Gloucester Gipsies 16 July 2024

Manager Nick Bishop

Match Drawn

Gloucester Gipsies 233 for 7 dec (Jordan Smith 5 for 71)

SOA 219 for 5 (Junaid Aziz 57, Alex Wildman 56, Jonathan Warner 33)

The journey down to Stowell Park is always worthwhile, albeit recent visits have often come with damp conditions at the start of the day. Credit to GGs for ignoring overnight weather forecasts and keeping the game on to produce a well balanced draw that ended in glorious sunshine.

The Pres won the toss and elected to bowl. The Pres Elect whipped out both openers in double quick time with the ball both swinging and moving off the seam. A short rain break and a damp outfield negated both on the resumption and Bressington and Churchman R (44) set about repairing the home sides innings, taking the score to 95 before JJ Smith came on to begin to make inroads in the middle order.

Churchman E (25), Childs and Kumar offered useful support to Bressington who marched on to a fine 102 retired (11 ‘fours’, five ‘sixes’) with the Gipsies declaring their innings soon after for a competitive 233 for 7 from 41, JJ bagging a five wicket haul.

Lunch had been splendid (as usual) and an unnecessary three over stint after the declaration took us to an equally fine tea. The SOA batsmen probably didn’t see the logic in this but, seemingly unaffected, took the score to 32 after the interval before Alex Ross perished for 23.

Former Pres Alex Wildman dug in with a more free flowing Junaid Aziz (57) and an equally positive Jon Warner (33) to ensure a good finish was on the cards heading into the final 20 overs. Wildman eventually took his leave for a gritty 56 (local veterinarian surgeons drawing screens around him before the humane killer was compassionately utilised) but time was running out and, despite an even tempo 19 not out from the Pres, SOA fell just 14 runs short on 219 for 5 from 39, leaving honours even this year.

Highlight of the day, outside of that on the field of play, was a 57 minute lap by yet another former Pres and the current Pres’ father. Thanks, as ever, to Bob Belcher and Sue Hayes for umpiring / scoring and to the Gipsies for being marvellous hosts yet again.