St. Cross Symondians bamboozled by Bashley's bowling

Southern Premier Division: Bashley (Rydal) CC 218 v St. Cross Symondians 158 (Bashley CC win by 60 runs)

Bashley CC pushed closer to their Southern Premier Division title aspirations with a 60-run away win over St. Cross Symondians.

Captain Michael Porter scored 76 as the visitors were bowled out for 218. Mitchell Wilson picked up 4-33 to restrict St. Cross to 158 all out.

St. Cross won the toss and elected to field. After losing wicketkeeper Tom Jacques (9) early, Bashley's top-order piled on the runs. Alex Turner (36), Ben Walker (22) and Tom Friend (39) all scored useful knocks for the visitors, but Porter held the innings together as he top-scored with 76 which included nine fours and one six.

Porter fell to Matt Stokes who went on to take six wickets in his 18-over spell. Bashley were seemingly cruising at 187-4 however the tide changed dramatically as Stokes ripped through the batting line-up. Bashley lost their final six wickets for a meagre 22 runs to keep the game in the balance.

In reply, leading wicket-taker Bradley Currie and George Pardoe pinned St. Cross back as they removed their top three for 23 to put Bashley on top. George and Mitchell Wilson picked up from where the opening pair left off. George claimed the coveted wicket of Hampshire's Felix Organ for 18 while Mitchell picked up four middle-order wickets as St.Cross waned on 97-9.

St.Cross's final pair of Simon Beetham and Marvin Williams battled back to give the hosts a glimmer of hope, but that was soon dashed as Pardoe came back into the attack to claim the last wicket of Beetham for 39 with St. Cross falling 60 runs short of their target.

The victory stretches Bashley's lead at the top of the table to 37 points, and they will host Havant on Saturday at the BCG.