1st XI Game 10 - Bristol 179, Potterne 161

A last wicket partnership of 32 between Ash Joyner and Neil Pollard proved to be the difference between the sides and helped Bristol retain their 100% winning record batting first this season. Joyner added three wickets to complete a good all-round game, and shared the bowling honours with Tommy Probert as Bristol held their nerve to win this tight encounter in which batsmen on both sides found conditions difficult. Probert picked up two wickets in an economical opening burst, and a third at a crucial moment later in the innings.
Potterne started poorly in pursuit of the target of 179. being reduced to 33 for 3 in the eighth over with Tom Cullen, Ashur Morrison and - thanks to a porpoise-like diving catch by Louie Shaw at backward point - Ed Young back in the pavilion. But Neil Clark and Basil Akram put on 64 in 13 overs and the pendulum looked to be swinging back towards Potterne, who were well ahead of the required run-rate.
Joyner removed Akram in his first over, LBW for a 48-ball 45, and dismissed Bramwell by the same method. In between, Shaw found Clarke’s leading edge and snaffled the return catch.
At 108 for 6 Bristol felt more comfortable, but the next three wickets had to be prised out like recalcitrant teeth.
Wijerathne edged Joyner to Rudge at slip: 120 for 7 and one end open. The next over could have produced two wickets. But Jack Ellison diving forward couldn’t quite manufacture a catch to dismiss De Souza, and a confident appeal for caught behind against Goodwin went unrewarded.
Even after Probert induced Goodwin to chop on to his stumps, Bristol weren’t yet home and dry. Roberts and De Souza put on 27 for the ninth wicket to get within 20 of victory.
Finally it was the run-out of Roberts that proved decisive. Bracey took Ellison’s throw from mid-wicket above his head but still had time to break the stumps before the batsman arrived. Rudge’s third slip catch of the match, this time off Pollard, completed the victory.
Earlier after winning the toss and electing to bat, Bristol fielded a new all-Gloucestershire opening partnership of James Bracey and Will Tavare. They made a strong start, putting on 44 in 8 overs before Bracey played round one from Jake Roberts and was bowled.
After Will Young went cheaply, Tavare started to find the boundary with regularity: a hook over mid-wicket off Roberts; a cut behind square that just eluded the sweeper and an on-drive in the same bowler’s next over; and a cover-drive off Akram who bowled his ten overs in a single opening spell.
Fin Trenouth played an uncharacteristic innings of 9 off 30 balls before edging to slip, but Shaw and Tavare were within a run of a fifty partnership when the latter was dismissed, caught behind off Ed Young. This triggered a collapse of 4 wickets in as many overs for 8 runs. Shaw skied a catch off the toe-end of his bat the ball after pulling a short ball one bounce to the mid-wicket boundary. Ellison was LBW despite a long stride. Fellowes, on his return to the first team, was caught at slip, via the gloves of the ‘keeper who should really have completed the catch himself.
Rudge and Probert followed shortly afterwards to complete Bristol’s subsidence from 129-3 to 147-9. Then came the last wicket heroics: a classy sweep for 4 by Pollard and some free swinging by Joyner helping to secure two additional batting points, and what proved to be a winning total.