SKIPPER Andy Staff lauded Swindon’s brutal display with the bat as his side romped to a landslide 113-run success away at Great Bedwyn.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Swindon made light of tough conditions and racked up an impressive total of 278-8 off their 50 overs – a score that exceeded Staff’s expectations.

With the damage already done, Swindon just needed to keep their heads in the field and the bowlers duly responded as the Bedwyn reply was curtailed for 165 in the 41st over.

“I think 270-odd was quite a few too many runs to concede, to be honest,” said Staff.

“The wicket was not great and we would have been happy with a score of around 200 but they didn’t bowl particularly well, whereas we did bat really well.

“We were pretty confident with those runs on the board that the win would come and once we had the ball, it was about being patient and waiting for mistakes.

“The batsmen getting so many runs certainly made things easier when we were in the field and we didn’t have to try to force anything.

“We just had to bowl nice and tidily and the wickets would eventually come, which is what happened.”

Marc Williamson followed up his century in the win over Devizes seven days earlier by top scoring for Swindon again with 65, while Wahab Khalid made 63 not out and shared a crucial middle order partnership of 123 alongside Liam Tucker (43).

Khalid was also to the fore with the ball as he, Doug Baartman, Cameron Baden and Jon Sore all took two wickets apiece to cut short Bedwyn’s run chase.

Staff added: “Wahab and Liam batted really well together at six and seven and that was a really important partnership for us.

“Wahab has been at the club a couple of years. He started the season in the seconds but he has scored runs and taken wickets for them and he’s deserved his chance to move up.

“We told him he has got five or six weeks in the firsts so he doesn’t need to panic about trying to play well and he has really taken his chance this weekend.

“We have brought a few players up from the seconds into the firsts this season as they have been playing well.”