WILTSHIRE CRICKET LEAGUE: Tight at the top as Bassett fall

The result, coupled with a five-wicket win for Urchfont at home to Beckington, sees the two sides level on points at the top of the standings.

Bassett were always up against it at Charterhouse as they were punished by some brutal home batting.

Captain Tim Simmons smashed his way to a brilliant century, scoring an unbeaten 129, and Chris Antrobus chipped in with 49* as the home side posted 281-3.

That was always going to be a huge challenge for Bassett to take and although Charan Chalal led the way with 55, they still only had 250 on the board by the time the last wicket fell.

Peter Borton and Liam Taylor took three wickets apiece for Charterhouse.

Nationwide House picked up a win on the road as they triumphed by 80 runs at Beanacre & Melksham.

The visitors had no hesitation in batting first on a hot day and were soon punishing any wayward bowling.

However, they also lost quick wickets, leaving the game evenly placed at 68-3 off 15 overs.

It was the fourth-wicket partnership between Nick Clarke and Luke Bradley-Leach that turned the game in House’s favour.

They began patiently but gradually took complete control as their partnership reached 133 off 25 overs before Clarke departed for 74.

The platform had been set as the new batsmen were given freedom to play their shots as the runs mounted. Leach was last man to fall for 74 as the innings closed on 265-8 The pick of the home bowlers was Gary Ings with 4-58 and he was supported by Scott Cameron, who took three catches.

Beanacre’s innings got off to a strong start as Joe Veacock went after the bowling and the opening partnership had reached 54 when Ed Skippings departed.

The hosts’ problem was that no batsmen could stay long enough with Veacock to keep up with the run-rate.

Veacock, on the other hand, kept smashing the ball to the boundary and the 19-year-old reached a well deserved first league century, finally departing for 110 but it was not enough for his side as they were finally all out for a disappointing 185 in the 44th over.

Joe Perkins was the pick of the Nationwide bowlers with 4-34.

A brilliant Swindon Civil Service bowling display saw them to an emphatic six-wicket victory at Bradford on Avon.

Scott McNeil (3-9) and Mark Thatcher (3-20) skittled Bradford out for a meagre 79, while an unbeaten 35 from Tahir Hanif saw Civil Service reach their target in the 23rd over of the reply.

That was despite some heroic bowling from Kit Chapman, who took 4-22 for Bradford.

Division 2

WAHAB Khalid hit 116 to lead Swindon A to a 65-run success at home to Collingbourne.

Alongside Adam Tribbick (50), Khalid helped Swindon rack up 288-7 off their 45 overs.

Collingbourne also had a centurion in their innings as Graham Chandler hit an unbeaten 108 but his efforts could only see them to 223-4 by the close.

Bear Flat’s Chris Bence smashed 124 not out to inflict a seven-wicket defeat on Swindon Nalgo.

Batting first, MA Raja made 84 as Nalgo posted 224-9 but Bence’s heroics saw league leaders Bear Flat reach that with more than four overs to spare.

Swindon United Churches were without a game.

Division 3

BEEHIVE Southwick put distance between themselves and second-placed Wootton Bassett 2nd at the top with an eight-wicket win.

Bassett won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like a very good track and the tone was set from the first ball as Josh Smith hit straight to the safe hands of Gary Collins at point off Jayke Hudd.

In six crazy overs the strongest batting team in the league found themselves 7-5 from as Hudd removed Mark Vincent, Ben Mattick and Max Dymoke all for ducks, while Steve Taylor (3-23) removed Lewis Tyrie as Ivan Mahany took a neat catch behind the stumps.

A 68-run partnership between Ryan Vincent (36) and Paul Huckin (31) saw Bassett eventually post 108 all out as Hudd finished with 5-17.

Bassett picked up two wickets through Dymoke but Mike Spong scored 64 not out and get Beehive home.

Biddestone 3rd’s poor season continued with a 138-run defeat at Seagry.

Josh Hugo made 113 as Seagry scored 291-3, with Biddestone only able to make 153 in reply as Chris Meggs top scored with 32, assisted by Ed Carver (29) and Alex Bates (26).

Paul Lewis claimed 4-38 for Seagry, while Mike Hunt chipped in with 3-32.

Division 6

BEEHIVE were 73-run winners when they hosted local rivals Warminster 3rd at the Southwick Oval.

The hosts won the toss and elected to bat, with the innings kicking off with a 70-run partnership between Nigel Reeves and Ben Clift (25).

Captain Adrian Day came in and put on another 52 runs with Reeves before he was bowled by Anderson for 31.

Reeves continued to show his class by scoring runs freely on his way to another brilliant century and building partnerships with the other batsmen.

Hulbert (27) supported well before Reeves departed on 108, caught off the bowling of M Wood (2-18), as Beehive posted 242-7.

After tea, Beehive took to the field knowing a fast start was needed and they did not take long to make the breakthrough as Dan Thomas took a wicket with his fourth delivery by removing S Farhaz.

Thomas (2-26) and Dennison (3-19) did the early damage and although S Milik posted 75, Disher (2-9) and Lapham (2-4) wrapped up the Warminster innings for 169.

Division 7

BIDDESTONE 4th romped to a landslide 143-run win over Bathford 2nd.

A Oliver (45), Harry Roberts (43) and Mike Tasker (41) all chipped in as Biddestone posted 198-9, while Bathford’s A Garett took 4-50.

In reply, Laura Smith claimed 3-18 as Bathford were all out for just 55.