A STONKING 153 not out off 123 balls from Angus McIntyre helped Ross 1st XI to a giant 217-run win over visitors Presteigne in their Marches Division Two clash.

The team bounced back from their Dales defeat the week before by setting a mountainous target of 323-4 off their 45 overs.

Put in by Presteigne, Stuart Mair made a quick 13 before departing lbw (20-1), and new man Jack Donovan was also in a hurry clattering 20 off 20 balls before holing out for the second wicket with the score on 50.

McIntyre had bidden his time until this point scoring a patient 12, but he and new man Graham Howls now began clattering the Presteigne attack all over the park, sharing a 125-run stand before the latter fell for a well-played 50 off 51 balls, which included eight fours (175-3).

Fifth man Ben Element took over with aplomb and the new duo combined for an even bigger 135-run partnership, racing past the 300-mark when he holed out for a swashbuckling 63 off 61 balls, including seven fours (310-4).

McIntyre carried his bat to the line after a magnificent knock that included a superb 22 fours.

And the bowlers quickly made inroads into the Presteigne reply, reducing them to 27-2 and then 59-5 before dismissing them for 106 in 39.2 overs.

Josh Element starred with the ball taking five for 15 off 10 overs, while Chloe Tingle landed three for 31 off 9.1 overs, with Jack Donovan and Ben Element taking one apiece.

The 2nd XI secured eight points from a ’losing draw’ after being set 292-8 by Wormelow 2nds in their Division 3 clash, Luke Timewell and Wayne Husbands taking wicket braces.

In reply, the visitors saw out their 40 overs with a wicket to spare but finished well short of the target on 104, Timewell top-scoring with 19.

Opener Anthony James hit a magnificent 90 for Aston Ingham 1st XI at Kingsholm in Gloucestershire League Division 1, but it was all in vain as the other five top-order batsmen could only muster 11 between them.

The hosts raced to 257-7 off their 45 overs, Ben Harris taking three wickets and Sam Wheeler and Mike King two apiece.

But while James cracked 12 fours and four sixes in his knock before holing out, the early order collapse that left them on 37-5 proved insurmountable, Aston succumbing to a 99-run loss after being dismissed for 158 in 38.2 overs.

Sixty from the bat of Charles Morton helped the 2nd XI to a 74-run win at home to Highnam Court in the Cheltenham/Gloucester/Forest Premier Division.

Dan Smith with 26 not out and Jimmy Davies with 24 provided valuable support as Aston set a target of 182-8 from their 40 overs.

And in reply Highnam were skittled out for 108 with more than 10 overs to spare, Luke Ward taking three scalps and Noah O’Neill two.

The 3rd XI made a good go of chasing down St Briavels’ target of 230-4 off 40 overs in C/G/F Division 1 West, but despite a magnificent 106 not out by Johan Nieuwoudt, plus an unbeaten 38 from Kai Haines and 36 from Andrew Leighton, they ran out of time, finishing 20 runs short on 210-6.

Four batsmen made starts reaching double figures for the 4ths at home to Woodpeckers 2nds in Division Two West, but no one could push on, skipper Colin Leighton top-scoring with 20 in their 133 all out after 30.2 overs.

Alex Cluley then took two wickets as the visitors eased to 137-5 with 8.5 overs to spare.

Skipper opener Sam Griffiths scored 63 to help Goodrich to a tight three-wicket win over Wormelow with an over to spare in Marches Division 1.

The visitors set a target of 206 all out off their 45 overs, Jack Lewis grabbing three wickets and Chris Tookey and Matt Young two apiece.

Harry Porter with 44 and Andrew Brown with 36 also helped keep the runs flowing for the hosts as they reached 209-7 in reply, a win that sees them top the league after three straight victories.

In the same division, Ethan Lerego starred with 87 not out and seven wickets for Fownhope 1st XI at home to Builth Wells to help his side to 206-9 off their 45 overs, backed by George Wood-Cole with 47.

They then dismissed Builth for 176 in 33.4 overs to secure a 30-run win, the last six batsmen managing a paltry 13 with the bat as Lerego destroyed the middle order and tail end, taking his haul for 13 runs in just 5.4 overs.

The 2nds also triumphed in Division 3 despite being dismissed for 110 in 36.1 overs by visitors Almeley 2nds, opener Andrew Gardner carrying his bat with 33.

Strollers’ bowlers then destroyed the visitors batting line up, securing four ducks with the last five batters only managing a single run between them.

Frankie Allan starred with the ball with four wickets, while Corey Terry, Johnny Powell and Alfie Woolcock took two apiece.

Canon Frome beat Woolhope 1st XI by 58 runs in Division 1 after setting a target of 201-9 off their 45 overs, Ben Park taking four wickets and Shaun Weaver three.

A battling 56 from seventh man Freddie Spencer and 29 from sixth man Weaver wasn’t enough to turn around a 19-4 start, as the visitors were all out for 143 in 30.3 overs.

The 2nds won by 10 wickets though, at home to Burghill, Tillington and Weobley 3rds in Division 3, dismissing the visitors for just 91 in 27 overs, with George Griffin, Richard Watts and Stewart Williams landing wicket braces.

Matt Taylor and Andrew Williams both with 37 then eased the hosts home to 93 without loss in 17.3 overs.

Newent 1st XI won a tight low-scoring Gloucestershire League 2 clash at Gloucester AIW Sports by one wicket.

Having dismissed the hosts for 126 in 34.2 overs, Jack Cowles played a skipper’s knock scoring 59 backed by Tom Morley with 26 to reach 127-9, Simon Clark securing victory with a single off the last ball.

Earlier Clark had taken two wickets, matched by Richard Henry, Jamie Wood and Paul Carter.

Mark Franklin with 104 not out and Braden Stonehouse with an unbeaten 90 shared a match-winning partnership for Newent Lions in C/G/F 1 West, as they set visitors Alvington and Woolaston 1st XI a target of 268-1, with skipper Andrew Duggan also firing 43.

Two wickets from Karl Mortimer and two catches from Ollie Corston then helped limit the away side to 184-4 off their 40 overs for an 84-run victory.

The 3rds lost out at home to Dymock 2nds in 2 West, though, Mike Cale grabbing four wickets and Andy Kingaby and David Williams two apiece to dismiss the hosts for 140 in 29.2 overs.

And the visitors then raced to 141-2 in a quick-fire 13.4 overs, Nick Willetts firing an unbeaten 58 and skipper Williams 43 not out.

Meanwhile, James Field fell agonisingly short of his ton scoring 96 for Dymock 1st XI after taking three wickets in Churchdown’s innings of 237-6.

His whirlwind 73-ball knock included seven sixes and eight fours, while Sam Peacock weighed in with 51 and Dan Gale 34 as the hosts hit 240-5 with 10 balls to spare for a five-wicket Gloucestershire Division 4 win.