Sherston ended their home season with a comprehensive 85-run win over Bibury at Pinkney Park, thanks to a telling contribution from Andy Jarvis with the bat and a fine performance from the bowling unit.
Sherston won the toss on a sultry afternoon and inserted the opposition into the field. Andy didn’t take long to hit his stride but wickets at the other end stalled Sherston’s progress. George Curtis (7) and James Harmer (3) both went cheaply before Ben Dickenson (10) settled into his work, only to drag a shorter delivery onto his stumps from leg-spinner Ed Robinson. Captain James Kutchera threatened some fireworks before chipping to mid-wicket for 17 to leave Sherston tottering slightly.
Andy, however, continued to hold the innings together, combining some lusty straight blows with good placement to register a half-century. He eventually fell for 61 after Nic Bruce (0) and James Skeldon (3) were both clean bowled, leaving the lower order to salvage something of a competitive total on a good pitch.
Andy Pegg (10), Archie Walsh (18) and Dave Nelson (10) all made double-figure scores to push the score above 160 by the time the innings ended in the 39th over.
Bibury set about their chase of 166 in cautious style as Dave and George found their rhythm. George was first to strike as he had Charlie Robinson (16) caught brilliantly by a diving Archie at backward-point, a moment that would serve as a catalyst for a superb bowling and fielding display by Sherston. Dave then nabbed his first wicket in similar style, this time Archie hurling himself to his left to take a stunning one-handed catch to end Smith’s (4) innings. It wasn’t long before the third and fourth wickets fell as George (3-21) and Dave (3-27) both cleaned up middle order batsmen with full deliveries, and when numbers 6 and 7 were also pinned by the same bowlers, Sherston were staring at a huge win.
Brief resistance from Tom Hughes (20) was ended by Simon Hulance (1-22), who got one to keep low and crash into the stumps, and it was then left to Peggy (2-1) to clean up the tail and complete a comprehensive victory for Sherston ahead of next week’s final fixture of the season.