Wiltshire Under 17s 387-4 bt Bedfordshire Under 17s 385-8

by six wickets (At Devizes CC)

WILTSHIRE Under 17s recorded their first championship success in three years when they comfortably beat Bed-fordshire by six wickets at Devizes CC.

Skipper James Hayward rued losing the toss on day one, as Bedfordshire steadily piled on the runs on a beautiful batting wicket in sweltering conditions.

Dean Miles bowled well for Wiltshire, taking 2-44 off 12 overs, but the seamers generally struggled and much of the work was left to the spinners.

Hayward bowled with control, taking 1-69 off a marathon 23 overs, while Under 15s captain Eddie Abel bagged 2-69 from his 24 overs.

Bedford's Zimbabwean-born D. Muzawazi scored a cultured 100 not out, leaving Wilts to chase an unlikely target of 385 off 106 overs.

They started steadily with an opening stand of 71 before Abel was well caught at short leg for 25. Chippenham's Mark Adams joined Andrew Davies of Box CC and quickly set about building a match winning partnership.

Davies batted superbly, and was well supported by a tentative Adams. Davies powered to an unbeaten century. But not content with his early work, continued to dominated the afternoon session and steadily moved towards a memorable double hundred, finishing unbeaten on 218.

Adams was eventually dismissed for a pain-staking 50, which paved the way for Hayward to score a cameo 26 which made victory a mere formality.

Coach Jon Williams, said: "This victory is another example of the significant steps we have taken as a county in the last two years.

"The Under 17s have beaten Dorset and Bedfordshire, our Under-15s defeated Wales and Herefordshire."