CRICKET Wicks and Archer help fire up Ashton's title tilt (From Cotswold Journal)

CRICKET Wicks and Archer help fire up Ashton's title tilt

HALF-CENTURIES from Graham Wicks and Tom Archer steered Ashton to an eight-wicket victory in pursuit of a place back in the top flight of the Cotswold Hills League.

On an afternoon when Wicks's former club Exhall and Wixford crashed to a third straight defeat and new champions Bretforton celebrated a first-ever Premier Division title, Ashton's win kept them in the second promotion spot - nine points adrift of section leaders Wellesbourne who overcame Norton Lindsey by the same margin.

Alcester and Ragley also had eight wickets in hand when passing Henley's 96 all out but they will need to claim four more points than Ashton from their visit to old rivals Bidford on what promises to be a fascinating final afternoon of the season.

Super

Julian Reader took 4-49 for the Ragley Park men, while Steve Capron's ten overs brought super figures of 3-13. Shaun Quirke followed up figures of 2-5 with 36 not out.

Bretforton captain Paul Jones couldn't be kept out of the spotlight despite relegating himself to number seven in the batting line-up.

Jones added 64 more runs to his impressive summer tally after Stuart Berry's 54 had laid the platform for the 242-8 against Overbury.

Paul Hockey was the solitary visiting batsman to reach double figures as Craig Griffiths (4-1) helped skittle Overbury for a paltry 69.

Defeats for both Winchcombe and Broadway see them wave goodbye to the top flight on an afternoon when Earlswood, Shipston and Moreton-in-Marsh all consolidated their mid-table positions.

Twyning have suffered a second successive relegation and they will be joined in the second division next summer by either Claverdon or Ebrington who meet in a winner takes all showdown.

Kineton have run away with the Division Two title and should be joined in the first division in 2007 by Elmley Castle who ended Chipping Campden's promotion hopes.

Simon Cooper was Elmley's star with figures of 4-15 and 55 with the bat as the visitors won a rain-affected clash by six wickets.

A thrilling climax is on the cards in the third division where Woodbourne's ten-wicket rout of FISSC almost certainly guaranteed top spot.

However, just a single point separates the next three sides following wins for Shipston and Temple Grafton and Stanway's defeat at Great Alne.

Division Four champions Fladbury lost for the only the second time this season when a superb innings of 70 from Harvington's Jones sentenced the top dogs to a three-wicket reverse after the visitors had posted 195-9.

Both Blockley and Cookhill celebrated a second successive promotion with easy wins over Eckington and Bidford but it's the former who move up as champions.

Promoted

Alvechurch and Bretforton are promoted from Division Six after both registered victories.

The former passed Kenilworth's 110-6 without losing a wicket, while Kineton's 118 proved no trouble for the Station Road men who claimed a four-wicket success.

Jelfs (4-26) and Evans (3-21) were Bretforton's top bowlers, while Ant Clarke's 64 provided the perfect platform for the post tea reply.