WEPL Glos/Wilts Division

Warminster 237 all out

Lechlade 293-8

LECHLADE secured a first WEPL GlosWilts title in their 128-year history with a 56-run win at Warminster on Saturday.

Lechlade batting first set their hosts a target of 294 to win with another good all-round batting performance.

Openers Sam Burdock and Paul Godding put together their third 50 partnership in the last three games to give Lechlade another firm start and the pair had taken the score to 67 when Godding was dismissed for 36 in the 18th over.

Godding was replaced by Brad Dial and he and Burdock added another 88 runs before Burdock was stumped for 71.

Dial and Joe Breet then accelerated the run rate scoring a further 76 runs off 43 balls to take the score to 231 and put Lechlade in a commanding position by the 41st over.

Breet scored his 43 off 26 balls and his innings included two huge sixes before he caught in the deep.

Dial followed in the same vein three overs later for 70 and with Oli Thornley finishing off the innings with a quick-fire 35 not out off 22 balls Lechlade closed on 293 at the end of their innings.

With Lechlade tails up Michael Craigs had Tom Weaver caught by Burdock behind the stumps for 15 in his third over.

Warminster then put together a 70-run second wicket partnership between Tom Davie (41) and Pete Hickerton (40) and this was followed by a 55-run partnership between Hickerton and Desmond Kruger (57) to take the score to 152-3 in the 33rd over.

Lechlade introduced the spin duo of Asanka Vithanage and Dial to the attack and once Dial had taken the wicket of Hickerton LBW Lechlade squeezed the trigger and the bowling pair dismissed the Warminster middle order for 73 runs with Dial taking three wickets and Vithanage two.

Luke Sellers then dismissed the Warminster tail taking the final three wickets in a blistering seven-ball spell for just one as Warminster were all out for 237 and Lechlade could begin their party.

A delighted Lechlade captain Joe Breet said: “I think it’s fair to say that we have been the best team this year and with an 85 per cent win rate in the league I don’t think anyone would say otherwise.”

Coach Sellers added: “Sam and Paul got us off to another great start and Brad, Joe and Oli built and finished it off nicely with the bat.

"We then knuckled down with the ball, Brad and Asanka setting it up nicely for me to finish it off at the end.

"It’s been an amazing last three years for the club with two promotions and a County Cup win in that time and the lads are very much looking forward to next year’s challenge in the Premier Leagues.”