ASTON Ingham 1st XI secured their West of England Gloucestershire status with a nail-biting 11 run win over mid-table hosts Chipping Campden on Saturday.

The tight victory leaves them with a 22-point buffer to the bottom two with one game to play and they are now safe.

Anthony James bounced back from a duck the previous week to fire a magnificent 115 off 119 balls, including three sixes and 14 fours, as Aston reached 218-7 in their 50 overs.

Dharzekanth Yoganadan with 25 and Craig Baker with 32 also provided valuable support.

Whether that would be enough remained to be seen, but the bowlers soon had the hosts 10-2 and then 68-5.

A 98-run sixth-wicket stand then ramped up the tension before two quick wickets (166-7) halted the Chipping charge.

And Aston had enough in their armoury to limit the hosts to 207-8 to claim a full 20 points, James, Jack Carpenter and Tim Dulson taking wicket braces and Mohamed Dilshad the other wicket.

The 2nds won by a huge 157 runs at home to Oldlands 1sts after setting a target of 294-6 off 40 overs, Sam Fitzmaurice blasting 102 off 92 balls, including four sixes and 10 fours, and Johnny Keown-Boyd 74, including 12 fours.

Oldlands were then skittled for 137 in 27.5 overs, Jack Davis with 4-31, and Shafiq Khan 3-35.

The 3rds were also 26-run winners at home to Westbury 2nds, dismissing the visitors for 116 in 34.4 overs after scoring 142 all out in 37.5 overs.

Will Green scored 30 and Leo Lockwood 27, before the former took 3-6 off just 10 balls after Oliver Kelsall had seen off the openers (2-21), with former National Hunt jump jockey Tom Scudamore also clutching two catches.

Elsewhere, Goodrich 1sts lost by seven wickets away to Hatherley & Redding 3rds in Gloucestershire 5 after setting a target of 191-7 off their 40 overs.

Sean Weller fired 47 as part of an 81-run opening stand, alongside James O'Brien who went on to score 55, before Harry Porter added 35 and Chris Tookey 25.

But the hosts then raced to 192-3 in 27.4 overs, James O'Brien, James Morton and Joe Provis with the wickets.

The 2nds also lost by 46 runs at home to Highnam Court 2nds.

The visitors scored 259-8 off their 40 overs, Ralph Heaven Richards taking two wickets, before the hosts were all out for 213 in 34.4 overs, skipper Joe Griffiths firing 76 and Ayrton Lowther 58.

Meanwhile, Ross CC’s season goes down to the wire this Saturday, where they will be hoping promotion rivals Hay-on-Wye slip up at home to Colwall 3rds and they can beat champions elect Dales away.

Hay beat Moccas by nine wickets last weekend, when Ross had the day off, to go seven points clear of Ross in the Worcestershire 8A second promotion spot.

Other last day of the season fixtures this Saturday (August 29) include – Aston 1sts v Charlton Kings 1sts, Parkend 1sts v Aston 2nds, Highnam Court 2nds v Aston 3rds, Aston 4ths v Parkend 2nds, Goodrich 1sts v Langford 2nds, Westbury 2nds v Goodrich 2nds.