WILTSHIRE LEAGUE CRICKET: Race for the title goes on

With only one game remaining, Urchfont lead Royal Wootton Bassett by two points after both sides claimed a maximum 25 points last weekend.

Second-placed Bassett travelled to Bradford on Avon and quickly dismissed their hosts for 47 runs, with Akash Sharma the pick of the attack with 4-13.

Darren Beasant’s side required 61 balls to claim a 10-wicket success, with Sam Lawro (28*) and the skipper guiding them home.

However, the league leaders were also in fine form as they ripped out Box in 21 overs for just 24 runs, with Urchfont seamer Morlon Simon picking 4-4 from fours overs.

The hosts then required just 14 balls to secure their 10-wicket win, with Ed Munro (14*) and David Bromley (11*) in brutal form.

Meanwhile, Beanacre and Melksham opened up a 20-point gap between themselves bottom club Swindon Civil Service after beating them by 105 runs.

Joe Veacock’s 40 helped the hosts to 187 all out before Beanacre skittled Civil Service for 82 with Courtney Earl taking 6-21 from his 12 overs.

Jon Perkins took his wicket tally to 51 for the season as Nationwide House defeated Beckington by four wickets.

The Nationwide House bowler picked up 3-37 as the visitors were dismissed for 139 with Mark Flay taking 4-29.

Stuart Archer’s unbeaten 32 and Flay’s 26 not out steered Nationwide to victory after they were reduced to 87-6.

Hinton Charterhouse were handed an unlikely victory at Lacock due to heavy rain.

The hosts had posted a useful 226-8 from their 45 overs thanks to a 145-run stand betweeen Steve Copland (90) and Philip Steans (5), while Mike Abington was the pick of the Hinton attack claimed 4-35.

With 25 overs of the reply needed to be completed to constitute a game, the rain forced the teams off after 24.4 overs.

However, Hinton, despite being eight wickets down and trailing by 80 runs, were well ahead on the run-rate.

The visitors’ skipper John Newport offered Lacock the chance to accept an abandonment,which would have meant both sides claimed eight points, but the hosts wanted to take the 10 points they earned from their innings.

The teams returned for the final two deliveries and Hinton closed on 146-8 and a two-wicket win thanks to Joe Jacob (35) and Eliot Taylor (23) getting them above the run-rate, while Adam Mitchell took 6-68, despite bowling 17 wides and seven no balls.

Division Two

Swindon United Churches ended their season with a 57-run win against Swindon A at Sevenhampton.

Churches captain Richard Martin chose to bat first ,with opening batsman Jimmy Mann (81) leading the way whilst Matt Runkel (0), Danny Hunt (3) and Gilchrist (14) all falling cheaply.

From 102-3, Churches slumped to 120-7, with Cameron Baden taking 5-32.

The hosts were in need of a late boost and this was provided by Debashis Saha as he blasted 42 from 33, - his highest score of the season - which included four fours and three sixes, as Churches were eventually dismissed for 173.

Churches made quick inroads into the Swindon reply as Martin (2-11) and Chris Spackman (3-53) helped reduce the visitors to 35-4.

A spirited knock of 36 from Jason McGinley helped Swindon recover slightly but Churched returned Danny Hunt (2-13) and Chris Gilchrist (2-18) to the attack and the County Ground side were bowled out for 116 in the 33rd over.

Division Three

Beehive claimed the title with a 128-run success over Wilcot.

The visitors put Beehive into bat after winning the toss and quickly dismissed Mike Reeves, who chopped on to his own stumps for a duck to leave the hosts 9-1 after two overs.

However, a 166-run partnership between Neil Harber and Mike Spong (64) put pressure on the Wilcot attack.

Harber went on to score his first century of the season but fell the very next ball after after being trapped lbw to leave Beehive 183-3.

Grant Savides (32) and James Hall (34) added to the score as the hosts closed on 272-7.

The Wilcot opening batsman saw off the Beehive strike bowlers Steve Taylor and Jayke Hudd, but Gary Collins came into the attack and made an immediate impact before striking again soon after to leave the visitors 46-2.

James Taylor then took his tally for the season to 37 with four wickets, while Pete Andrews claimed three wickets as Wilcot were dismissed for 144 to hand Beehive the title.

Elsewhere in the division, Biddestone 3rd recorded a 108-run success over Corsham 3rd.

After being bowled out for 217, with Graham Horn and Josh Boulton hitting half-centuries, Biddestone then bowled Corsham out for 109.

Division Six

Beehive 2nd secured their place in the division with a 10-wicket victory over Malrborough 3rd.

The visitors won the the toss and put Marlborough in and the decision paid off as Rich Hudd claimed 3-12 while James Dennison (1-47) also claimed an early wicket.

Jonny Andrews (3-12) and Adrian Day (2-10) also got in on the act as Marlborough were dismissed for 94 in the 28th over.

Nigel Reeves (31*) and Ash Rendell (57*) steered Beehive home in 20 overs.

Division Seven

Westbury 3rd continued their recent impressive form with a convincing 143-run victory at home against Goatacre 4th.

After being asked to bat first, Westbury reached 90-2 after 30 overs. Runs came quickly in the last third of the innings and an 81-run fourth wicket partnership in 10 overs between Phil Mead (95*) and Matt Callaway (26) took Westbury to 238-4 off their allotted 45 overs.

In reply, two early wickets for Nick Heron set the tone for Goatacre’s reply, before his brother, Will, who was making his Westbury debut, ran through the middle order, taking 5-22 in 6.3 overs. Rich Rees took the remaining wickets as the rain threatened to deprive Westbury of victory and Goatacre were dismissed for 95.

Biddestone 4th were unable to topple league-leaders Highworth.

Batting first, they posted 140-9, however, the table-toppers claimed a three wicket win after reaching 142-7.