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Tortworth Away    Sunday 13th May 2001

Tortworth 153 for 2 in 30 overs. Werretts 91no. Studley 53no.  M.Russell 2-17

Oldbury 137 for 7 in 30 overs. Nigel Hopkins 60. Adam Harris 29. Gerald Porter 15.

Torthworth won by 16 runs.

The season started at last with the sun shining on a rather lush, green wicket. Tortworth struggled at the start with tight bowling from Adam Harris and Mark Russell who took the only wickets with 2-17 off 5 overs. Everything looked fine except the weather as black clouds and claps of thunder louder than striker's rear end rumbled around the ground. The match should then have been called 'Torrents in Tortworth' as the heavens opened. Both sides were itching to carry on, and when the monsoon stopped and the game continued the fortunes of both sides changed. Werretts and Studley played themselves in and then opened up. The bowling of Sam Phelps and Will Bryant remained tight, but 32 runs off skipper Ian Knapp's four overs meant the flood gates were open. Notable dropped catches by Jim (Jim'll Catchit) Russell and Chris (Swallow) Bryant didn't make too much difference to a now challenging total of 154 off 30 overs.

Russell failed to provide the firm foundation to Oldbury's innings, but with a swift 15 from Gerald Porter and then a strong partnership between Adam Harris (29) and Nigel Hopkins, the target looked in easy reach. But the omens of a repeat of last year were there, and despite Nigel's valiant 60, he could not stay the course to see the tail through to victory. Even Chris Bryant's second swallow dive to avoid a run out could not save the day and Oldbury fell 16 runs short.

Nearly drowned by the rain, we retired to The Pear Tree hoping to drown our sorrows only for further woe - did Nigel Hopkins buy his jug? Do pigs fly? (No, but Chris does!) We'll get you next week Nigel.

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