Westbury entertained Chippenham in the latest Wiltshire and Gloucestershire League Division One match hoping to put behind them last week’s comprehensive defeat at Swindon.
Westbury made two changes with Dan Gill and Simon Rose coming in for Aiden Wicks and James Cotterill. Chippenham won the toss and decided to put Westbury in to bat with the bad weather about.
As the players were about to go onto the field, the heavens opened and with a lot of rain falling the umpires delayed the start until conditions improved.
Eventually the game started at 2.30pm with a 37 over match and Westbury opened with a new partnership of Prinsloo and MacDonald and they made a careful start. When the total reached 19 Chippenham made their first breakthrough when Prinsloo was caught behind for 12. MacDonald was then joined by the Westbury captain Cullen and they took the total to 44 when MacDonald was out for 16.
Whiting then joined his captain and they gradually got on top of the bowling but when the total reached 79 the players had to vacate the field due to heavy rain and bolts of lightning. When play did resume it was further reduced to 25 overs a side and Westbury only had 7 overs to get as many runs as they could.
Chippenham really had Westbury under the cosh in so much so that Westbury lost 5 wickets in only collecting 45 runs.
When Chippenham batted they made a disastrous start with both openers out with the total at 5 but the Chippenham captain Ward and Merryweather took the total to 45 when Merryweather was out for a fine 30. Ward and Cookson took the total to 72 when Richard Oakley took three quick wickets, but it was left to Narayan and Humphrys who led Chippenham to a four wicket win and help ease their relegation worries and with this defeat Westbury are perilously close to the relegation places. Only 6 points now divide these two teams. Yet again the weather has intervened with the 2014 season.
Next week’s game is away against Gloucester – Wingate.
