CHIPPING Sodbury will be relegated from the WEPL’s Glos & Wilts Division after losing their final of the game of the season, at home to Tewkesbury, and finishing bottom of the table.

Once again it was a case of so near yet so far as Sodbury were dismissed only nine runs short of their target to suffer another narrow defeat.

The visitors, who won the toss, battled their way to 228-5 thanks mainly to an unbeaten 104 from opener Freddie Humphries.

Sodbury, in reply, were in good shape at 200-6 thanks to opener Jamie Wakefield (61) and skipper Bryan Jater (60).

But the loss of Craig Scully (36) sparked a collapse as David Vernon mopped up to claim 5-21 from ten.

Sodbury now wait to hear the decision of a WEPL committee on where they will be playing their first XI cricket next season.

Sodbury seconds, meanwhile, ended a highly successful campaign in their WEPL division with an eight-wicket setback at Dumbleton, but still finished an excellent second.

Jerry Swatton (41), Jake Reed (35) and Martyn Rendell (34) saw Sodbury to a total of 155, which proved to be comfortably within reach for Dumbleton.

Sodbury thirds clinched the Bristol & District’s Division Four title with an eight-wicket demolition of nine-man Alveston, who were rushed out for only 45 by Jack Thacker (5-33 from nine).

In Division Ten, Sodbury fourths had to settle for a third-place finish despite defeating St Mary Redcliffe thirds by 110 runs, Ali Scott (83) and Richard Bennett (51, retired) amongst the runs.

Sodbury fifths, already crowned champions of Division 11, completed a club double over Alveston, defeating the villagers’ seconds by 83 runs.