CHIPPING Sodbury kept alive their hopes of a Houdini-like escape from the bottom of the WEPL’s Glos & Wilts Division with a seven-wicket home defeat of fellow basement battlers Westbury & District.

Jon Toghill (3-34), Jamie Wakefield (2-33) and Dan Clark (2-34) teamed up to peg the visitors back to 184 before Sodbury recovered from losing a couple of early wickets to reach a rain-reduced target of 107 with plenty to spare, Wakefield unbeaten on 47 and Clark 37 not out.

It was another good day for Sodbury seconds, who won by five wickets at Marlborough thanks to the efforts of Ben Waldron (3-50) and Jarrod Campling (2-30), along with an unbeaten 39 from Lee Walters.

Sodbury thirds, meanwhile, took tremendous satisfaction from a nine-wicket thumping of PR Royals in Division Four of the Globe Sports Bristol & District League.

Sodbury, second at the start of play and three points ahead of the league newcomers, cruised to a nine-wicket win after the Royals were restricted to just 117.

Kris Hemming captured 5-38 from 12 overs but still finished on the losing side as Sodbury fourths went down by 16 runs in Division Ten against a strong Bohemians seconds outfit at Hillesley.

And the fifths were frustrated by rain in their Division Eleven date with Bristol Civil Service seconds.

Sodbury piled up 245-7 and the Civil Servants were hanging on at 77-7 when rain ended play for the day.

This weekend, Sodbury’s first XI travel to Rockhampton with the reciprocal second XI contest taking place at the Ridings.

Sodbury thirds have a big home game against Division Four leaders Bristol Civil Service, while the fourths travel to Coalpit Heath.