CHARLTON DOWN 102-2 (19pts) beat ABBOTSBURY 101-9 (3pts) by eight wickets

CHARLTON Down secured an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Abbotsbury to keep pace with County Division Three leaders Chalke Valley.

Down’s win was due mainly to an excellent all-round bowling display and a half-century from captain Jack Eveleigh.

Abbotsbury skipper David Worsdell won the toss and batted first on what seemed a glorious sunny day for batting.

However, the Swans found runs hard to come by against the right and left-arm swing options of Dan Stevens (1-18) and Mark Homewood (0-18).

It was change bowler Javed Gill (1-15) who struck to remove Jack Jones (9) with the score on 31-1.

Frank Pittman (16) and Ashley Harrow (20) rebuilt for the Swans but it was two 18-year-olds Kieran Heath (3-5) and Lewis Harrington (1-15) who cleaned up the middle order, including Worsdell (8), to leave Abbotsbury on 76-5.

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The Stevens brothers, Matt (3-13) and Dan took four further wickets before the innings closed on 101-9, last pair George Higgins (0) and Elliot Gunn (6) digging in superbly to deny Down the crucial last bowling point.

Charlton Down batted positively in reply and another 50-run opening partnership between Cameron Lucas and Eveleigh came up in just nine overs.

This settled any nerves and with the score on 82 Lucas was bowled by Pankaj Nikale (1-43) for 33 and then with six runs required Eveleigh was well caught by Harry Testa-Fisher for 52, after hitting eight fours and a six, before the winning runs were scored by Roger Frapwell (5no).

Abbotsbury main sponsor: Brace of Butchers