MALMESBURY opener Richard Gaunt carried his bat but a collapse at the other end saw his side lose by four wickets to Hatherley and Redding.

Malmesbury skipper Richard Mosdell won the toss and elected to bat first on their home ground at The Worthys.

Gaunt and BK Majumder opened the batting and started steadily passing the 30-run mark.

But the partnership was broken up with the total on 36-runs when Majumder was caught by Phil Edge off the bowling of Simon Evans having made eight. Ian Gould joined Gaunt at the wicket and the pair got the scoreboard ticking over again.

Gould reached 13 runs but was next to go when he was bowled LBW by Ben de Vos to leave Malmesbury on 70-2.

James Pearce-Smith, batting at number four, turned out to be Gaunt final partner who last more than six balls.

He hit two fours as he reached 15 before being bowled by Andrew Tiplady with Malmesbury on 116 runs.

After that the Malmesbury innings saw Gaunt keep the runs ticking over but at the other end lose partner after partner.

Glyn Rhys-Jones and Mark Lester both went for ducks courtesy of the bowling of Andy Theedom.

Tiplady then accounted for the entire Malmesbury tail as he took six wickets on the afternoon.

Dan Horton and Matt Sparrow only made one run apiece and Martin Bridge and Mosdell did not fare much better getting two runs each.

When 11th man Edward Shellard joined Gaunt at the wicket the Malmesbury score was 147-9.

The pair managed to add six more runs to the score before Tiplady bowled Shellard on one run to end the innings at 153 all out including Gaunt's admirable 85no.

For Hatherley and Redding bowler Tiplady finished with figures of six wickets for 40 runs of ten overs.

Malmesbury's bowlers had a tough task on their hands and it was made all the harder when an early first wicket failed to materialise.

De Vos and Mark Nally opened the Hatherley and Redding batting well and put on 76 runs before de Vos was caught by Shellard off Lester's bowling for 32.

Nally followed soon after having been bowled by Lester for 38 leaving Hatherley and Redding on 95-2.

Steve Burry and Ben Field took to the wicket and continued to move the visitors closer to the victory line.

Field made 13 before being caught by Bridge of Gaunt's delivery and when Edward Moseley was bowled by Majumder for eight runs Hatherley and Redding were on 143-4.

With the visitors needing only ten runs Malmesbury rallied briefly as Majumder removed Burry for 34 and Chris Brice for two to leave them on 147-6.

But Phil Edge (3no) and Tiplady (5no) kept their cool at the crease to steer Hatherley and Redding across the finish line.