Wiltshire CCL Div Two

Swindon NALGO 180 all out; Swindon United Churches 119 all out

SWINDON NALGO came out on top by 61 runs in a competitive match against Swindon United Churches on Sunday.

Only a handful of batsmen from both sides got to grips with a seamer-friendly wicket.

NALGO won the toss and had no hesitation in choosing to bat first but Chris Spackman (6-58) and Richard Martin (2-23) soon had the hosts in trouble at 31-3 after eight overs.

Mudasser Rafiq (64) and Imran Dastagir (50) counter-attacked beautifully though, moving the score on to 119 before Danny Hunt removed Dastagir.

Ravi Dhayalan didn’t have much luck with the ball but he removed Rafiq with a direct-hit run out - a sensational throw from the deep square leg boundary. A cluster of wickets followed as Spackman mopped up the tail-enders, NALGO eventually posting 180 all out from 39.3 overs.

Like their hosts before them, Churches also found themselves in early strife at 19-3 as Mann (2), Coatsworth (0) and Gilchrist (6) could muster only eight runs between them.

Hunt (25 from 57 balls) and Liam Brooks (46 from 76) set about repairing the damage with a dogged partnership of 56 from 15.2 overs. When the fourth wicket fell with the score on 75, Churches still had an outside chance of victory but the accurate S Khan tipped the balance NALGO’s way with 3-27 from eight overs.

Brooks, in particular, batted nicely but he received little support from anyone other than Ravi Dhayalan. The last four Churches wickets fell for just two runs as the innings succumbed to 119 all out from 33.4 overs. Rubel returned to grab three late wickets to finish on 4-26.

Churches have one Wiltshire League game remaining in the 2015 season, home to Swindon thirds on Saturday.

Captain Richard Martin will be hoping to sign off with a win to secure third place in the division and a place in the restructured Wiltshire League Division Two in 2016.