A MASSIVE effort by home captain Steve Baker, single handedly preparing the ground for play from before 8am ensured this game took place.

A MASSIVE effort by home captain Steve Baker, single handedly preparing the ground for play from before 8am ensured this game took place.

However in damp conditions the toss was crucial and Baker breathed a sigh of relief and asked Shirehampton to bat first. Shirehampton picked up a number of boundaries and reached 30 without loss quickly as the Congresbury side seemed strangely subdued.

The introduction of Neal Frost changed things as his bowling style was perfect for the conditions and Mangaldas made the breakthrough, trapping Naseer leg before for 10, with Hill following shortly afterwards caught by Daniel Bullock. Bowyer battled well against Frost, before gloving a lifting delivery on to his stumps for 22. Geddes decided to attack and struck a couple of nice boundaries before being trapped leg before to Tim Baker, who then dismissed Nurse for a duck, leaving Shire at 77 for 5.

A partnership of 40 between Summers and Dury took Shire forward as Congresbury rotated their bowlers. Neal Frost picked up Summers for 23 after changing ends and Justin Andrews came back well to dismiss Dury, and Dickie. Mangaldas finished things off, returning to take the final two wickets as Shirehampton were dismissed for 145.

Mangaldas finished with 4 for 34 and Frost finished with 2 for 30 in 12.

Harding and Palmer started well against the accuracy of Earl and Dickie, with Harding looking comfortable with his game, striking two boundaries before missing a straight one, being bowled for 12.

Kieran Palmer soon whacked one to mid-on to be dismissed for eight, and Congresbury were 23 for 2. Tim Baker was joined by Mike Fisher and added 43 before Tim nicked Bowyer to slip. The game livened up somewhat with the arrival of Buddha Mangaldas, and the pair took Congresbury to 100, before Buddha was dismissed leg befpre for 13.

Fisher and Perry took Congresbury to within 20 runs of victory before Fisher was bowled slogging for 66. Paul Brean came in and knocked off the winning runs, Congresbury won by five wickets, to move to secondnd in the table. They travel to Frenchay on Saturday.