LYMPSHAM entertained Abbots Leigh hoping to continue with their promotion drive.

LYMPSHAM entertained Abbots Leigh hoping to continue with their promotion drive.

Having won the toss, Abbots Leigh elected to bat, as they were still short of players, on a wicket that had dried out. The visitors started slowly against some tight bowling from Summers and Bailey, and could not come to terms with the accurate bowling and the low bounce.

Geoff Tucker replaced Summers after 18 overs with the score on 48-0, and it was not until the 24th over when Tucker made the breakthrough when Haut was caught behind by Gwinnell. Then the wickets started to come, the remained all bowled.

Bailey completed his 15-over spell with 1-21 including nine maidens and was replaced by Russ who went on to take 5-25. Summers wrapped the innings up with the last ball with Abbots Leigh on 139.

The only sour note to the excellent bowling and fielding display was an injury to Geoff Tucker, who had just completed his dynamic spell (2-43) and had to leave the pitch for the remainder of the game.

Lympsham started their innings knowing that the total was well within their grasp. Rich Ford and Mike Tucker started solidly moving along to 66 before Ford (24) was bowled, followed quickly back by Tuttiett and Coles.

Luff joined Tucker before the latter was bowled for a steady 35 and Luff saw his team through to 141 with six overs to spare, wining by five wickets and taking maximum points. Lympsham Concrete man of the match was Simon Bailey for an outstanding bowling display.

Lympsham 2nd XI travelled to Alveston looking for a confidence-boosting victory.

Captain Ben Laing won the toss an elected to put the home team in to bat on what looked a bowler-friendly wicket. The decision looked justified as the home team struggled to get the ball away as Simon Pilgrim (3-6) and Liam Morris (0-10) bowled a tight opening spell to leave the hosts struggling at 20-3 off 16 overs.

Steve Wilcox (1-23) and Simon Cowgill (4-3) took over, picking up wickets and leaving Alveston struggling for runs. Cowgill picked up two wickets in as many balls, narrowly missing out on a hat-trick and with Jack Luff (2-11) bowling his spin the Alveston innings came to a premature end with only 57 runs on the board after 30 overs.

Lympsham were taking no chances and openers Andy Hall (24 not out) and Tom Gooding (25 not out) played sensibly to ensure the win, with Gooding finishing the game with a huge six in the 11th over to leave Lympsham 63-0. Victory left Lympsham with maximum points and gave themselves breathing space between the opposition in the league. The Academie Fiscale man of the match was awarded to the Lympsham bowling attack for a devastating all-round performance.