Minchinhampton 1st XI visited Marling School to play Painswick 3rds and embarked on a huge victory in perfect cricket conditions.

Winning the toss stand in captain Alex Waring rightly chose to bat on a hard track in hot and humid conditions. Waring opened with Pat Garschagen and 24 runs came off the first 3 overs. But Waring (12) fell caught in the slips off the bowling of Evans and Ross Brtton despite 13 quick runs also fell to Evans in the deep. Pat Garschagen was putting anything lose to the boundary, but Simon Penn was in particularly destructive mood alongside him. The run rate was at a constant high and the 2 batsmen passed 50 with ease. As the bowling got a bit wayward, Garschagen and Penn capitalised. Penn finally fell for a brilliant 75, including 3 sixes. Garschagen marched on, reaching his maiden club hundred but fell for a very fine 116 including 7 sixes. But Minch were not done and Dave Gordon (27) and debut man James Priest (39) continued to smash balls to all parts and keep the huge run rate up. Josh Taylor added 17 at the end as Minch reached a huge 328 for 7, the biggest Minch score for many years and a huge 8 an over run rate kept up throughout. Painswicks bowlers toiled in the heat, Evans 3 for 59 and Andrews 2 for 46 the pick of the bowling.

In reply Minch opened up with the pace attack of Josh Taylor and Fred Gardener. The experienced Painswick openers of Wise and Giles resisted all efforts from the 2 young Minch openers to get their wickets, but a vintage full toss from Gardener led to the dismissal of Wise (19) caught by Will Price in the covers. A sharp run out by Taylor removed Andrews for 12 as Minch applied the pressure. Jaime Waring entered the attack and removed Fenwick for 4 with a trademark slower ball. But Giles and Dyke dug in and Minch found it difficult to make a breakthrough. James Priest worked hard from the top end, often beating the bat with good pace. He removed Giles caught by a sharp catch from Dave Gordon, but it was tough toil for the Minch bowlers as Painswick batted resolutely. Skipper Alex Waring felt the need to take the pace off the ball and brought himself into the attack with some off breaks. It proved an inspired move, as a well set field and some well flighted deliveries were too tempting for the Painswick batsmen and he accounted for 4 wickets in a 3 over spell. Priest got his just rewards as a deadly Yorker was too much for the tail end as Painswick finished on 119 all out. Priest finished with 3 for 24 from his 9 overs, Alex Waring 4 for 11 from his 3. A 209 run victory for Minch which cements their position at the top of the Stroud Premier league