CRICKLADE consolidated their second slot in the table behind Marlborough with a businesslike victory.

Dorset & Wilts Div Two North

Bath Saracens 17

Cricklade 43

Rhys Mills opened the scoring to add to his impressive tally for the season and then kicked the conversion. From the restart Cricklade kept possession resulting in Craig Gardiner jinking his way over.

Saracens got on the scoresheet when the wind stopped a good clearance reaching touch. Their wing snapped it up and raced down the line, passing despairing tackles to touch down.

From the restart Cricklade robbed the receiver and stormed the home team's line where skipper Waite was on hand to finish it off.

Cricklade were murdering the Saracens scrum and the line-out was mostly sound, but some of the handling was out of the top drawer and as half-time approached they added two more tries from Dan Bown and Mitch Bryan. Mills got the final kick over to finish with two from five. Half-time score: 5-29.

For quite a long period in the second half the sides cancelled each other out, and Cricklade’s dominance was less pronounced – surprisingly they lost a number of scrums against the head.

Cricklade’s defence, however, was determined and after losing the ball they invariably won it back. From one such situation Bown lit the afterburners on the touchline and covered much of the field before offloading to Nick Bond for a fine try; Mills made the successful conversion.

Having opened Saracens up once Cricklade did it again through Stuart Johnston, who showed great strength and determination to get over the line and get the ball down; Mills again secured the extras.

With a 38-point lead Cricklade took their foot off the gas and let Saracens back into the game. With only minutes left the win was in the bag for Cricklade, but the home side's never-give-in attitude produced two tries that lifted their spirits before the final whistle.