CANON Frome visited their old rivals Garnons in this Marches Division One match and elected to field, bowling very tightly at the start with only 17 runs coming from the first 12 overs.

GARNONS 1ST XI v CANON FROME 1ST XI

Jon Williams took the first wicket with Nick Fox showing him how to catch the ball. Chris Styles then bowled Smithson as Garnons looked to up the pace when opener Dave Brown was stumped by Rhod Mence off Williams' bowing. Garnons had reached 104 for 3 from 31 overs. Andy rogers re-entered the attack removing Alan Jones and Stuart Griffiths in the same over.

With the score now 107 for 5 and only 13 overs remaining Frome looked to have things under control. They had, however, reckoned without Rob Pritchard and Andy Brace who blasted 138 runs together with Pritchard ending three runs short of a century against a wilting Frome attack.

A winning total of 246 runs was always going to be difficult to reach and with the Mence brothers back in the pavilion by the 11th over, 21 for 2 made the target seem immense. Jon Williams then entered the fray but having reached 23 became far too aggressive for his own good and holed out on the boundary.

A procession of batsmen soon followed, the bruised Neil Andrews for nothing, Roger Helme for one, and Andy Rogers also for one. Nick Fox lasted three balls including a rare straight defensive shot and Toby Blandford made three before his stumps were disturbed as Frome reached a poor 73 for 8.

Chris Styles having opened the innings was joined by the youngest man in the team James Hughes who listened to the advice of his slightly senior partner and the second highest partnership of the innings followed as Frome reached three figures.

Styles fell one run short of his half century and Darren Meredith despite the first six of his League career was last man out for 13 as Frome ended 130 runs short of their opponents.