Poor fielding and bowling in the evening gloom cost ten man Corsham 4th dear in a close encounter at Collingbourne 2nd that saw them slump to their third defeat of the season.

With the threat of rain always present, Collingbourne Captain Tim Nichols won the toss and elected to bowl under the grey, leaden skies.

As usual, John Gale opened the innings with Thomas Shardlow, and it was the former who quickly settled in with sweetly timed boundaries off Collingbourne's opening attack of Owen Dowsett and Graham Chandler. The more dangerous swing bowling of Chandler found the edge of both bats, but all evaded fielders to see the visitor's total rise at around five runs per over.

After six overs for 29, Dowsett gave way to Nicholson, but the left arm slow bowler's radar was well off, and both batsmen helped themselves to easy runs, with Shardlow leading the way with two massive straight sixes. Meanwhile, Chandler was relieved by Captain Nicholls whose change of pace and flight gave the batsmen some trouble.

Gale's eigth boundary brought up his fourth half-century of the season, but with his personal tally on 52, he chased a wide delivery from Nicholls and sportingly walked as Rob Stamp took the faintest of edges.

Having gone for 35 in four overs, Nicholson was replaced by Rogers, and gave Adrian Smith's innings a start with a boundary, but the bowler struck back in his third over when Smith lost his off stump attempting a pull to depart for 12.

Mark Hick joined Shardlow, who was beginning to feel all his sixty years as he struggled with a thigh strain, but the pair kept the scoreboard ticking over. With the score on 148 for 2 after 32 overs, the players were forced to leave the field as the rain turned from light drizzle to light rain. Tea was taken and play resumed in all together better conditions thirty minutes later.

Owen Dowsett and Graham Chandler were brought back into the attack with a couple of overs each without making the breakthrough, as the batsmen chanced their arm towards the 200 mark. Young Archie Scott bowled four tidy overs of outswing without success, but it was Owen Dowsett, brought back to see out the remaining overs, who broke the 79 run partnership when Hick choose the wrong ball to hit and was bowled for 21.

Jacob Unwin managed three runs before being bowled by the pace of Jamie Stamp, and it was thirteen year old Adam Mitchell who partnered Shardlow to see the Corsham total well past the 200 mark with a quickfire 12 runs off Dowsett to complete the innings at 221 for 4. Shardlow remained undefeated on 89, which, if he hadn't been hampered by age and injury, would surely have been a well deserved century.

Fielding with ten men after the non-appearance of one of their players, Corsham were always going to find it hard to defend the total, particularly with the mobility of some of their older players questionable, and so it proved as Dave Gale and Graham Chandler began the Collingbourne reply. Corsham's opening attack of Paul Smith and Martin Hick failed to find the right length and line, and were picked off easily by Chandler in particular.

Adam Mitchell was brought into the attack to replace Hick, and the youngster showed his elders what was required. He was rewarded with the wicket of Gale, so often a thorn in Corsham's side, who was bowled for a solitary boundary in the host's 36 for 1. Tim Nicholls replaced him and settled in with little alarm as the total kept pace with the five runs an over target.

Corsham's elderly fielders were run ragged as their limitations were cruelly exposed by Chandler in the ever-darkening conditions, with Messrs Gale and Hick the chief culprits. Chandler powered on past the 50 mark, but after putting on 99 for the second wicket, Terry Rogers found the leading edge of Nicholls' bat and the home Captain departed for 36 with a simple catch to Adrian Smith running in from square leg.

Jamie Stamp scored three runs before being bowled by Rogers, and when Josh Bewley bowled Brian Rogers without scoring, Corsham's dismal evening brightened considerably. Adam Mitchell added to his vital contributions with the bat and ball with a smart pick up and direct hit at one stump to run out Wallbridge for one to leave Collingbourne on 171 for 5.

With the run rate required now climbing to six an over, there was still some hope that the visitors might pull off an unlikely win, but with Chandler bringing up his century and regularly finding the gaps to keep them on target, the possibility seemed less and less likely.

Adam Mitchell was brought back with the hope that he might stem the tide, but two straight boundaries by the experienced Rob Stamp proved decisive, and with ten balls remaining he took his side to victory by five wickets and a well deserved victory.

Collingbourne 2nds 19 points, Corsham 4ths 8 points.