Saturday 8th April. Pre-season match. Westbury and District CC 113 all out (34) Painswick CC 238 all out (44.3)
Westbury opened their 2023 cricket season with a pre-season match against West of England Premier 2 Wiltshire and Gloucestershire league team Painswick.
Westbury gave club debuts to Jino Jojo (a Danish international player) who joined the club pre-season from Bedminster and Rahid Forde who also joined the club in the close season.
This was the first game as captain for Matt Greatley having taken over the position from the outgoing Richard Oakley who stood down at the end of the 2022 season.
Westbury won the toss and decided to bowl first. Painswick made a bad start by losing three wickets for nine runs with MacDuff (2), Matthew Connelly (3) and Bacher (1) the batsman out with Oakley and Forde taking the wickets. Luke Woolway, the Painswick captain, then came to the wicket to join Rogan Wolhunter and they took the total to 31 when Westbury took their fourth wicket when Rogan Wolhunter (18) was bowled by Forde.
Al Connelly then came to the wicket to join his captain, after they weathered the Westbury bowling, they took the total to 124 when Al Connelly (36) was caught and bowled by Matt Greatley; shortly afterwards Nideau (4) was out leg before off the bowling of young Henry White.
Jonathan Connolly then arrived at the wicket and they started to take the attack to the Westbury bowlers, but when the total reached 216, Woolway (101) was bowled out by Forde. After his dismissal the Painswick innings subsided to 238 all out from 44.3 overs.
Richard Oakley (2-40 off 8 overs) had the best figures, ably supported by Forde (2-45) and Henry White (2-41). This was an encouraging performance by Westbury against higher league opposition.
When Westbury batted, they made a disastrous start with seven wickets for 49 and it was only due to a partnership of 63 between Luke Dilena (46) and Richard Oakley (12) that Westbury reached 113 all out. Reece Morris (3-18 off 7 overs) had the best figures ably supported Jonathan Connolly (2-11 off 5 overs) and Matthew Connelly (2-20 off 4 overs).
