WARMINSTER CRICKET: MARK Coxon-Tenty believes Richie Underdown has returned from Australia a better player after impressing in Saturday's 17-run defeat at Devizes.

The Warminster captain hailed the middle order batsman's knock and insisted there were a number of positives to be taken from his side's first defeat of the campaign.

Underdown spent the winter playing cricket in Australia and Coxon-Tenty is confident the experience has been hugely beneficial to him.

He said: "Richie played really well on Saturday. He showed a lot of maturity and has done ever since returning from Australia.

"It was disappointing to lose but it was an excellent game of cricket. I felt we perhaps gave them 20 runs too much and we gave ourselves too much to do.

"Our fielding was sloppy towards the end and although we put together a good chase it was just too many runs for us to get."

Warminster won the toss and put Devizes into bat and they started well as they reduced the hosts to 39-2.

On a good batting wicket, they then struggled to make any further inroads as Ben Watson (31), Mark Colyer (41), Guy Tadman (55), Jon Couch (38), and Andy Hodder (43 not out) put Devizes in a strong position on 250-7 off their 50 overs.

In reply, Warminster were quickly reduced to 24-2 with openers Coxon Tenty (9) and Dave Bateman (11) dismissed cheaply.

Underdown (76) came in to help move the score on as Warminster raced to 154-5 and put themselves back in with a chance of winning the match.

His dismissal with the score at 184-7 proved decisive and, despite Justin Shuttlewood's 40, Warminster were bowled out 17 runs short of their target, with four overs remaining.

Former Trowbridge leg-spinner Alex Muse finished with figures of 6-72 for Devizes.

Coxon-Tenty said: "We are batting with a lot of confidence at the moment and if we had restricted them to about 230 I have no doubt we would have won.

"There are a few minor things we have to sort out before the next match but I am not too worried."

Warminster entertain Swindon tomorrow.