CALNE Cricket Club have been awarded £9,551 from Awards For All -something chairman Martin Butler believes will benefit the whole club.

The Wiltshire League Division One outfit have spent the money on a new mower, which has cost £2,701 and a roller, which is £6,850, and they will both make a huge difference to the pitch at Anchor Road.

"The kids have said it is playing better and it seems strange but the demo mower we had improved the track by 100 per cent," said Butler.

"The whole club is going to feel the difference of the money because the more equipment we get the more we can improve the standard of cricket."

While the mower has been delivered, the club have to wait until November for the roller and Butler, who has been chairman for three years, says there will be no excuse for players not helping out when it arrives.

"The old mower we had been using was about 30 years old and we are due to move to Beversbrook by 2009 so we are trying to get new equipment," he said.

"The old roller took two people to start it up but the new one is just a flick of a switch."

Meanwhile, the wet weather again wiped out the majority of Saturday's cricket.

The top of the table Division One clash between leaders Potterne and second placed Box looked likely to go ahead until torrential rain 20 minutes before the start time.

Box batsman Dave Crawford said: "The weather has been awful -I can't recall a season like it. Normally most teams have about two or three games cancelled over the whole season. So far, we have had five out of 12 cancelled.

"We could have done with playing this one as we are 14 points behind Potterne, so we now are not only relying on ourselves to win every game but also for Potterne to slip up somewhere along the line. What ever happens it should be a close finish."

Division Two

BRADFORD Town travelled through torrential rain to visit Collingbourne in the hope of a game.

On arrival, the pitch was in surprisingly good condition but when captain Matthew Harrington won the toss, he had no hesitation in putting the home side in.

Kegan Smart collected a five wicket haul in his first 10 overs, bowling superbly and assisted by wicket keeper Paul Ashton who took four catches.

However, it all proved to be in vain when, at 3.20pm and with Collingbourne on a shaky 54-5 off 20 overs, the heavens opened.

Division Five

BIDDESTONE 3rds finally got back to winning ways with a victory over Calne 2nds.

Asked to bat, Calne struggled against the decent bowling attack and were dismissed for 94.

The wickets were shared between Andy Marsh (3-11), Ed Hatherall (2-33), Alan Crisford (2-23) and Ben McElhinney (2-15).

Despite the early loss of Tim Knight, Biddestone looked to be cruising to victory at 72-2 with Andy Flynn (30) and McElhinney (30) leading the reply.

However, a middle order collapse saw the hosts lose five wickets for just ten runs. But it was Sam Boor who stood firm and guided Biddestone to a three wicket win, finishing unbeaten on 20 runs.

The pick of the Calne bowlers were Lindsay Butler (2-28 off 12 overs).

Division Six

BOX 2nds lost against leaders Potterne 2nds by eight wickets.

Batting first, bottom of the table Box scored 103 all out from 35 overs with Fred Kerley grabbing a useful 5-28 from eight overs.

Potterne raced to the required total in the 18th over, losing only two wickets thanks mainly to Page's 51.

Elsewhere in the division, depleted Corsham 4ths lack of bowling alternatives were exploited by Wootton Bassett 3rds.

Batting first, Corsham reached 148-3 when the overs ran out. Runs were hard to come by due to the wet and long outfield, but the scoreboard kept ticking over with Adrian Smith (49no), Mark Hick (15no), veteran John Gale (26) and Will Wales (26) contributing.

The Bassett reply began badly when Mike Davies was superbly caught off a rising delivery from Garry Ings by Tony Shardlow standing up to the stumps.

In his third over, Martin Hick found the outside edge of Tyrie's off stump, and two overs later Garry Ings added to Bassett's woes by bowling Burdock with a superb leg-cutter.

Shardlow took another blinding catch off Ings to send Giles back to the changing rooms to leave Bassett reeling at 14-4.

This became 16-5 when Steve Tyrie was adjudged LBW to give Ings his fourth wicket.

But Anais Ali turned the match on its head and sealed the victory with a huge six hit over mid on to finish undefeated on 85. Paul Harris also contributed, ending up on 18 not out in the 36th over.