Bridgwater 1st XI 151 beat Frocester 1st XI 127 by 24 runs (From Bridgwater Mercury)
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Bridgwater 1st XI 151 beat Frocester 1st XI 127 by 24 runs
4:00pm Thursday 8th September 2011 in Local Cricket
Bridgwater batsman Calum Haggett was one of Anthony Caddy's five victims
Bridgwater'S excellent record against the teams above them continued at The Parks on Saturday, as they defeated a powerful Frocester team, who were runners-up, in a strangely low-scoring game.
The scores were due to the excellence of the bowling in overcast humid conditions rather than the state of the pitch, although there was some indifferent batting from both sides.
On being inserted, Bridgwater slumped to 45-5 with Frocester's Aussie seamer Anthony Caddy claiming all five. Stu Butt (18) and Steve Davis (29) took the score to 80 before Butt skied one, then Davis was caught at slip to leave the home side on 104-7.
Ian Bishop (15) and a patient Scott Clapp (31 not out) marshalled the tail well to move the score along to 151 all out in the 41st over - a decent recovery.
With the conditions changing little, the stage was set for Bishop and the Bridgwater seamers to do their bit. And do it they did, in turn reducing the visitors to 34-5 with Bishops claiming four wickets for only six runs off his 10 overs.
Chris Skidmore supported aggresively, as did the Bridgwater fielders, the highlight of which was a blinding catch by Butt at third slip to remove the dangerous Ashley Davis.
Frocester skipper and the league's top run-scorer, Nick Trainor, batted down the order, but when he was safely pouched by Tom Pople off Calum Haggett, the visitors were in deep trouble at 62-8.
As in the first innings, batting got easier as the ball softened and a spiritied stand of 60 between Caddy and Cave gave Frocester some hope.
But Davis snared Cave with the help of an excellent catch at mid-on by Skidmore before bowling Caddy for 37 as he set himself for some big shots to acheive the win.
Bridgwater ran out 24-run winners and must be ruing the inconsistent form against the lower sides which cost them a genuine chance of the championship.
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