Another maximum keeps form going

Midsomer Norton continue to be unmoved at the top of the Prem 2 Bristol/Som Division in the West of England Premier League.

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A trip to Keynsham provided Norton with their fourth win, and fourth maximum 20-point haul, from as many games with another comprehensive performance.

Put into bat, Norton made the most of that gift with Alex Lear (57) and Jake Roberts putting on 142 in 25 and a half overs for the opening partnership. Despite losing captain Callum Harvey for a golden duck, Roberts and Adam Sylvester (37) added 87 runs for the third wicket.

Nick Pang struck 23 from just ten balls, before Roberts became the final wicket to fall following a fantastic 165 from 148 balls. He struck 24 fours and two sixes as Norton closed on an unassailable 336-6 from their 50 overs.

Keynsham kept themselves in the game throughout, despite never really being up with the run rate. A second-wicket partnership of 80 laid the biggest foundation, before Keynsham’s resistance finally came to an end with three balls remaining.

Sylvester, Pang, Paul Robbins and Harrison Veale all claimed a couple of wickets as Keynsham were bowled out for 204 to win by 132 runs.

Norton had made it through to the third round of the Somerset Major Cup last Wednesday with a narrow success at Temple Cloud.

Both sides had been enjoying stellar starts to their league campaign, however Norton’s higher status seemed to just be enough on the day to get past their local rivals.

Temple elected to bat and saw decent knocks from Andrew Mortimer (44) and Dan Nolan (51*) as they set 139-4 to chase from 20 overs. Pang and Callum Harvey both picked up two of four wickets to fall.

An unbeaten 36 from Morgan Skipp then helped steer Norton to the total in a game that, although the visitors had plenty of wickets in hand, went down to the penultimate ball. Skipp and Roberts (35) had put on 49 for the opening wicket, before Bradley Parry's 40 edged the game Norton’s way as they completed the job with seven wickets, but with just one ball to spare.