A FIVE-WICKET haul from Calne youngster Courtney Earl helped Wiltshire's under 13 side to a comprehensive win over Gwent at Warminster on Thursday.

Earl, who along with captain James Vince is a member of the West of England squad for the age group, recorded an impressive 5-19 as Wiltshire won by 61 runs.

Manager Trevor Pittman was delighted with his team's performance in their first league game of the season and believes they could prove to be among the county's best ever under 13 sides.

Wiltshire batted first and reached 222-5 from their 40 overs. Robert Pittman (South Wilts) top scored with 84 with good support from Westbury pair Richard Mills (62 not out) and Mehdi Ibrahim (35).

Gwent never looked like reaching Wiltshire's total and finished up on 161 all out. Earl's excellent display with the ball was backed up by 2-20 from Biddestone's Andrew Lawton.

With two players in the 14-man West of England squad and another, Robert Pittman, reaching the final 30, Trevor Pittman is optimistic for the season ahead.

He said: "It was a good, comfortable win against a team we hadn't beaten in two years so hopefully we are making progress.

"We have always been known as the laughing stock in the west. To have two players in the West of England squad is almost unheard of from a Wiltshire point of view.

"We get them from most areas of the county and hopefully we are not missing anything. We only have 20 boys to pick from who are of a good enough standard, but some of the other teams pick from around 200."

The previous weekend Wiltshire under 13s lost a friendly to Hampshire by seven wickets, but Pittman says that did not dent his team's confidence."

Wiltshire's biggest test will come on Thursday when they take on Wales at Port Talbot in the first round of the national under 13s competition.