SKIPPER Craig Gibbens led the way with five wickets as Corsham consolidated second spot in the West of England Premier One with a 104-run win over struggling Lansdown at Station Road on Saturday 6th July.

Corsham went into the clash missing six first choice players and were asked to bat first on a damp surface when visiting captain Lee Cooper won the toss.

Mark Coxon and Neil Shardlow opened the batting for the hosts against a Lansdown side with a defensive approach in the field.

The out-of-sorts Shardlow perished first for one after trying to take the initiative but succeeding only in driving Smith tamely to Carey at cover with the score on eight.

Paul Marsh joined Coxon at the crease and the pair made slow progress before the latter played a loose shot off the bowling of Selway and departed for 20. Top scorer Marsh followed quickly for 44.

Phil Jordan and Steve Copland set about repairing the damage and shared a stand of 24 before Jordan was given out lbw to Cooper for 14. More tight bowling to defensive fields proved effective as the home side collapsed to 123 for seven. Only Craig Chaplin, who finished unbeaten on 24, showed any resistance as Corsham reached 163 for nine from their 55 overs.

Early wickets were going to be vital if Corsham were to avoid handing the visitors their first points of the season, and Gibbens obliged with a devastating spell in which he took the first five Lansdown wickets for only ten runs.

Gibbens' display reduced Lansdown to 42 for five and Marsh, Chaplin and Australian Rick Tyson delivered the knockout blows as the visitors were all out for 59 in the 31st over.

Corsham travel to Cheltenham on Saturday.

Lansdown 2nd v Corsham 2nd

CORSHAM 2nd failed to make it a double success for the club on Saturday as they went down to defeat by three runs in a low scoring affair at Lansdown.

The visitors elected to field first after winning the toss and began well, with Rowe and Ings taking two wickets apiece as the first four Lansdown batsmen all failed to reach double figures.

Veal and Foley followed after making nine apiece, but number seven batsman McLennan's innings proved crucial in the outcome as he remained at the crease while wickets fell around him. Rowe accounted for the final three Lansdown batsman on his way to a five-wicket haul for 23 runs, leaving McLennan stranded on 33 not out as the home side were dismissed for 97.

Corsham openers Peter Dennett and Simon Acornley put on 17 for the first wicket, which came when the latter was caught by Thomas off the bowling of McLennan for five.

Skipper Dennett weighed in with 22 and Tom Abbott with an unbeaten 15, but neither could fend off defeat as Corsham were dismissed for 94, three runs short of their target, in the 47th over.