WARMINSTER were leapfrogged by Rockhampton at the top of the table as they were swept aside by eight wickets.

The defeat was just a second in the opening six games of 2015 for Tom Davie’s side, although they are now 12 points adrift of Rockhampton at the summit.

Visitors Warminster won the toss and elected to bat first but they were soon in trouble at 28-3.

Pete Hickerton (26) and Brandon Ward (46) came together to rebuild the innings, and they took Warminster to 77 before the former was dismissed.

David Bateman (36) came to the crease and helped Ward continue the resurgence but once the duo were back in the hutch the innings swiftly fell apart.

The final four Warminster wickets fell for just 14 runs as they could only muster 173 all out.

That below-par score was in no small part down to the efforts of the impressive Christopher Perry (4-27) with the ball for Rockhampton.

Davie’s men knew early wickets would be crucial if they were to have any chance of defending that low total, but the home side had put on 36 before William Tyler was the first man to fall to Ankit Shastri.

Shastri also accounted for fellow opener Jamie Wakefield (41) but that was the final wicket to fall as Michael Beard (62*) and Matt Tyler (35*) shared an unbeaten stand of 83 to take Rockhampton from 91-2 past their target in the 45th over.