Dorset & Wilts Div 2 North.

Cricklade 31 Westbury II 0.

SATURDAY'S fixture against bottom-of-the-table Westbury began as the form book suggested with Cricklade's Callum Watkins, Nathan Waite and Mike Murray all helping themselves to points.

Whether the home side then eased back or Westbury got some measure of them was not clear, but the expansive action became more limited as the forwards competed and kept the ball tight.

It was some time before a good spell of driving, rucking and recycling by Cricklade eventually created a space for prop Wayne Anderson to muscle through.

He then surprisingly outpaced the chasers as he charged 30 metres to score between the posts.

Waite popped the easy kick over to make his conversion tally three out of four in the opening half as Cricklade led 26-0 at the break.

The second half began with Westbury in bullish form and they threatened Cricklade's line on a number of occasions, but the home side's defensive line was more than a match for them and put on an excellent display of driving, rucking, running and handling. Only the final pass was missing.

Late on, Cricklade mounted a fluent attack and it was an unchallenged Nick Bond who benefited when he secured the final pass wide on the right.

This was Cricklade's first clean-sheet win of the season and the pack is to be congratulated again for sticking together and keeping Westbury out.

The visitors were determined to get something on the board, but individual performances throughout the Cricklade forwards made sure it didn't happen.