Weekly round-up of cricket fixtures in area

SENIORS

OVER 70s champions Gloucestershire produced a dominant display to crush Worcestershire by ten wickets and finish the regulation season on top of the championship table.

Worcester, who won the toss at Eastnor, totalled 207-7 from their 45 with Andy Howe and Graham Clarke claiming two wickets apiece.

But it was well within range for the visitors who closed out a convincing win with more than three overs to spare thanks to John Evans and Keith Daniels.

England captain Evans was unbeaten on 118 from 137 (13 fours) while Daniels’ 80 not out off 112 included seven boundaries.

Gloucestershire’s reward is a home quarter-final against Surrey on August 22, at Fairford.

Evans, meanwhile, led from the front as England kicked off the first ever Over 70s World Cup with a 266-run defeat of Sri Lanka.

The Frocester chair compiled a true captain’s innings of 101 (retired) for England while there were also two wickets for seamer Steve Sheppard, of St Mary Redcliffe and Somerset, and one wicket on debut for Gloucestershire spinner John Turton.

Gloucestershire Over 60s, meanwhile, defeated Hampshire by 73 runs in their opening Bowl South fixture.

Runs at the top of the order from Ed Gordon Lennox (78), Rob Austen (63) and Ian Robson (53) helped power the home side to 250-6 ahead of Razi Ahmed (4-20 from nine) turning the screw with the ball.

It was a good day too for the 60s 2nds who trumped Devon by 66 runs at Cheltenham, Kim Parsley top scoring on 68 while there were also four wickets apiece for Andy Kear and Sean Walters, while the 60s 3rds were 75-run victors against Warwickshire as Martin Hopkins, Alan Thomas and Nigel Allen each grabbed three wickets.

The 60s 4ths, though, could not complete a clean sweep as they succumbed by 47 runs away to Surrey.

And Gloucestershire Over 50s slipped up by 112 runs away to Cambridgeshire in the opening knock out round of their championship quest, Jon Tegg’s 65 and 51 from Simon Hygate proving to be in vain.

GCCL

LIAM Walker grabbed 4-15 from only 4.2 overs as Cheltenham turned the tables on high-flying Dumbleton to clinch a 49-run home victory in WEPL Premier Two Glos/Wilts.

The visitors, requiring 224, had reached 146-6 before Walker ran through the tail to ensure Cheltenham remain sixth in the table.

Nick Evans had earlier top scored on 84 for the home side, Ross Martin the pick of the Dumbleton attack with a return of 3-31.

Leaders Thornbury are all but champions after seeing off Goatacre by 35 runs, Gloucestershire’s Chris Dent hitting 101 and Jack Worgan bagging 3-39 from nine while Hatherley & Reddings moved out of the drop zone with a 14-run home triumph over Painswick.

In Premier One, Curtis Heaphy completed his fifth century of a fine summer to ensure a six-wicket home triumph for Bristol over Bridgwater.

Bishopston were edged out by seven wickets away to Lansdown, and Bedminster were eight-wicket home victors over Taunton St Andrews as Max Tryfonos hit an unbeaten 77 after earlier taking 3-11 from nine, and Frocester lost out by one run at Burbage & Easton Royal.

Premier Two Bristol/Somerset pacesetters Downend completed a 91-run triumph away to Golden Hill, opener Maz Khan digging in for a dogged unbeaten 83 off 132 before brothers Phil (4-13 from ten) and Matt Jackson (2-22 from nine) made inroads.

Tewkesbury moved a decisive step closer towards the Gloucestershire title and promotion with a 107-run victory over closest rivals Gloucester.

Randeera Ranasingha (93) and Wade Ridsdale (69 not) shone with the bat ahead of Sanath Jayawardhana producing a devastating burst of 5-27.

Luke Hansford (92) and Jeewaka Sashin (72) steered Frocester 2nds to a four-wicket home defeat of Chipping Sodbury while Bourton Vale romped past Stroud by 198 runs.

Promoted Langford are up to a season’s best position of fifth following a six-wicket victory away to Charlton Kings, Will Parsons top scoring on 68, while Rockhampton are off the bottom after trumping Corse & Staunton by three wickets, Chris Willoughby capturing 4-27 from ten.

OB Westbury are the new leaders of Bristol & North Somerset, taking advantage of a slip up by previous pacesetters Knowle.

Ben Jarman’s 68 helped OB Westbury to a three-wicket win away to Bath 2nds as Knowle succumbed by 139 runs away to neighbours Brislington for whom Gloucestershire Women’s bowler Charlie Phillips took 4-27 from 8.3.

Bristol West Indian Phoenix piled up 384-3 at home to Stapleton, Vishal Mamgai finishing unbeaten on a tremendous 178 ahead of sealing a 68-run triumph.