ASHMORE 176-8 (6pts) lost to CHARLTON DOWN 177-5 (19pts) by five wickets

CHARLTON Down earned their ninth straight win and completed the first half of the season unbeaten courtesy of a five-wicket win against Ashmore in County Division Three.

Upon winning the toss, Charlton Down fielded – a decision that paid dividends as Matt and Dan Stevens extracted movement with the new ball.

The former struck with the fifth ball of the innings bowling Julian Watson, centurion from last week, with a perfectly-directed yorker.

Dan Stevens (1-16) then removed Lee Russell after an astonishing one-handed diving catch by Nick Voss on the boundary edge.

Ashmore were on the back foot at 5-2 but stalwart Andy Taylor and ex-Somerset man Sam Diment (54) rebuilt the Ashmore innings.

A switch to spin saw Kim Park snare Taylor (23) caught behind, before Any Maidment (34) offered a return catch to Roles as Ashmore slipped from 128-3 to 138-5.

Roles took his third wicket, bowling Chris Gray (12) before the pacey Matt Stevens returned to claim two more wickets.

Mark Homewood pouched a well-judged catch to hand Roles (4-36) his fourth scalp of the afternoon as Ashmore closed on 176-8 from their 45 overs.

Ashmore, like Charlton Down, started quickly in forcing two early wickets to reduce the table-toppers to 24-2, with Diment bowling both Jack Eveleigh and Voss for four.

However, an important 50-run partnership between Jae Miller and Roles steadied the innings before Miller mistimed a clip off his legs to mid-wicket for an important 37 as Charlton Down reached 74-3.

A partnership of 100 between Sam Roles (69) and Matt Stevens (40) proved the difference as gritty defence was mixed by good stroke play from each player.

Both batsmen were dismissed with three runs required for victory, but Kim Park and Javed Gill saw Charlton Down home with 10 overs left.

Commenting on his side’s ninth win, captain Tommy Tucker said: “This was probably the best all-round team performance of the season as so many players contributed with the bat and ball. Our fielding performance was definitely our best so far.

“Ashmore are by far the best team we have played this season and made our young team rise to the occasion with flying colours.”

Charlton Down now lead Dorchester Seconds by 28 points, with the two clubs meeting at the Rec on Saturday.