It was a successful week for Barrow Gurney after beating Bath Thirds in the Tony Hitch Cup and followed that up with a good win at local rivals Blagdon last Saturday.

Acting captain Jason Cryans got Barrow off to a good start on Saturday on a tricky pitch, following some overnight rain. His 41 got Barrow off to a reasonable start but the innings faltered with the loss of the in-form Mark Brown and Ed Holdaway along with their captain to leave Barrow on 62-4. 

Guy Fisher survived an early chance as together with Ben Hodges (27) the score crawled to a hundred, when he was joined by twin brother, Mark they injected some quicker running allied to picking off the short ball for boundaries. 

Their partnership of 68 was crucial to building a total, but when Mark fell for 27 Barrow failed to capitalise fully on the base they had and only managed 209-9. An exhausted Guy Fisher came off to great applause having applied himself well for an unbeaten 65 in the searing heat.

In reply Blagdon lost both openers as Jonny Sykes and Ed Holdaway struck early, but the experienced Jeremy Board in partnership with James Ruscow steadied the ship. 

Two quick wickets from Mark Fisher swung the game Barrow’s way as he bowled Board and then took a sharp caught & bowled to dismiss the Blagdon captain. Ruscow though looked likely to put those setbacks behind him until, having reached his half century, he miscued off Frank Forge and was well caught by Mike York. 

Forge then struck again to match Mark Fisher’s bowling figures of 2-30, but Blagdon were still up with the rate. Only a tight five overs from Nick Heal and a couple of wickets from Holdaway (3-30), including a brilliant diving caught and bowled, pegged Blagdon back to the point that they needed 35 off three overs which proved too much as they fell 18 runs short with one wicket left.

Earlier in the week a magnificent 89 from Cryans set up a mammoth Barrow total of 211-6 at Hobbs Lane against the higher ranked Bath 3rd team. Jordan Allen’s 38 not out at the end of the innings helping to set the challenging target. Ed Holdaway’s five over spell of 3-23 put the visitors in a position where they never got close to the rate required and Barrow ran out winners by 67 runs. 

A local derby against Backwell Flax Bourton is the reward in two weeks time.