A closely fought game with contributions throughout the side, led by James Ball’s 60 runs, provided a Cleeve with a win by 14 runs to move 7th in league.

Skipper Sam Williams elected to bat first and together with Ball, the runs flowed until Williams was first to depart LBW at the start of the 15th for 30, with Cleeve at 65-1.

Ball then combined well with Andy Barnsley to add another 55 before Ball was bowled by Knight for a top score of 60, with Jack S caught for no score just three balls later as Knight chalked up his second.

Four overs later with 130 on the board, Barnsley holed out for 26 with Connor Hance adjudged LBW two runs later for no score in the 31st over.

Ben Pinkney partnered Tom Birt to move the score to 164 at the end of the 34th before he became the third member of the Cleeve LBW club.

Joe Hance then picked up where he left off in the mid-week cup match adding another 22, combining with Tom Birt to add another 44 runs, before ending out caught to provide Knight with five wickets for the match at 208-7 at the end of the 40th over.

Tom Baughan, Jalal Ahmed and Tom Carpenter added another four between them, leaving Birt the not out batter on 35 and Cleeve posting 219 all out at the start of the 45th over.

Cleeve started strongly in reply as Spiers struck with the fourth ball to remove the fifer man, Knight for no score at 1-1 and Davis snicked off to keeper Carpenter for four as Barnsley struck in the 2nd over at 7-2.

Opening batter, Robbins and George settled Hanham’s nerves as Cleeve’s openers failed to make further break throughs, nor did Joe Hance, Ahmed, four overs for 26, or older brother Connor, nine overs for 44, as the score moved onto 119.

The skipper elected to and removed Robbins for 28 with his 4th delivery as Connor Hance held on.  

The 29th over brought relief as Williams removed Simon George LBW for a top score of 77 at 154-4 and 3 runs later, secured his 3rd scalp via a Joe Hance grab.

The returning Barnsley removed Jackson LBW for just one at 157-6 to end nine overs with 3-29.

In a nervy finish, Spiers removed Hota for 10 thanks to the safe hand of Williams.

Cox provided Willliams with a fourth victim off nine overs for 34 as Pinkney caught Edwards to provide Spiers with three wickets off 6.4 overs for 34.

With 14 runs shy of the Cleeve target with nine balls to go, Joe Edwards castled Alway to end 205 all out and a Cleeve victory.

So, a proper team victory where everyone contributed and now back to the Bristol & District cup where Cleeve host Lodway on June 12th and league action at home next Saturday versus Pak Bristolians, hoping for another victory.