Colwall were asked to bat first by the Redmarley skipper and began well with David Powell asserting his authority over the left arm seam of Gwilliam.

REDMARLEY v COLWALL

Tom Wolfendale began circumspectly in what was to be the crucial contribution in a day when the ball dominated the bat. Having been untroubled by the low bounce Powell was suddenly undone by a leg stump yorker which splayed his stumps.

As Nick Panniers joined his captain, runs were at a premium as both players countered the swing and seam of the home attack. After 20 over Wolfendale had yet to score a boundary and the run rate was only just edging over two.

As worried team mates paced the rope, Wolfendale let fly with a volley of boundaries, first to square leg, then twice through the off side. At 30 overs the 100 came up but Panniers became the first of series of wickets that fell as Colwall tried to accelerate.

Chief beneficiary was the seamer Reed who's low, skiddy action exploited some variable bounce. The middle-order succumbed quickly and with the further loss of Wolfendale, in turn bowled trying to force the pace, having scored a patient 63, Colwall were in danger of falling well short of the 200 target they felt would win the game. The lower-order played their part perfectly, Russell Bennett contributing a graceful 25 whilst last pair Mike King and Chris Wheeler added another 15 whilst batting out the final five overs.

Redmarley started well and in the first eight overs had scored at over six an over as Colwall's opening bowlers, Tom MacNamara and Chris Wheeler, struggled to find the right length.

Standing up to the stumps keeper Steven Ferguson took a fine catch from Wheeler to give Colwall some relief, but it was the introduction of the off spin of Mike King that changed the course of the game.

He struck twice in first three overs, once helped by a smart catch at square-leg by Powell on once hitting the stumps deceiving the batsmen with the flight. Runs dried up and Redmarley panicked throwing wickets away with a selection on injudicious shots.

Indeed had the Colwall fielding been a little tighter Redmarley might not have passed 100 as top-scorer Wilshaw was dropped several times until finally becoming King's fifth victim caught by Josh Hornyold. King's figures of 5-40 were fair reward for an excellent spell. Hornyold himself cut through the tail taking 3-10 as the Gloucestershire side crumbled.