Gloucestershire County Cricket League Division One

Frampton-on-Severn (175-2) beat Birdlip & Brimpsfield (173) by eight wickets

TOMMY Warren and Lee Driver-Dickerson both hit unbeaten half-centuries to lead Frampton to victory over struggling Birdlip and Brimpsfield.

Frampton won the toss and decided to bowl on a dry and fast wicket.

James Buse and George Smith found the pace of Dan Huxstep and Craig Barnfield hard to handle.

Buse chipped one back to Huxstep for just four and Ian Green was caught at slip by Frazer Wilson for one.

Things looked good for the home team but catches were being shelled all over the pitch and Toby Harris took advantage of this.

Striking the ball with power, the game turned in Birdlip’s favour until Matt Cayless was introduced and had him caught at cover by Driver-Dickerson for a useful 28.

Smith was still finding runs hard to come by but when Ken Griffiths joined him they made a positive effort to play some shots.

The pair rode their luck, finding to boundary with some unorthodox shots until Smith was caught and bowled off the spin of Frazer Wilson for 37.

With the score on 144, Griffiths had one expansive shot too many, holing out on the boundary for a top score of 49.

The collapse soon followed with only Kent Partridge (24) making any inroads with the total.

Birdlip finished on a slightly under-par 173 all out with Wilson (4-27) and Barnfield (3-24) the pick of the Frampton bowlers.

Opening pair Driver-Dickerson and Jason Huxstep went off like a train, taking 24 runs off the first four overs, but Huxstep fell to a shooter from George James for just six in the fifth over.

Jack Edge's innings ended embarrassingly, leaving a straight one from James for just eight.

Warren joined Driver-Dickerson and both were intent on preserving their wicket.

Birdlip tried everything, using a massive nine bowlers to try and tease the two batsmen into a false shot but to no avail.

Both players stood firm and Frampton cruised over the line with 14 overs to spare.

Warren top scored with 66 including four sixes with Driver-Dickerson not far behind on 63 having hit nine fours.