Lansdown 11 August 2025

Captain Nick Bishop

Won by 6 Wickets

Lansdown 155 all out (Nick Bishop 3 for 34, Dave Ferris 3 for 33)

SOA 156 for 4 (Alex Ross 89, Rich Trotman 36)

Although a recently added fixture, our second Western Tour outing at the hospitable Lansdown CC is already beginning to feel like it might be a long-standing opener to our annual August travels.

 Celebrating their bicentennial, Lansdown won the toss and elected to bat, with opener Henry Trotman perhaps surprised to be up against his Dad, England and Gloucestershire 50+ all-rounder Rich, making his SOA debut.

Ben McCure and Pierre du Plessis (flown in from Sweden for the two weeks) both picked up an early wicket before Sam Pearce (21) and first teamer Josh Smith take the home side to 73 until the introduction of veterans Nick Bishop (3 for 34) and Dave Ferris to the attack firstly peg back the run rate and then make inroads into the Lansdown middle order.

Whilst Bishop chipped away with regular wickets, Ferris was perhaps unlucky not to follow suit before he dramatically restored order with a post drinks hat-trick, knocking over Lord (generously walking having been spectacularly stumped down the leg side by Frankie Crouch with no square leg umpire on the field), Goddard and Hopkins, leaving the home side reeling at 105 for 8.

Smith saw the need to take the game back to the visitors and, having seen off both of the senior citizens, looked well set for three figures until Alex McGrady beat his defences, departing for an entertaining 83 (13 boundaries, 3 sixes).

President Col then put an end to the innings thanks to a useful catch from Alex Ross, Lansdown slightly below par with 155 all out from just 33.3 of their 40 over allocation.

After a sumptuous tea (generous slices of roast beef, ham off the bone, salads etc but no cheese board this time out), and following an unfortunate early run out for Matt McGrady, Ross and Trotman Senior settled in against some tidy bowling from Goddard and Williams before deciding that enough was enough and started to take the home side attack apart, with Trotman (36) feeding Ross the strike and the Chearsley opener taking full advantage, smashing 18 boundaries and 1 six in a fine 89, the pair adding 131 for the second wicket.

Only the introduction of first team bowler Sam Pearce saw any success for Lansdown, with the more than useful spinner bagging a quick 3 for 10 from 4.2 overs, dismissing both Trotman and Ross and leaving the visitors glad that he hadn’t entered the fray earlier.

Alex McGrady (11 not out) and Crouch saw things home in the 28th over to take the SOA to a well-deserved victory and solid start to the tour.