LECHLADE slipped back into the relegation places in Premier One after they suffered a six-wicket home defeat to leaders Bath.

After losing the toss at the Manor Ground, Freddie Martin’s side were asked to bat first on a damp wicket.

Bath, who now hold a 32-point at the summit, quickly made inroads into the Lechlade batting line-up, with Harvey Jupp (4), Tom Young (0) and Brad Dial (5) all back in the pavilion as the hosts were restricted to 32-3 after 10 overs.

The middle order set about repairing the damage but were finding it hard work against a very disciplined Bath attack.

Ryan Higgins eventually went caught behind for 35 but Joe Breet was finding some form until falling leg before to Tom Hankins for 36.

The tight bowling continued but Benny Ellis (31) and Martin (32) got the score up to 142 and the tail managed to salvage a third batting point off the final ball of the innings as they closed on 176-9.

Liam Smith and Chris Harwood, bowling his best spell of the season (10-3-21-1), did not make life easy for the Bath openers but it was left to Jupp to make the first breakthrough, bowling Somerset’s Tim Rouse (19).

Harwood followed up by quickly bowling opener Luke Padgett for 13 to leave Bath 39-2, giving Lechlade a glimmer of hope.

However, Bath skipper Greg Hay and the experienced Hankins put together a run-a-ball third wicket partnership of 68 to effectively put the game beyond the home side. Although Martin had Hankins (40) caught by Harwood and Young had Mount well caught by young sub fielder Daniel Pearce, Hay’s unbeaten 59 saw Bath to 163-4 when the rain inevitably came, with them well ahead on Duckworth/Lewis.

“The team that won the toss were always going to win,” said opener Higgins. “But we felt that we had a chance to win as Bath were missing a few of their better players.

“Unfortunately, the result means that we are back in the bottom two.

“We haven’t won back-to-back games yet this season. We fall into the bottom two, win and get out and then lose and slip back in.

“We have got five fixtures left to try and stay up.”