DIVISION One leaders Royal Wootton Bassett were stunned by Box on Saturday as they slipped to a 10-run defeat.

A dominant second-wicket partnership between Richard Foley (81) and Chris Bultitude (60) set the tone for home side Box as they recovered from 17-1 for 124-2.

Stephen Hall (38*) and Gerald Hayward (25) then added late impetus as the hosts closed on 219-5.

Bassett were in disarray when they kicked off their reply and inspired bowling from Jordan Welsby (2-40) and Dave Crawford (3-18) decimated the top order to leave them 5-4.

P Ellis (73) and Robbie Pamphilon (31) tried to lead a revival but at 149-9, the writing looked on the wall for Bassett.

However, tail-enders Neilon Joseph and Daniel Ellis then came together and an inspired final-wicket stand got them on the brink of an unlikely victory.

With Bassett just 10 runs shy of their target, Joseph was finally the last man to go for a valiant 51 as Box clinched a fine haul of 21 points.

Bassett’s defeat, coupled with an emphatic nine-wicket win for Urchfont at home to Lacock, has now cut their gap at the top to just seven points.

Morlon Simon (5-21) helped skittle Lacock for a meagre 91 all out, with the efforts of E Munro (37), D Bromley (24*), J Moloney (23*) getting Urchfont over the winning line after just 14 overs.

Bradford on Avon were back in the winners’ enclosure as they triumphed by five wickets away at Beanacre & Melksham.

The home side were asked to bat first and wayward early bowling meant they got off to a flying start before David Carter and Matt Knight put Bradford in control thereafter.

The innings was built around the second wicket partnership of 63 between Steve Rendell (30) and Ben Brown (29) but only Courtney Earl (52) was able to push on and the last 10 overs only produced 18 runs as Beanacre were dismissed for 167.

Carter captured 3-30 runs, Knight returned impressive figures of 3-26 and James Edwards mopped up the tail with 3-12.

In reply, the Bradford innings faltered with openers Ian Pinchen (10) and James Edwards (8) falling early on. Paul Vooght started rebuilding with Simon Richards before the former fell for 19.

Matthew Harrington joined Richards and the pair put on 106 for the fourth wicket. Although Harrington (26) fell near the end, Richards was there to seal Bradford over the line, making an excellent 78 not out, his maiden club half-century.

Brown was the pick of the home attack with 3-43.

Nationwide House were seven-wicket winners when they played host to Hinton Charterhouse.

The visitors were hit by absences of key players, especially in the bowling department, and by some forthright aggressive batting by the Swindon side.

Unable to find replacement players, Hinton could only field a nine-man team which resulted in a curtailed innings as well as huge gaps in the field.

Chris Antrobus stroked a cultured 87 and Matt Parfitt a powerful 33 but a total of 188 was always going to be difficult to defend in the circumstances. J Perkins impressed with the ball for Nationwide, taking 4-21.

John Newport produce a tight spell of 1-31 when Hinton got their hands on the ball and although the young side fielded valiantly, with Scott Woolley taking two brilliant catches, 79 from J Clarke and M Hyde’s unbeaten 62 powered Nationwide home with eight overs to spare.

It was another disappointing day for bottom side Swindon Civil Service as they lost by 33 runs at Beckington.

C Weare (77) and S Swift (48) helped Beckington post 234-8 off their 45 overs and J Weare (6-56) then saw the Civil Service reply restricted to 201-9, despite a valiant 50 from J Baiden 50.

Division 3 Beehive eased to a seven-wicket success when they welcomed Potterne 3rds to the Southwick Oval.

Potterne won the toss and elected to bat and J Collier and B Whitebread put on 29 for the first wicket before the latter was clean bowled by Jayke Hudd (1-17).

Collier continued to score and was well supported by J Hurley (30) before he fell to Gary Collins (1-26).

James Taylor was brought into the attack and bowled his first six overs for just eight runs, beating the bat on numerous occasions before his luck finally paid off striking three times in four balls, removing Raddon (2), New (0) and Clarke (0).

Taylor then finally removed Collier for 33 to finish with figures of 4-17.

Pete Andrews picked up 2-20 and the innings was wrapped up for 117 thanks to a run-out from Taylor.

Harber was first to go in the Beehive reply but fellow opener Mike Reeves continued his fine form, accumulating 31 before he fell to A Sainsbury.

Grant Savides stepped up the mark with Beehive in need of runs and scored an excellent 48 before he was out lbw and the game then fizzled out as Collins (3*) & J Hudd (5*) eased Beehive over the line.

Division 6 Beehive were unable to do the double over Potterne as the 2nds suffered a 182-run defeat at the hands of their opponents 4th team.

Batting first, Potterne did not waste much time in attacking the Beehive bowlers as they raced to 195-0 from 30 overs before D Alsop finally departed for 145, caught by Phil Stockley off Ben Clift.

Jonny Andrews then picked up the wicket of D Russell and J Paige hit his own wicket to give Clift (2-67) his second. James Dennison (1-36) also had a caught and bowled as Potterne finished on a mammoth 327-4.

After tea, Beehive went out to bat knowing they needed to get off to a flying start and Nigel Reeves scored 23 off the first four overs but J Andrews was clean bowled by J Paige for 2.

Wickets continued to tumble around Reeves, with Ady Day (13), Paul Rendell (17) and Clift (17) all making starts.

Dennison (12*) was stranded at the non-strikers end as the final wicket of Reeves fell for a 60, with Beehive all out for 145.