LYDNEY got back to winning ways as they defeated Apperley by six wickets at The Bob Park Cricket Ground, writes Phil Lewis.

There were three changes to the line-up with Jack Batcock, Daffyd Nicholas and Jack O’Connell coming into the team.

Apperley won the toss the decision to bat seemed good as openers Adrian Mayes and skipper Rob Birch started confidently, scoring at a run a ball. The fast outfield proving fruitful when the ball pierced the infield.

Their opening partnership came to end at 36 as Alex Gooding trapped Birch leg before for 11, one of five LBWs in the innings.

The second wicket soon followed as Gooding had Matt Cole caught behind by Nicholas for six and Apperley were 48-2.

This brought overseas player Lucas Krassaris to the crease with a bit of rebuilding to do. Mayes was looking very comfortable, being particularly strong on the drive. However, just as he was approaching his half century, he was caught behind by Nicholas off the bowling of Ed Jones for 43. The score now 84-3.

Apperley lost their next four wickets for just 28 runs. Ed Jones picking up his second wicket, with two wickets also for Callum Miller and one for Dan Brown. Lydney now well on top, Apperley on 112-7.

Lydney would now be keen to wrap up the innings as soon as possible. Apperley’s eight and nine had other ideas as they dug in and slowly started to get the scoreboard moving up to 150. The partnership was finally ended on 44 when James Nicol was out LBW by Gooding for a well-made 21. 156-8.

This proved to be the dismissal to trigger the end of the innings approaching as Ellie Boughton got two quick fire wickets by clean bowling Elliott Hayward (21) and Lucas Tibbles (0). Apperley all out for 159.

Lydney lost their first wicket in a self-inflicted fashion as a mix up left Batcock run out for 12. 39-1.

Ross Lindsay came in at three, promoted up the order but he was soon making his way back to the pavilion as he was trapped LBW for 0 by Hayward. 39-2.

Dafydd Nicholas entered the fray and instantly looked comfortable before he was caught behind by Mayes off Hayward for 10. 58-3 and the game was finely balanced. Opener Jonathan Kear was now on 30.

Kear was now joined by Dan Brown with just over 100 runs needed. Brown and Kear proceeded to bring about some calm to the innings, with both batting sensibly whilst attacking any balls that were there to be hit. They pushed the score past 100 with Kear passing his 50 in the meantime off 75 balls.

It was looking like a straight-forward task for Lydney until Brown was bowled for 20 by Cole, attempting to play an aggressive shot over mid-wicket. 120-4.

Skipper Gooding joined Kear at the crease with 40 required and they worked their way up to the target with relative ease as they reached 160-4 off 32.4 overs. Kear finishing on 92 not out and Gooding 14..

In the Cheltenham, Gloucester, Forest League, Lydney III needed just 11.2 overs to reach the 100 set by St Briavels II.

After winning the toss St Briavels found runs hard to come by against some miserly seam bowling from Nathan Jones (two wickets for 11 runs from eighy overs) and his opening partner, Ferdy Maguire, writes Andrew Kear.

The good work was continued by Aamash Nadeem who really built the pressure on the batters ,and Charlie Boughton who collected twowickets for 10 runs.

St Briavels kingpin Chris Lawrence made his side’s top score, a spirited, unbeaten 31. He received good support from brother Pete (17) and Chris Higgs who batted doggedly for a while. Lawrence ran out of partners as slow bowlers Andy Kear ( 522) and Richard Turner (1-15) made further inroads into the visitors batting.

In reply Lydney’s opening batsmen Adrian Knox and Scott James continued their fine form.

James recorded a quickfire 56 not out, hitting some notable boundaries. Knox, batting very sensibly, accumulated an undefeated 34 as the St Briavels total was surpassed in the 12th over.