On Saturday Collingbourne CC travelled to the idyllic Buscot Park for their seventh Wilts League Division 3 match of the season.

Collingbourne won the toss and elected to field first making use of the new ball on an uncertain wicket.

As it was the wicket was to play very well with the Buscot openers Captain H.Miller (25) and J.Macrow holding out to some quick aggressive bowling from Darren Pritchard (1 for 57 from 12 overs) and Charlie Knight.

When Australian batsmen N.Babcock came in Collingbourne were looking at chasing a high total as Buscot moved onto 141 for 1 from 25 overs.

Collingbourne Captain Owen Sheppard took the risk by bowling himself in a hope to stem the tide which immediately paid off.

Babcock (45) was Caught and Bowled Sheppard with his 3rd ball.

From this point on Buscot’s run scoring progressed slowly whilst wickets fell regularly mainly to Sheppard who bowled two more batsmen and had 3 caught by Graham Chandler (x2) and James Grant.

Michael Hulme and Charlie Knight bowled tightly at the other end with only opener J.Macrow offering any resistance.

But he finally fell to Knight after an impressive 92 run innings.

Knight claimed the last wicket with 5 balls of the innings to spare finishing with figures of 2 wickets for 31 runs from 9.1 overs.

But it was Sheppard who finished the pick of the bowlers with figures of 7 wickets for 19 runs from 9 overs. Buscot finished on 207 all out from 44.1 overs.

In reply Collingbourne openers Tom Grant and Graham Chandler again attacked from the start and quickly found themselves on 73 from 10 overs before Chandler (23) was adjudged LBW.

Buscot varied there bowling with spin, pace and consistency. But with Grant in fine form hitting yet another 50 ably supported by Geoff Rogers (15) the task in hand always looked beyond Buscot.

Grant finally fell on 64 and Rogers followed to leave Mark Bateman and Captain Owen Sheppard to finish the game.

A partnership of 95 between the two secured victory for Collingbourne by 7 wickets with almost 15 overs remaining.

Some hard hitting by the pair including 5 sixes between them gave Buscot no chance.

Bateman finished on 36 not out and Sheppard 43* with I.Mills emerging as the best of the Buscot bowlers with figures of 3 wickets for 66 runs from 12 overs.