WOOTTON Bassett 3rds' push for Wiltshire League Division Six honours was dealt a further blow with a five-wicket home defeat on Sunday by Corsham 4ths, following Saturday's defeat at Bath Civil Service 2nds.

On the other hand, Corsham's title hopes remain optimistic, but now look assured of at least the runners-up spot after a comfortable victory over their closest rivals for the position.

Mike Tyrie won the toss for Bassett and elected to bat.

Nick Yalden and Sam Burdock set the innings off to a flying start with 26 off the first four wayward overs from Will Collier and John Siggins, with Yalden the more fluent.

The score moved to 36 before a fine return from Sam Collier in the deep found Yalden short of his ground and run out for 20 in the 10th over.

The new batsman, Yalden junior found Collier too pacy, and was yorked first ball to bring Colin Burdock to join his son in the middle.

With a change of bowling that brought Charlie Simpkins and Martin Hick into the attack, Burdock junior started to find some runs and the pair put on 15 before Colin Burdock (7) edged Simpkins to slip where Tom Coles took the catch.

This brought Anais Ali to the crease, and with his fearsome match-winning performance earlier in the season still large in the memory, the Corsham fielders were overjoyed when Simpkins bowled a perfect yorker to send the dangerman back to the pavilion for a duck.

Dave Fisher entered the fray, and after Sam Burdock had recovered from a painful blow on the inner thigh, the pair moved the Bassett score to 78 in 23 overs, before Charlie Simpkins was presented with a catch off the bowling of Hick to dismiss Burdock for a patient 34.

Meanwhile Steve Twine took three boundaries to move the Bassett total past the century mark.

After eight overs in which he took 2-19, Simpkins gave way to Simon Acornley's off-spin which brought immediate dividend as Twine (14) went after a looping delivery and gave Simpkins his second and best catch of the afternoon.

Soon after, Mike Tyrie pushed forward to Martin Hick and it was Simpkins again, this time fielding at short extra, who took the catch.

A third wicket in as many overs saw Fisher's innings terminated as he was bowled by Acornley for 33 to leave Bassett reeling at 114 -8 after 31 overs.

A rearguard action from Paul Harris and Sam Tyrie took the score to 147 before both batsmen fell in consecutive overs for 10 and 19 respectively to give Acornley a final analysis of 3-16 off 7, as Harris was expertly stumped by Will Wales, and Dan Collier trapped Tyrie leg before.

With openers Gale and Shardlow out of the team through injury, Sam Collier and Tom Coles opened the Corsham reply.

Coles was quickly into his stride taking five boundaries off some wayward bowling by Lazenby who was replaced after three expensive overs by Steve Twine. However, he fared similarly and sent down just two overs for 15 before being replaced by Dave Fisher.

Meanwhile Mike Tyrie was tying up the other end conceding just five runs from his first four overs.

However, the class of both batsmen ensured that anything off line or off length was severely dealt with and the score mounted quickly.

With handsome drives and cuts the pair put on 85 in 16 overs before Coles found mid off with a lofted drive from a delivery in the second over from the left arm spin of Paul Harris to depart for 41.

Adrian Smith joined Collier and watched as his partner continued to find the boundary with sumptuous drives.

However, after taking 12 from 31 balls, Smith was adjudged lbw to Harris with the score on 120 after 27 overs.

Martin Warley opened his account with a straight drive off Harris, but an attempted repeat of the shot against JP Yalden's spin failed and he was bowled for seven.

Will Wales joined Collier, the latter bringing up his half century with a thick outside edge to extra cover off Harris.

With the scores level, Mike Tyrie took the unusual step of moving all his fielders to the boundary in an effort to stop Corsham gaining an additional bonus point by taking the score past 150.

The move proved better than expected as in trying to find the only sizeable gap left, Sam Collier was bowled attempting a reverse sweep, to give Harris his fourth wicket and thus reducing the Corsham points for winning batting second.

It was left to Charlie Simpkins to push the winning single while Dan Collier remained undefeated on eight not out.