CHIPPENHAM’S hopes of a second-straight promotion are hanging by a thread after wayward bowling led to defeat at Warminster on Saturday.

Having struggled to 180, a score captain Steve Silk admits they were lucky to reach, the visitor’s made early breakthroughs in their search for a much-needed victory.

However Austrialian Christian Hanna, who had earlier taken 3-19 with the ball, began to come compose a match-winning innings while Chippenham contributed with an incredible 21 wides and 16 no-balls.

“You’re not going to win many games of cricket bowling like that,” said Silk.

“They effectively had six extra overs and a 37-run head start so those extras have cost us.

“I don’t blame any individuals. Maybe under pressure we were trying too hard.

We were also behind the over rate, because of all the extra balls, so I had to bring myself on to bowl spin.

“It looks like we chucked in the gloves but my attitude was we had lost, so why lose league points for slow over rate when someone else at the top might also slip up, which Tauton Deane did.”

Chippenham openers Clyde Williams (32) and Nick Pocock (38) for them off to a good start in the face of good bowling from Hanna and John Powell.

It was downhill from there though with four other batsmen making double figures but nobody going on to exceed those scores.

“Credit to Warminster, they bowled brilliantly early doors,” said Silk. “It could have been a lot worse as they dropped up seven times.

Chippenham need to beat Taunton on Saturday to have any chance of going up.

“If we’d beaten Trowbridge and Warminster we’d be up already,” lamented Silk.

“We are without Clifton Folkes, Woody, Tim Rowson, Phil Adams and Lee Wards so we are underdogs.

“The seconds went up though, and the thirds have a chance, so it’s a good season.”