NAEEM Khan’s 350th first-team league wicket was not enough to inspire Biddestone to victory as they were beaten by three runs at Gloucester City Winget.

Khan brought up the landmark when he removed Gloucester opener Sizwe Masondo for 20, although it was the introduction of overseas star George Linde that really did the damage as he returned remarkable figures of 5-4 off 10 overs to restrict the hosts to 176-9.

In reply, Chris Baker tried to ensure Biddestone got off to a good start with a knock of 45 but wickets continued to tumble at the other end.

The tail inched towards the target and the last-wicket pair of Khan and Harry Beazer got the score to 173 before the latter was bowled to leave Biddestone agonisingly short of victory.

Elsewhere, Goatacre climbed to third in the table with a 16-run success at bottom side Thornbury.

An 111-run second-wicket stand between Kevin Iles (60) and captain Ed Wilkins (56) set the tone for the Goats, although the efforts of Joshua Morris (5-45) kept the final total down to 228.

Dan Wiseman led the charge for early wickets for Goatacre as Thornbury’s reply slipped to 45-4.

Thorns skipper Richard Trotman led the response with a stubborn 85 but he could not find anyone to stick with him for long enough and was the last man to fall with his side on 212. Jack Haines finished with the Goats’ best bowling figures on 3-43.

Captain Wilkins said: “I thought we played quite well and were pretty comfortable throughout. They got a bit closer than we would have liked in the end but at the end of the game, we were just happy to come out with a win.

“We were happy with 230 at tea but at one stage, we were about 130-1, so we were thinking we could have got towards 260 or 270.

“After tea, we took quick wickets and Dan Wiseman did really well. I think that was his first time opening the bowling for the first team.

“We dropped their captain second ball and he went on to score 85, so if we’d taken that, I think the result would have been much more straightforward.”

Chippenham’s run-chase at home to Warminster came up short as they fell to a 10-run defeat.

Opener Mark Coxon-Tenty made 78 as the visitors totalled 245, with Chippenham’s Brad Dawson taking 3-28.

Owen Alsop (81) and Oliver Jones (53) led the reply for the home side but they were still short of the target once their 50 overs were up, finishing on 235-7.

Burbage & Easton Royal made a decent fist of defending a meagre total of 115 but were eventually beaten by four wickets at home to Rockhampton.

Last man James Lavis top-scored for the home side with 25, sharing a stand of 30 for the last wicket with Oliver Lavis – the highest in the Burbage innings.

An unlikely comeback looked on when Rockhampton stuttered to 5-2 in reply but although wickets continued to fall, the visitors got over the line on 116-6 with 13 overs to spare.