Norton complete perfect first month

Midsomer Norton completed a perfect opening month to the West of England Premier League Prem 2 Bristol/Som season with a five-wicket success over visiting Old Bristolians Westbury.

- 

Westbury opted to bat, but the innings consisted of Norton restricting support to their two half-centurions before bowling them out for 240 with the final ball. Nick Pang and Paul Robbins both claimed three wickets apiece.

Norton opener Alex Lear then led from the front with 94 from 129 balls. Again, he was starved of assistance until Finn Kelsey (67) helped put on 126 for the fourth wicket. Lear eventually became the final Norton wicket to fall, six short of his century, leaving captain Callum Harvey (20*) and Pang (1°) to complete the chase a ball into the 45th wicket.

Norton continued their fantastic campaign on Sunday as they reached the next stage of the T20 Cup. Wins over Weston-super-Mare and then Bridgwater ensured Norton won the second round of the competition.

After Bridgwater overcame Taunton by 85 runs, Norton invited Weston to bat in the second group semi-final. JC Harding claimed 4-12, alongside a couple of wickets for Tiger Sherred-Isles and Finn Kelsey, as Weston were bowled out for 73 in 16 overs.

Despite losing three wickets in a hasty response, Norton chased the target down in 9.4 overs with an unbeaten 36 from Kelsey. Harvey also added 27.

Norton then elected to bat against Bridgwater in the group final. Despite losing both openers for a combined 14, Bradley Parry (40) and Harvey (81) set the innings alight, alongside 25 from Pang, as Norton reached 192-7 from their 20 overs.

The game looked to be all but over as Bridgwater collapsed to 4-3 and 66-8, however an unbeaten ninth-wicket partnership somehow saw them through their overs to finish 63 runs short on 129-8. Pang took 3-31, with a couple more victims for both Harding and Harvey.

■TEMPLE CLOUD fell to their first defeat of the season in the Somerset Division at home to North Perrott.