COUNTY League Division Two leaders Lydney suffered a rare reverse, falling short by just 21 runs at Shurdington.

The Cheltenham side won the toss and elected to bat but Lydney made a positive start when captain Dave Carter was bowled for a single by Ellis Boughton to make it 18-1.

Dan Rackley had hit four boundaries in his 19 when he was caught by Callum Miller off Alex Antoine for 67-2.

It was business as usual for the leaders when opener Archie Yearp also went to the Miller-Antoine combination to reduce Shurdington to 73-3.

At this point, Keith Knight was on five and he was joined in the middle by Tom Knight for a partnership that goaded the visiting bowlers.

Together they put on 129 for the fourth wicket before Keith Knight was bowled by Antoine for a patient 34.

Tom Knight would go on to make an undefeated 101 off 83 balls including 17 fours.

Tom Knight and Jack Styman then put on 49 for the fifth wicket.

Styman was run out by wicketkeeper Dafydd Nicholas off the fourth ball of the final over, bowled by Miller, and the innings closed with a target of 252.

In reply, Alex Nelmes and Alex Antoine put on 55 for the first wicket with Antoine bowled by Keith Knight.

His 32 had come off 22 balls and included four fours and a couple of sixes.

Nelmes and Nicholas added another 53 before Nelmes went in the 22nd over.

He was caught and bowled by Keith Knight two short of his half century for 108-2.

Lydney skipper Alex Gooding was next to go, bowled for eight, with only nine runs having been added to the total.

Nicholas and Jordan Stone then added 51 before Stone was bowled for 23 at the rate of a run a ball.

His total included two fours and a six and Lydney were 168-4, still needing 84 off the last 10 overs.

As the visitors chased the game, Nicholas was run out to make it 187-5, he was four runs short of his half century and had hit five fours and a six.

Nicholas went with the first ball of the 32nd over and the opening delivery of the next saw Ellis Boughton bowled for 15 to put Lydney on 190-6.

Ed Jones was caught for 13 with 20 having been added to the total.

The last two wickets to fall went to successive balls in the penultimate over.

First Thomas Worgan was caught and bowled and then Corey Notley-Barnard was bowled.

That left Miller and Phil Lewis looking for 30 off the last nine balls.

With two games to go, Lydney are 39 points ahead of Langford in second and have a 49-point advantage over Redmarley in third.