CHIPPING Sodbury produced a fine team performance to close out their first win since being promoted back to WEPL’s Gloucestershire division, defeating Cirencester by 35 runs on the road.

The visitors, who lost the toss, battled their way to a useful total of 240 with contributions throughout the order led by Ollie Louch, who top scored on league debut with 41, Josh Morris (38), Jamie Wakefield (31), Rohan Wijeratne and Sourish Mukherjee (both 29).

Sodbury then made the perfect start with the ball, making two early breakthroughs, before Morris (3-16 from 9.5), skipper Jamie Rendell (3-36 from nine) and Dan Brown (2-45) turned the screw.

It was a terrific day too for Sodbury 2nds who dispatched Cranham by 143 runs to make it two wins in a row in Division Four of the Gloucestershire County League.

Sodbury piled up 271-7 after winning the toss, Damien Bouwer continuing his excellent start to the summer with a blistering 103 from only 64 (14 fours, 4 sixes) while Reece Packer weighed in with an unbeaten 38.

Callum Mealing (3-31) and Alfie Greaves (3-40) then made inroads along with Mason Poole (2-24) as their side moved joint top at this early stage of the season.

Sodbury 3rds, meanwhile, also made it two successive wins by trumping OB Westbury by six wickets in Division Eight of the Bristol & District League.

George Nethercote’s superb return of 4-44 plus Riley Wakefield’s haul of 2-23, both from eight, saw the Bristol side restricted to 173-8 before Ben Boardman followed up last week’s unbeaten 88 with an innings of 90 not out to seal the victory.

It was a tougher day for Sodbury 4ths who succumbed by ten wickets away to their Brislington counterparts despite a career-best 93 from Nathan Searle.

Sodbury’s first XI are home to Stroud on Saturday while the 4ths host Coalpit Heath 3rds. The 2nds travel to Stroud and the 3rds are away to Shirehampton 2nds while on Sunday a Developmental XI host Kingswood Village.