Wiltshire League Div Two

Potterne II 121-2 off 25 overs

Swindon United Churches 168-7

Game awarded to Potterne

SWINDON United Churches went down to a rain-affected eight-wicket defeat at Potterne IIs on Saturday as the hosts proved too strong for the Sevenhampton-based side.

Following a delayed start due to rain, captain Richard Martin lost the toss and Churches were asked to bat first on a surprisingly firm wicket for the end of April. Opening batsman Jimmy Mann (31 from 32 balls) took 17 runs from the opening over of the innings as Milan Perera (3-34) struggled to land the ball on the strip.

A steady 37-1 quickly became 37-4 once Perera found his groove, with Chris Gilchrist and Liam Brooks both bagging golden ducks.

This left a rebuilding job for Churches’ number three batsman Danny Hunt (73*) and captain Richard Martin (33*) who joined him at the crease on 79-7.

In contrasting styles, Hunt and Martin hit and scurried their way to an excellent unbroken partnership of 89 to see the Churches up to a final score of 168-7 from 45 overs.

The Churches opening bowlers of Chris Spackman and Martin found it tough going against the accomplished Andrew Woodward (63*) and Jack Hurley opening for Potterne IIs.

Woodward played well but Churches will rue several dropped catches at mid-off throughout his innings. At one stage Potterne were 72-2 when Chris Gilchrist accounted for Jordi Rose but further inroads couldn’t be made in what was now persistent drizzle.

When the game was eventually abandoned by the umpires at 121-2 from 25 overs, Potterne were well past the score of 94 required from 25 overs to win the rain-affected game by eight wickets.