DAN Wiseman starred with bat and ball as Goatacre 2nds beat Cheltenham by 34 runs in a rain-reduced clash at the Victoria Ground in Premier Two 2nd XI Division.

Having been inserted into bat after losing the toss, Goatacre’s top order put up stiff resistance in difficult conditions. Andy Sandell made 16 before being dismissed by Jonathan Bush, while Mark Hunt, Chris Chapman and Alan Griffin all contributed without passing 40.

Once Owen Morris removed all three, however, the Goatacre innings began to stutter. Matthew Holmes caught by wicketkeeper Martin Collier for five, Matthew Wilkins could only add two and Stephen Baker made six as the visitors limped to 155-8.

Wiseman restored the visitors’ momentum going into tea, smashing four sixes in his flashbang knock of 44 from 25 balls before he was the last man out, run out by Collier.

In reply, a solid innings from James Waters seemed to be setting Cheltenham up nicely, with the hosts poised at 65-1 before a flurry of wickets sent the home side tumbling to 107-5. When Waters went for a considered 51 from 80 balls, which featured nine boundaries, Cheltenham couldn’t find a batsman to anchor the innings.

Wiseman ended with figures of 4-26 from eight overs, dismissing Waters, Johnny Bryan, Ben Ashmore and Morris, as the hosts crumbled to 163 all out a ball shy of the end of the 35th over.

In the Wiltshire Division, Nationwide House’s second string edged out Winsley by 15 runs.

Bowling first after winning the toss, Winsley were made to wait for the breakthrough as Vikas Sidhu and Matthew Hyde put together 71 for the first wicket for Nationwide.

Once Sidhu was dismissed, however, wickets began to fall at regular intervals, with only Hyde’s dogged 53 providing any real resistance until Edward Olley came to the crease at number seven and proceeded to blast an unbeaten 40 from 29 balls, including three fours and three sixes, to help the hosts reach 209-7 from a rain-reduced 35 overs.

The considerable target looked completely out of range early on in the Winsley reply, as Neil Gliddon, Rupert Evans and Andrew Cross all fell cheaply.

However, good knocks from Ged Roddy (45) and Miles Lloyd (49) dragged the visitors back into the game, only for veteran medium pacer Steve Lewis to seal victory for Nationwide by mopping up the tail with figures of 3-28 in seven overs, as Winsley were bowled out for 194.

Elsewhere in the division, Lechlade’s clash with Great Bedwyn and Purton’s trip to Burbage & Easton Royal were both cancelled due to the inclement weather.

The same fate befell Swindon’s home meeting with Taunton St Andrews in Premier One 2nd XI.