WARMINSTER CRICKET: A SEVEN-WICKET haul from first team rookie Leigh Beauchamp won the opening day derby for Warminster on Saturday as Trowbridge's new look batting line up suffered a dramatic collapse.

The inexperienced off spinner has spent the last few seasons in Warminster's second team, but proved he is more than up to the task in the Gloucester and Wiltshire Division One with figures of 7-30 as his side cruised to an eight-wicket win.

Beauchamp earned his chance after impressing in recent warm-up games and captain Mark Coxon-Tenty, who hit 91 not out to steer his side home, believes he could now establish himself as a first team regular.

He said: "Leigh has played for the first team a couple of times before but only really as a second spinner and has spent most of his time here in the second team.

"He has been here for years and I am delighted with the way he bowled at the weekend.

He has been in good form in warm-up matches and deserved his chance.

"If he keeps bowling like that it would be impossible to leave him out. He is definitely establishing himself now."

After winning the toss, Warminster put their visitors into bat but failed to make early inroads as openers Pete Hickerton (39) and Tom Oatley (21) took Trowbridge to 59 before Oatley was caught by the skipper off the bowling of John Powell.

Beauchamp then took his first wicket of the day as James Lewis caught South African debutant Darryl Brown (9), and soon after dismissed Tom Edwards (8), caught and bowled, to leave the visitors on 115-4.

Trowbridge then lost their last six wickets for just 28 runs as Beauchamp ran riot and left them bowled out for just 143 with four overs still remaining.

Coxton-Tenty, said: "They started quite well but we bowled very tightly and in the end the frustration of not being able to score runs got to them."

In reply, Warminster rarely looked in trouble as openers Coxon- Tenty (93 not out) and Dave Bateman (27) took them to 82 before Brown bowled Bateman.

Hickerton then dismissed Nick Curran lbw for four, but any hopes of a similar collapse were dashed as Richie Underdown (11 not out) helped steer the hosts past the winning post with more than eight overs in hand.

Trowbridge skipper Richard Holbrook said: "We are disappointed to have lost our first game of the season but there were a lot of positives to take from it. Particularly pleasing was the performances of Pete Hickerton and Luke Morris and it is great for the future of the club to see those two out there.

"We were 80-1 at one point but we were unable to score at a reasonable rate and ultimately we put too much pressure on our lower order.

"We will be working hard on that before the next game and will try to keep the scoreboard ticking over."

Trowbridge entertain Bredon tomorrow and Warminster travel to Devizes.