the attack before Muhammad Irfan Khan plundered an unbeaten 111 from 67 (11 fours, seven sixes) to make it two wins in a row for Golden Hill, with skipper Daz Ahmed unbeaten on 65.
Weston-super-Mare are still looking for a first win after being bowled out for 181 at a Midsomer Norton side that completed a seven-wicket victory.
» Bristol West Indian Phoenix opened their account in the Bristol & North Somerset division, breezing past fellow promotion-winners Frenchay by seven wickets.
Jack Baber, Ashur Morrison, Yash Patel and Mahin Omar all finished with two wickets as Frenchay struggled to 95 all out after winning the toss at home.
Opener Dylan Young’s 46 then put BWIP on course for the points.
Milo Ayres thumped 89 off only 42 balls (15 fours, three sixes) as Brislington chased down a target of 243 at Winterbourne in less than 34 overs, opener Will Thomas supporting with 65.
Earlier, Darren Vickery (58) and Owen Lingard (49) were the main contributors for the home outfit, as Ryan Aingworth bagged 3-41.
Congresbury made it two wins in a row with a hard-earned 40-run home success against Twyford House.
The North Somerset club were on the ropes at 102-7 after losing the toss, Joe Thompson digging in for 51 off 98 `balls before tail-enders James Vowles (50 not out) and Sam Evans (28 not out) boosted the total to 199-8.
Evans then followed up with a return of 3-21 from 6.1 overs as Congresbury closed out the win, despite the efforts of captain Parik Shetty (49) and Arthur Trotman (42).
Bristol 2nds romped in by 144 runs at their Bedminster counterparts, completing a notable club
double over their local rivals. Rupert Young (76) and Harry Arthur (53) saw the visitors to 241-9 before Bedminster were rumbled for only 97, with Mark Willis and Arthur both capturing three wickets.
Knowle lost by 85 runs away to Bath 2nds, whose imposing total of 327-8 included 106 from opener Campbell McKegg. Joe Brimble took 4-55 from ten overs.
The visitors struggled to recover from losing both openers early on, and despite half centuries from Jake Luffman, Ollie Haynes and Fred Barton, they finished well short.