The title race will go to the wire this season, predicts Iles
Leigh Iles believes the Bristol & Somerset title will be decided on the last weekend of the season.
Iles, skipper of third-placed Brislington, takes his team to strugglers Winterbourne tomorrow before they finish their campaign at home to Lansdown.
But it is tight at the top of the division. Leaders Ashcott & Shapwick are on 15.75 average points, second placed Clevedon on 15.73 – they meet tomorrow in Bridgwater – Brislington on 15 and fourth-placed Midsomer Norton on 14.62.
"This season is going to the wire," reflected Iles. "It's very close between the top two and they face each other this weekend.
"It all depends on what happens between Clevedon and Ashcott. We are taking it one game at a time because if we lose a match we are out of it."
Brislington, despite being boosted by the signings of batsmen Craig Stock and Alex Tryfanos, from Bedminster, mid-season, have been left to rue their misfortune this season.
Matches against Clevedon and Ashcott have been abandoned, while they have fallen to shock defeats against Stapleton and Lansdown.
"We should have wrapped it up. We had a few silly games we lost. We chucked it away," added Iles.
Meanwhile, leaders Chipping Sodbury are yet to put the champagne on ice in Bristol & North Somerset.
The South Gloucestershire-based outfit have two matches remaining – against third-placed Old Bristolians Westbury in Failand tomorrow before hosting second-placed Congresbury in eight days' time.
Sodbury (15.15), who are in only their second year in the division, have less than an average point advantage over Congresbury (14.31) while Bristolians are on 14.25. Chairman Andy Shield said: "We still have to play second and third. As I said earlier this season we are taking it each game as it comes but this will go to the wire.
"We are not there yet. We still have two tough games left and we are keeping our feet on the ground.
"If it (winning the title) happens on August 29 then I am sure we will have a party at Chipping Sodbury – but we have organised nothing like that yet."
Since the end of May, Sodbury had claimed eight wins on the trot before they were beaten by Bishopston.
Bish claimed a 74-run victory thanks to former Knowle opener Mark Coombes cracking 74 from 112 balls.
It was one of the few times a batsmen got the better of the club's four pronged bowling attack of Jamie Wakefield, Jon Toghill, Richard Wood and Jamie Rendell.
However, Bish only made 181-8 with tailender Ben Mason (19 not out) the next top scorer.
Shield reckons Sodbury's third defeat of the summer came at the right time and added: "Maybe that was a wake-up call.
"Bish outplayed us and deserved the win. Fair play to them."







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