WEPL Premier One
Clevedon 279-6 Bedminster 159
Piers McBride Snr reporting.

After getting their fingers well and truly burned the previous week against Bristol, Clevedon restored order and pride with this emphatic victory in front of a large and knowledgeable crowd on Dial Hill.

With Matt Carpenter and Connor Crane back on parade, Clevedon’s side looked well balanced and certainly skipper Jake Lintott had no hesitation in opting to bat first after winning the toss.

Having been sent packing in short order against Bristol, openers Masoor Khan and Max Curtis afforded the utmost respect to the visiting new ball bowlers and runs were at a premium during the opening salvos.

Both batsmen trod lightly in the face of accurate bowling allied to a defensive yet astutely set field, but as the overs ticked away the tempo began to rise.

Max Curtis played a major role in setting up a solid foundation and the total had reached 84 before he was trapped lbw for 43 in the 24th over.

Marc Lezar perished for just a couple of runs and his demise brought skipper Jake Lintott into the fray. This proved quite simply the pivotal moment of the game as the skipper calmly dealt with the first ball he received by reverse sweeping it for four. He repeated the dose with a similar stroke from the next delivery and from that point on Clevedon assumed total control.

With Mas calmly going about his business at one end, Jake was free to indulge himself at the other and runs really began to flow. The balcony faithful purred with delight as the steel eyed captain unveiled his full array of shots - 13 boundaries illuminated his match winning innings as he shared a stand of 147 for the third wicket and faced just 60 deliveries before being caught behind for a star sprinkled 87.

Mas immediately assumed the leading role and he reached a cerebral century without giving a chance, 13 fours the highlights of his unbeaten 105. Not surprisingly, wickets fell in the hectic last-gasp race to the line but Clevedon were well pleased with the final total of 279.

The visitors' top order perished early and it was only thanks to Clevedon old boy Rob Cunliffe, 27 and Mark Alleyne 37 who shared a sixth wicket stand of 59 to give the final total an air of respectability.

Matt Carpenter, 2 for 28, Maz Khan, 3 for 31 and Andy Solomons, 3 for 25 shared the spoils with the ball and they each benefitted from the spectacular catches in the deep of Jake Rowe and, yes, he can catch as well, Masoor Khan.

This Saturday Clevedon are off to Potterne.

League standings, all played five: 1 Bath 88 pts; 2 Clevedon 76; 3 Downend 76; 4 Potterne 73; 5 Bristol 70; 6 Lechlade 58; 7 Frocester 56; 8 Bridgwater 46; 9 Corsham 40; 10 Bedminster 29.