MALMESBURY went down to a 104-run defeat to promotion favourites Frocester in their opening league game.

The visitors batted first and put on 180 for the first wicket, with David Whincup scoring 98 and ex-Gloucestershire man Nick Trainor making 83. The pair were broken up by teenager Mark Lester, who took four for 38.

Frocester hammered 50 runs off the final five overs to finish on 238 for four.

Malmesbury began brightly in reply, with Jeremy Newman and top scorer Richard Gaunt both finding the boundary early on but after their dismissals they slumped to 134 all out.

Malmesbury travel to Colwall on Saturday 11 May.