Bank House Glos CCL Div One

Cirencester 177-5; Westbury-on-Severn 113 all out

CIRENCESTER were convincing 64-run winners in the battle of the top two unbeaten sides in Division One of the county league on Saturday.

Having decided to bat first Cirencester suffered a significant early blow when the in-form Will Mason chipped a return catch to Hargreaves.

Hindered by a slow pitch and some tight ground fielding Ben Moody (30) and Gareth Williams (21) combined in a second-wicket partnership of 48.

While the scoring rate was fairly slow it did at least provide a reasonable platform.

A flurry of wickets then saw the home side reduced to 74-4 in the 27th over before another mature and assured performance by Andy Reynolds (27), assisted by Alex Binnie, steadied the ship.

With seven overs remaining Reynolds was dismissed with the total on 114 and Tom Fullalove came to the crease with the side hoping for one of his trademark late-over assaults.

That is exactly what transpired. Playing with a fluency that no one else managed Fullaove muscled the ball to the boundary starting with a demolition of Artus, whose seventh over was dispatched for 25.

His energy also invigorated Binnie who also started to find the fence and the pair finished the innings by adding 63 off the final seven overs allowing the home side to finish on 177-5.

With Westbury fielding the league’s leading batsman in John Tegg the total was definitely within reach.

However, Billy Breen returned both Hargreaves and Down to the pavillion in a fiery opening spell.

At the other end, though, Tegg looked assured.

The introduction of Jock Jamieson-Black and Andy Cox into the attack started to strangle the visitors’ response.

Gayther perished trying to bludgeon his way out of trouble while Dunn and Hockaday fell more meekly as they proved unable to break the shackles. Tegg batted on, providing the menacing prospect of taking the game away from the home side. However, when Jamieson-Black returned for his second spell in the 31st over a brilliant delivery beat Tegg’s defence and clipped his leg stump when he was on 62.

Five wickets tumbled in the following five overs as Westbury collapsed from 97-6 to 113 all out. Not for the first time this season Jamieson-Black proved the bowling hero as he returned astonishing figures of 5-6.