Chipping Sodbury CC 4th XI 154/9 beat Stoke Gifford CC 1st XI 50 by 104 runs
Stoke Gifford’s Eighth Division North campaign suffered a tough setback at home as a formidable bowling display from Chipping Sodbury CC 4th XI handed the hosts a 104-run defeat.
Having won the toss, Stoke Gifford elected to field first, and the opening attack immediately set to work. Bryan Jater was the first to fall with the score at 17, caught by Ryan Edwards off Lewis Jefferies. Roland Jones then pulled off a sharp run out to dismiss Jay Penfold for 3 with the score on 28. Oliver Febry offered sturdy resistance for the visitors, making 27 from 70 balls before Harry Black breached his defences.
Ewan Frost anchored the Chipping Sodbury innings admirably, top-scoring with 46 off 86 deliveries. However, Stoke Gifford kept the run rate tightly under control. Harry Black delivered a superbly economical spell, taking 2 for 9 from his eight overs, including two maidens. Rich Stadden chipped in with two wickets of his own, trapping Stephen Febry leg-before for 6 and bowling Ben Leonard for 3. Joe Black eventually claimed the key wicket of Frost, caught by Jefferies with the score at 146. A brisk late cameo from Sam Crabbe, who struck 31 off 23 balls, provided late momentum before Jefferies bowled him to finish with team-best figures of 3 for 23. Chipping Sodbury closed their 40 overs on 154 for 9, leaving Stoke Gifford with a competitive target.
However, the run chase proved treacherous from the start as Chipping Sodbury’s opening bowlers struck early and relentlessly. Stoke Gifford slipped from 13 for 1 to 16 for 4 in quick succession. Josh Gilbert was in devastating form, claiming 4 for 12 from his eight overs, while Sam Crabbe provided excellent support with 2 for 18. Openers Ryan Edwards (9) and Jamie Franks (1) fell early, and the top order found runs hard to come by as Robbie Seward, Nathan Daniels, and Andy Gill were all removed cheaply.
Lewis Jefferies attempted to rebuild, top-scoring for Stoke Gifford with a resilient 20 off 36 balls, including three boundaries. Yet support proved hard to come by. Daryle Sullivan came into the attack to clean up the lower order, taking 3 for 9 in 3.3 overs. After Ben Leonard removed Joe Black, Sullivan wrapped up the match by bowling Rich Stadden, leaving Stoke Gifford all out for 50 in 23.3 overs.
While it was a disappointing result with the bat, Stoke Gifford will take heart from their disciplined performance in the field, particularly the standout bowling efforts of Jefferies and Harry Black, as they look ahead to their next fixture.