WITCHAMPTON II 71 (5pts) lost to SYMENE SPORTS 227 (20pts) by 156 runs 

SYMENE Sports continued their rich vein of form, taking a hat-trick of wins with a 156-run demolition of Witchampton Seconds in County Division Three.

Despite losing the prolific Wes Lewis to the third ball of the match, Symene paced their innings superbly to post a challenging 227.

Skipper Leo Gurd marshalled the batting order with aplomb and formed important partnerships with Luke King (14), Sam Good (14) and Sam Challis (36), Gurd eventually dismissed by Paul Allaway for an excellent 51.

Even when Witchampton asked questions by taking wickets at regular intervals, the middle order and tail kept the scoreboard ticking over with Rob Jones accelerating proceedings by blasting a quickfire 32 and Ben Strong last to fall for an entertaining 18.

READ MORE: Symene Sports thrash Abbotsbury by 10 wickets

In the second innings, Gurd’s trustworthy opening pace attack soon got to work with Rob Jones pinning both John Burbidge (0) and Eli Cull (1) leg before and removing opener Martin Ashford for three.

At the other end, Bradley Wilkinson (1-13) delivered yet another miserly bowling spell to maintain the pressure and Ben Strong (2-15) and Ethan Robertson (3-8) hammered home the win with 15 overs to spare.

With the season nearing halfway, Gurd’s team next face fellow title challengers Winton, Ashmore and Shillingstone in what promises to be the defining part of the season.

SYMENE SPORTS II 254-8 (17pts) beat MILBORNE ST ANDREW 222-4 (9pts) by 32 runs 

SYMENE Sports Seconds made it a double-win for the club with a 32-run success over Milborne, a side containing many former Symene players.

David Hart’s entertaining young team recorded their fourth successive victory to move into second place in Division Six West.

This was another high-scoring match in which Toby Hall’s blistering 34 got the hosts off to an opening stand of 39 with Lucas Richards making a handy 13.

Milborne pegged the innings back to 60-3 in the 11th over but the arrival of in-form Justin Gurd, mixing boundaries with sharply-run singles, wrestled back the initiative with an outstanding innings of 77.

Jake Jobson’s useful 37 maintained the momentum and Hart’s 35 alongside son Sam’s undefeated 22 took the innings even further ahead to a commanding 254-8.

Despite the early run out of opener Nick Paterson by Seb Gawen, Milborne responded in positive manner with an important second-wicket partnership between Gavin Egan and Ollie James.

James made an important 35 but could do nothing when pinned right in front of his stumps by Jack Bartlett’s spin, lbw for 35.

Then another sharp stumping by Phil Hawkins off bowling partner Gurd accounted for Gavin Egan who departed for 58.

Ben Elliott (48no) and William Murley (22no) were undefeated at the close as the hosts won with plenty to spare.