COUNTY CRICKET: A SPIRITED bowling display led by Corsham spinner Richard Foley saw Wiltshire come within a whisker of inflicting Wales' first championship defeat of the season.

After three days' play and more than 1,000 runs scored, the game reached a dramatic climax with Wales needing 14 to win with one wicket remaining.

In the end it was the visitors who edged home at South Wilts by a single wicket as Wiltshire came agonisingly close to recording an against the odds victory.

Despite the result, returning captain Russell Rowe can take much from the match as Wiltshire look ahead to their next championship game against Cheshire.

Rowe, who was playing on his home ground, won the toss and chose to bat on a wicket that yielded two centuries and six fifties over the three days. Rowe was bowled for 30 to leave the score on 62-3 with Michael Coles joining Baqar Rizvi at the crease.

The pair put on 159 for the fourth wicket as the Wiltshire innings gathered pace. Rizvi was bowled by the impressive Carl Roberts for 96, but Coles kept his head to reach 111 for his first Wiltshire century.

Richard Bedbrook (38) and Steve Perrin (30) helped Wiltshire to 354 all out while Roberts finished on 6-60.

Wales ended the first day on 96-1 and went on to gain a 53 run first innings lead. At 229-7 Wiltshire looked to be in the driving seat, but an eighth wicket partnership of 140 between Richard Grant (126 not out) and Adam Harrison (58) turned the tables.

Dan Cherry (50) and Ryan Watkins (58) helped Wales to 407 all out while Richard Bedbrook and Richard Foley weighed in with 3-87 and 3-64 respectively.

Rizvi (55) and Perrin (51), who was playing his 100th championship match for Wiltshire, were called on to resurrect the home side's second innings.

Their 99 run stand took Wiltshire from 46-4 to 145-5 while all rounder Foley (28) and Kevin Nash (21) were the only others to pass 20 as they reached 197 all out.

This left Wales needing just 145 from 82 overs, but once Paul Clifford had opener Cherry lbw for a duck, the visitors knew they had to scrap for every run.

While Nash, Bedbrook and James Ashford Brown all bowled tightly it was Foley who came into his own with 5-36 from 26.2 overs. The Corsham player combined well with Rizvi (2-44 from 16) to keep Wiltshire in the match.

Only Welsh captain and wicket keeper Adrian Shaw (36) passed 30 as Wiltshire turned the screw. But Harrison (26 not out) and number 11 Dan Nolan (1 not out) ensured the visitors left Salisbury with their 100 per cent record intact after one of the tightest games in recent championship history.