CHIPPENHAM CRICKET: TREVOR Lloyd believes the signs for the future are very promising despite seeing his Chippenham side crash to an opening day 63-run defeat on Saturday.

The Chippenham skipper refused to be too downbeat about their early setback and pointed to the performances of youngsters Liam Dawson and Phil Adams as encouraging signs.

Fifteen-year-old Dawson finished with figures of 3-72 with the ball and also added 28 runs as an opening batsman, while 17-year-old Adams was unlucky not to pick up a wicket with an impressive spell of bowling.

Lloyd said: "While it was disappointing to lose our first match I have seen a lot of positive signs from that display.

"The youngsters performed very well and I think there could be a lot more to come from them.

"We could have been a lot tighter in the field and probably allowed them to get 50 more runs thaN we should have done. They then bowled brilliantly."

After winning the toss, Thornbury elected to bat and scored runs rapidly as they took a firm grip on the match.

Wiltshire batsman Chris Budd top scored on 56 before being caught by Ian Merryweather off the bowling of Dawson while Gloucestershire professional Martyn Ball added an important 46.

Dawson was the pick of the Chippenham bowlers with 3-72 while Adams finished with respectable figures of 0-18 off six overs as Thornbury ended their innings on 235-6.

In reply, Dawson (28) looked to make a game of it but the early loss of fellow opener Richard Bates (6) saw the match start slipping away.

Hayden Smith (20), Jack Humphreys (24), Ian Merryweather (20) and Chris Nicholas (30) all threatened to make match saving scores but each got out just when they needed to push on.

The last four wickets fell for just 21 runs as Chippenham finished well adrift on 172 all out with nearly three overs remaining.

Martyn Ball and Andrew White finished with three wickets apiece while Adam Fidoe picked up two.

Lloyd said: "It would have been great to have got off to a perfect start but we know where we went wrong and we will work hard to try and put that right."

Chippenham travel to Downend tomorrow.