Sweetfuels CDCA Div Two

Fairford 151-7; Ashton Keynes 147 all out

FAIRFORD seconds beat Ashton Keynes by three wickets on Saturday in a closely-fought match which went down to the wire.

Jack Grierson and Colin Denness eventually saw Fairford to a win which moved them off the bottom of CDCA Division Two.

They were able to capitalise on the sterling efforts with the ball earlier in the day from David Taylor and Olly Holland.

Asked to bat first, the visitors lost cheap early wickets to Taylor's nagging accuracy and swing before captain Tom Waller set about giving his bowlers some sort of a total to defend.

Waller made a well-judged 50 before falling to a sharp slip catch off the impressive Holland, who deserved even better figures than his 3-33.

Despite feeling under the weather, Taylor managed to complete his ten overs to take 5-47. Numbers nine and ten, Chris Yates (18) and T. Finnie (21*), added useful runs before Denness took the final wicket in the last over of the innings. Ashton Keynes were all out for 147.

Fairford's top order struggled to get their reply going, particularly against opening bowler, Mike Grier, who bowled his ten overs straight through to take 3-11. The visitors were on top before Grierson and Denness came together and managed to swing the momentum back the other way. Their partnership proved crucial.

Grierson played a range of fine shots before falling to an excellent catch on the boundary for 46 with victory in sight. Denness steered the team over the line with an invaluable 26* and a little help from Taylor (8*), who struck the winning boundary to take Fairford to 151-7 with an over to spare.