BRILLIANT bowling spells from Benny Ellis and Tom Barnes helped Lechlade to a narrow victory over Downed, in a rain affected match at the Manor Ground on Saturday.

Home skipper Freddie Martin lost the toss for the twelfth time this season but was probably not too disappointed to be asked to bat first.

The pitch and muggy overhead conditions gave some help to the bowlers as they searched for swing and seam movement.

Joe Breet opened the innings which encouraged a more measured approach, particularly when he lost Ryan Higgins (10) and Brad Dial (3) within five overs.

James Palmer (16) offered Breet (34) good support in spite of some excellent bowling from Gloucestershire’s Ollie Curril and Oliver Reynolds-Pringle.

As the rain arrived at 1.30 the pair had taken Lechlade to 57-2. When play resumed two hours later the game had been reduced to 37 overs.

Lechlade needed to push on to set a total but within 13 further overs the innings was in tatters at 92-7.

Chris Harwood, again having to play only as a batsman, joined Ellis and they had no option but to take the attack to Downend.

Harwood lost Ellis (24) after five overs but not before the pair had added 42 in 20 minutes.

Harwood launched one ball over the Faringdon Road and had reached 43 in the final over when he was bowled by Callum Gregory, leaving Lechlade 159 all out and a revised DLS target for Downend of 164 in their 37 overs.

With Liam Smith missing for family reasons and Harwood unable to bowl, Martin opened with spin in the form of Ellis.

With his fifth ball he had Patrick Griesharber clean bowled and the very next ball trapped Nathan Roberts in front.

Breet bowled seven tight overs at the other end for only 20 runs but it was Ellis who did the damage removing two more Gloucester 2nd XI players in Lezar and Gilmour in a fine spell of 8-1-30-4.

When Barnes came into the attack to replace Ellis, Gloucestershire’s Ian Cockbain, who had led the County to a 20-20 victory the previous evening, was well set but in his first over Barnes enticed him to play at a swinging wide ball and was well caught behind by Dial.

Barnes followed this up with wickets in his second and third overs to leave Downend on 74-7 after 21 overs.

Matt and Phil Jackson (30no) dug in and put on 31 in seven overs before Barnes (8-0-34-5) returned at the other end to have Matt Jackson (16) clean bowled and Curril LBW the following ball.

At 105 -9 with only nine overs left the game looked over but the last pair managed to take Downend to within nine of victory going into the last over however Tom Young had Gregory caught at deep point by Martin to take Lechlade out of the relegation zone.

A fine all round performance over a strong Downend side sets Lechlade up for the tough run in.

l Unfortunately Lechlade 2nd XI could not match the brilliance of the 1st XI, going down by a colossal 172 runs away at Cheltenham Civil Service.

Nigel Vas scored 50 in reply to the hosts score of 297-6 but Lechlade were bundled out for just 125.