OPENER Hari Jayasekara plundered an unbeaten 164 off just 103 as Frocester 2nds chased down a target of 246 in less than 30 overs to thump local rivals Stroud by six wickets in WEPL’s Gloucestershire division.
The left hander led the charge in style, crashing 18 fours and nine sixes as Frocester made it three wins in a row to remain eighth.
Leaders Chipping Sodbury trumped Charlton Kings, who started the day second, by 150 runs, captain Tom Laver cracking 108 from 137 (15 fours, one six) and sharing a second wicket stand of 206 with Jake Reed (83) before Lovepreet Singh struck with a haul of 4-48 from ten.
Bourton Vale moved back up to second following a three-wicket success at Aston Ingham for whom opener Nic Merrin was bowled one short of a century.
Musa Twala then held the visitors’ reply together with a match winning unbeaten 99, Max Shepherd contributing 51.
Hawkesbury Upton held off Langford by 16 runs, captain George Bailey top scoring with 84 and Kudzai Maunze capturing 5-26 from ten, while relegation threatened Gloucester ended a run of four straight defeats with a six wicket win at Thornbury 2nds, opener Dan Brabham unbeaten on 134 from 160 (17 fours, two sixes).
In Premier One, fourth placed Thornbury trumped Burbage & Easton Royal by 30 runs, captain Harry Thomas unbeaten on 72 while Tom Vermaak struck with 4-35.
Downend defeated fellow strugglers Taunton St Andrews by seven wickets, skipper Callum Loud crashing an unbeaten 70 that included seven sixes.
But Bristol succumbed by two wickets away to leaders Bridgwater and Frocester went down by six wickets at Potterne.
Dumbleton, the Premier Two Glos/Wilts pacesetters, made it seven in a row, easing past Corsham by 166 runs, Gloucestershire’s Tommy Boorman trapped leg before for 96.
And county colleague Jack Taylor top scored on 77 for Hatherley & Reddings who ended a run of four straight defeats with a 39-run derby triumph away to Cheltenham.
Tewkesbury edged struggling Chippenham by 23 runs, Louis Whitmore top scoring on 101 from 135 (11 fours) and sharing a second wicket stand of 164 with opener Josh Richards (82) but Painswick went down by 61 runs at home to high flying Royal Wootton Bassett despite George MacDuff’s 87 and 76 from Matt Conolly.
Bishopston, meanwhile, made it three in a row in Premier Two Bristol/Somerset, overcoming Clevedon by three wickets while Golden Hill defeated Weston-super-Mare by 89 runs, John Colley tidying up with 4-25 from eight.
Knowle, who began the day at the top of Bristol North Somerset, dropped to fourth following a 17-run reverse away to bottom side Bristol Pakistanis, Soban Irfan (4-32) and Umair Javed (3-39) inflicting the damage.
Bristol West Indian Phoenix and Twyford House are once again level on points at the top.
BWIP were 61-run victors at Bristol 2nds while Twyford won by three wickets at Pak Bristolians.
Frenchay slipped into the bottom two with a 13-run loss away to Bedminster 2nds, and in the final game Brislington won by 32 runs at Bradley Stoke & Almondsbury, Will Thomas unbeaten on 84.
JARROD Campling grabbed 5-13 and Chris Willemstein 3-14 as Upton St Leonards were skittled for 32 ahead of Winchcombe racing to a nine wicket win to stay top of Division Six A in the Gloucestershire League.
Saints, who won the toss, were bowled out in less than 17 overs before unbeaten Winchcombe romped to the points in only 20 balls.
It was a good day also for Hatherley & Reddings 3rds who rushed out Forest Exiles for 44, Simon Bennett capturing 5-13 from four, before completing a nine wicket victory.
Division One pacesetters Corse & Staunton slipped up by 10 runs at home to nearest rivals Cheltenham 2nds for whom Thiwanka Kekulawala hit 87.
Cheltenham Civil Service, in third, closed the gap thanks to a 60-run home triumph against Lydney, Sam Excell and Mike Teague both taking three wickets.
Bottom side Redmarley cruised in by eight wickets at home to Chipping Campden, Kevin Trouw (88) and Craig Stow (60) sharing an unbroken stand of 150 while fellow strugglers Kingsholm went down to a fourth successive defeat, slipping up by two wickets at home to Rockhampton for whom Mikey Chandler took 4-14 from nine and hit 77.
Ravesh Kumar (4-18 from nine) and Mahesh Shetty (3-39) bowled lowly Ullenwood Bharat to a memorable 124-run victory away to Division Two leaders Dumbleton 2nds.
The new pacesetters are Apperley who trumped Tewkesbury 2nds by three wickets, Lawrence Barraclough (46) and Sam Fitzmaurice (39) sharing a crucial unbroken partnership.
Division Three leaders Woodmancote marched on with a three-wicket win away to Chipping Sodbury 2nds, Jack Isher finishing with 4-40 while Quedgeley & Hardwicke remain second after squeezing in by one wicket at home to Frampton-on-Severn.
The visitors’ challenge of 221-7 owed much to Stephan De Jager (75) and captain Billy Curtis (74), Sunny Kalcutt claiming 4-45 from eight.
Opener Mike Carratu then top scored on 63 for Quedgeley who banked the points off the final ball of the match.
Charlton Kings 2nds are now only four points off the top of Division Four following a 98-run pounding of Whitminster, opener Chris Downes cracking 123.
Leaders Cheltenham 3rds totalled 255-6 away to their Frocester counterparts, but the home side grabbed an important three wicket win with five balls in hand thanks mainly to Chris Whincup’s 108 from 82 (18 fours, two sixes).
And in Division Five, leaders King’s Stanley held off nearest rivals Sheepscombe by 21 runs, Ollie Cranny top scoring on 65 from 42 (eight fours, three sixes) before following up with a return of 3-34 from seven.
