Cumnor lll 236-6-dec (44 overs) I West 85; M Shepherd 39; A Lee 33
Kingston Bagpuize ll 96 A Lee 6-28
Cumnor 30 points, Kingston Bagpuize 3

Put in to bat on a dry and flat looking Appleton pitch Cumnor needed to bat in a sensible and controlled manner after last weeks desperate performance. With Mark Kirsten called up to the first team to replace bowler Gareth Brown (!) Ali Lee stepped up to replace him, opening with 14 year old Jack Metcalfe. The bowling was varied in the first 15 overs with a tight line and length from one end and a combination of wides and good length swing bowling from the other. Progress was slow but extras kept the score ticking. Metcalfe was unlucky to be bowled by one of the rare straight balls from the sewage works end and was replaced by Robbie Lawrence making a welcome return to the Thirds. He and Lee added 30 for the second wicket until Lawrence was adjudged lbw to a ball that kept low. This brought in Ian West, who after his run of bad luck and injury was keen to get a score. After some playing and missing and getting three or four balls on the gloves West launched into the Bagpuize bowling with gusto, hitting some fine straight fours and one huge straight six that carried to the fence -some 90 yards away. Once Lee had gone for 33 after 30 patient overs, Mick Shepheard joined West and with the Bagpuize bowlers wilting in the heat sixes and fours peppered the straight boundaries. Shepheard fell for 39 before West was bowled for 85 enabling skipper Bowerman to declare 2 overs early on 236-6. Bagpuize managed to bowl 54 wides in the innings.

The Bagpuize reply started well for Cumnor with young Mark Haigh bowling a fiery opening spell rewarded for a good line and length when one ball spat off a length and was edged to keeper Dan Hill who took a superb catch above his head. Cumnor old boy Andy Slatter opening for Bagpuize seemed reluctant to come down to the other end to face Haigh but ultimately paid the price for trying to force the pace against Bowerman who replaced Gus Shrimpton after 3 overs. Saul Cobbing at short mid off taking a blinding catch from a full blooded drive by Slatts who seemed disturbed by perceived demons in the pitch. Ali Lee replaced the excellent Haigh and bowled a good length extracting maximum swing from the conditions, removing the dangerous Ali Wolfe with a good inswinging yorker. From there the Bagpuize resistance crumbled and it was left to Simon Howarth to mop up the tail. A fine all round performance lifting Cumnor to 7th in the table, just 34 points off the top.