GLOUCESTER have given themselves a fighting chance of beating the drop after completing a tense 12-run home win over fellow strugglers Frocester 2nds in WEPL’s Gloucestershire division.
Scott Montgomery dug in for a priceless 107 from 122 (14 fours, one six) to dominate a total of 216-6 after Gloucester had won the toss.
And it proved to be just enough as Frocester came up short against Abu Rahi (4-28 from nine) and Raju Devandran who claimed 2-47 from ten.
Gloucester remain second bottom but, with four rounds of games to go, are only six behind Frocester and 11 off newcomers Hawkesbury Upton.
Hawkesbury suffered a 69-run home setback against Aston Ingham for whom Anthony James cracked 128 off 134 (13 fours, five sixes).
Next up for Hawkesbury is a home date against bottom side Thornbury 2nds who are all but relegated after a seven wicket defeat at second placed Bourton Vale for whom Max Shepherd grabbed 5-10.
Jiwanjot Singh, meanwhile, turned in a tremendous solo performance for leaders Chipping Sodbury who held off Langford by 50 runs.
The all-rounder began his day with 100 from 68 (15 fours, one six) and followed up with a haul of 5-36 from nine overs of spin to keep his side 21 points clear.
Charlton Kings, in third, dominated Stroud by 143 runs, Benny Ellis top scoring on 91 while there were also three wickets for Matt Gibson and Ben Lord.
In Premier One, lowly Downend slipped to a 13-run home reverse against leaders Bridgwater, Cyrus Shafi carrying his bat for a battling 83 from 115 while captain Callum Loud blasted 72 from 44.
Skipper Louie Shaw bagged 3-31 from ten and then finished unbeaten on 71 as Bristol saw off champions Potterne by six wickets.
And Thornbury continued their excellent first season back at this level, moving up a place to third following a seven wicket home success over Bath.
Frocester remain in relegation trouble after a five-run home reverse against Burbage & Easton Royal despite the considerable efforts of Oscar Moore (6-32 from ten).
Dumbleton, the Premier Two Glos/Wilts pacesetters, suffered only their second defeat of the campaign when they slipped up by four wickets at Goatacre.
Rugs Magarira took 4-19 as Hatherley & Reddings coasted to a 172-run triumph away to Royal Wootton Bassett while Tewkesbury went down by 82 runs at Corsham.
Opener Reece Morris finished unbeaten on 69 as Painswick pounded struggling Chippenham by nine wickets, and Cheltenham saw off bottom side Purton by six wickets.
Golden Hill are back up to third in Premier Two Bristol/Somerset following a four wicket win at Congresbury, but Bishopston remain in danger of the drop following a 15-run reverse at Weston-super-Mare.
Clubs are sat so tightly together in the Bristol & North Somerset division that Frenchay zoomed from ninth to fifth courtesy of a 68-run home win over Pak Bristolians.
Knowle, fourth at the start of play and only four points off the top, lost ground with a seven wicket reverse away to joint leaders Bristol West Indian Phoenix, Mike Jones and Ishtiaq Ishaq both taking four wickets.
Fellow pacesetters Twyford House saw off Bradley Stoke & Almondsbury by seven wickets, skipper Parik Shetty taking centre stage with an unbeaten 131 off 120 (11 fours, six sixes).
And Bristol Pakistanis made it three in a row with a 119-run home hammering of Bedminster 2nds, Umair Javed (3-6) and Ghulam Shabbir (3-13) inflicting the damage.
Bristol 2nds are now bottom following a six wicket setback away to Brislington, Arthur Harman taking 5-37 from nine.
REDMARLEY are off the bottom of the table after stunning leaders Corse & Staunton by three runs in a thrilling Division One clash in the Gloucestershire Cricket League.
The lowly visitors elected to bat after winning the toss, battling their way to a total of 149 thanks mainly to the efforts of openers Charlie Ayland (42) and Richard Henry (29) who shared a stand of 78 while Craig Stow weighed in with 37 as Callum King (4-16 from eight) led the attack.
Corse, in reply, were soon on the back foot at 31-3 and then 107-9 but came right back into contention thanks to the efforts of last man Tristan Maree and King.
They put on 39 and took their side to the verge of victory only for King to be held for 17 with Maree left unbeaten on 22, Henry capturing 4-24 from nine.
Corse remain top but after a second successive defeat are just two points ahead of Cheltenham 2nds who dispatched Tetbury by 34 runs, Nirvaan Jain hitting 69 and Pasca Mutekwa capturing 4-30.
Kingsholm find themselves bottom after suffering an eight wicket reverse away to Lydney for whom Jack Knox finished with terrific figures of 5-19 from eight.
Dumbleton 2nds are back on top of Division Two after blitzing promotion rivals Poulton by 198 runs, Freddie Sharp and George Garratt both taking four wickets.
Apperley, who began the day in pole position, slipped back to second despite an eight wicket win at Great Rissington, Luke Smith hitting 51 and Matt Bowyer unbeaten on 50.
One of the innings of the day came in Division Three where Jack Cowles plundered an unbeaten 190 for Newent, setting up a 121-run home triumph against Fairford.
The opener struck 26 fours and eight sixes while, in reply, opener Chris Clayton was unbeaten on 102 (11 fours, two sixes) for Fairford.
There were two tremendous batting performances in the Division Seven B clash between Slimbridge and Oaksey.
Visiting Oaksey piled up 267-7 after winning the toss, opener Tom Biddulph dominating with his 101.
But Slimbridge eased to a seven wicket win with more than four overs to spare as Rodrigo Rashinthe hammered 160 from 117 (19 fours, one six).
The batters did not have things all their own way. In Division Eight B, Sam Rawlings’ burst of 6-17 from eight saw Chipping Campden 2nds to a 137-run triumph away to St Philips North.
And in Nine E, Tony Glinos finished with 6-19 from eight for Stinchcombe Stragglers 2nds who dismissed Stroud 4ths for 62 to seal a 76-run win.
James King, meanwhile, had a day to remember in Division Eight C for Tetbury 3rds, grabbing 6-28 to ensure a 135-run success away to Minchinhampton 2nds.
