NATIONWIDE HOUSE travelled through thunderstorms to Great Bedwyn hoping to kick-start their West of England Wiltshire Division season.

With the match having been reduced to 43 overs per side NHCC skipper Mark Flay finally won a toss for the season and invited Bedwyn to bat.

Early wickets for Mark Morris gave NHCC some hope of bowling Bedwyn out for a low score, but the state of the game changed when the talented Rob Palmer gifted a relatively simple chance to midwicket off the bowling of Morris, but the catch was dropped and an unforgiving Palmer never looked back.

He made full use of the small boundaries, clearing them regularly as he hit 142.

No other batsman made more than 29 for Great Bedwyn and NHCC were left rueing what might have been as the innings closed on 261-8, Joe Perkins taking 4-48 in 10 and Mark Morris 3-51 in 12.

Nationwide were going to have to fight to make a challenging total in the conditions, and it was Palmer who made the difference again, picking up 6-36 to leave Nationwide reeling on 40-8.

Only one of the top seven batsmen made double figures leaving Mark Tuton, promoted after performing well for the 2nds, to bat with the tail.

A solid innings from Tuton (27 from 86 deliveries) and Mark Morris, (34 from 32), showed the top order how to play and saw the total rise to restore some pride.

Having seen off the opening bowlers and with the total over 100 Morris fell and was followed by Tuton, leaving Perkins unbeaten on 12 as House ost by 131 runs.

  • NATIONWIDE 2nd had Bedwyn 2nd at 60-9 before a valiant last wicket partnership saw the total to 117, Reivers taking 4-29. But rain intervened and the match was abandoned in the first over of the NHCC reply.