Baker at the double as Calne edge a thriller (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Baker at the double as Calne edge a thriller

CALNE kicked off their Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North campaign with an edge-of-the-seat 33-31 victory over Bradford on Avon.

Bradford, relegated from Southern Counties South, lost a player to the sin bin for a high tackle and it was Calne who opened the scoring when, after good work from full-back James Gladding and skipper and scrum-half Andy Donegan, winger John Hope-Smith broke through.

Donegan converted but Calne then went to sleep and that saw Bradford dart in for three tries, two of which were converted for a 19-7 lead

Fly-half Lewis Baker then cut the deficit with a try for Calne before the break.

Bradford added a fourth try early in the second half, but flanker Daron Thomas next crossed for Calne in this see-saw encounter.

Calne kept up the pressure and scored twice more, the first from Baker and the second, an interception effort, from Neil Young, both converted by Donegan.

Bradford responded with a try in the 85th minute, but it was not enough and Calne eventually held out for a thrilling victory.