Swindon won their top of the table Glos/Wilts Division 2 clash at home to Biddestone by three wickets.

Biddestone won the toss and elected to bat, the opening pair of Mason and Thornton starting slowly against the accuracy of Willoughby, who bowled Mason in the fifth over with only six runs scored.

Barrett bowled Thornton in the 18th over with 50 showing on the board. Change bowler Zohaib then accounted for Lodder in the 21st over.

Rourke was brought into the fray and accounted for Boulton and Boore with consecutive balls.

Miller followed his compatriots in the next over, caught by Rourke off Zohaib. Bedwell then joined Perry and they attempted to increase the rate before Rourke bowled Perry for a hard-earned 52 and 114 on the board.

Aitkenhead and Bedwell attempted to keep the runs flowing with limited success until two bowling changes, the return of Willoughby and the introduction of Watts, brought dividends to Swindon.

Bedwell was run out by Watts off a straight ball hit back by Aitkenhead and was then bowled by Watts off the very next ball leaving Biddestone on 141-9.

Willoughby, having bowled three consecutive maidens in his return spell, then forced last man Hopkins to hit his own wicket trying to avoid a ball with pace and lift. Biddestone closed on 143 all out in the 43rd over.

Swindon's reply began relatively cautiously as a run rate of only three an over would see them home.

Rourke took most of the early strike against the pace of Lodder and Perry and was moving along nicely when Nichols fell to Lodder in the eighth over having scored only one.

Swindon captain John Baden then joined Rourke, who in an attempt to push the score on, was caught at mid-wicket by Unwin.

Swindon then experienced a minor collapse as the usually reliable Baker and the promoted Spencer fell within four balls of each other to the bowling of Lodder, both having failed to trouble the scorer and with only 38 runs on the board.

New batsman Tucker did not fare any better, being bowled by Bedwell.

Biddestone could sense that an upset was on the cards but did not account for the teaming up of the experienced pairing of Baden and Watts.

They rebuilt the innings by playing sensible cricket and made a stand of 69 before Baden was caught by Boulton for 38 in the 34th over.

Zohaib was caught by Thornton without scoring. Staff then joined Watts and they once again played the sensible options, Watts eventually hitting the winning runs to take him to a well-worked 52 not out and Swindon's victory with five overs to spare.