OPENING bowler Nick Sawyer bagged five wickets for eight runs in his eight overs as Clanfield’s 1st XI routed Waterlooville’s 3rd XI in the Hampshire Cricket League Division 6 South East on Saturday.

Waterlooville captain Charlie Ellis won the toss at South Lane Meadow and chose to field under grey skies with showers forecast.

Clanfield started well, with openers Alex Andrews and Chris Wheeler playing sensibly against good bowling from Charlie Ellis and Dean Rockett. They put on 29 for the first wicket before Wheeler was bowled for seven.

Mike Collins teamed up with Andrews to add 81. Andrews passed 50 as the team reached 100, but Ellis returned to break the partnership – bowling Andrews for 70 – and Collins plus new batsman Kris Lane followed quickly as Clanfield lost three wickets for 12 runs.

Captain Matt Bradley and John Windebank rebuilt the innings, with Bradley making 32 from 30 balls as Clanfield got to 150, but three wickets in the final over saw them finish on 151 for seven from their 40 overs.

Clanfield made the perfect start with the ball. Opening bowler Nick Sawyer took two wickets in as many overs, with Steve Graham taking two from the other end.

It was to be Sawyer’s day, however, as a superb spell of swing bowling was rewarded with five wickets for eight runs from his eight overs, all of them bowled. Sawyer and Graham both bowled their eight overs straight through and returned combined figures of seven

for 21.

Waterlooville opener Dan Broome watched wickets fall around him and when his resistance was ended by Adam Smith they were 25 for eight.

A partnership between Dean Rockett and Osama Sohail late on frustrated Clanfield, but Andy Wellen bowled Rockett and Smith took the final wicket of Sohail to dismiss Waterlooville for 47 and give Clanfield victory by 104 runs.