A POOR batting performance from the top-order proved damaging as Ashcott and Shapwick slumped to an eight-wicket defeat to Bristol on Saturday.

Batting first, Ashcott could only manage 154 as they lost their first six wickets with less than 100 on the board. Only Sobczak (30) and Coppell (30 not) put up any sort of resistance as the home side crawled past 150. In reply, Bristol looked comfortable despite losing Roger Sillence in the second over of the innings, bowled by Steve Coppell for 0. Gloucestershire’s Dan Housego then scored an unbeaten 91 to guide Bristol past Ashcott’s limp total with 11 overs to spare.

Bristol’s bowling attack didn’t take long to get stuck into the Ashcott top-order, as Cooper (17), Rudge (0) and Karmarkar (0) all fell cheaply to the lively opening pair of Will Rudge (2-47) and Willmott (2-18). From here, Ashcott never really recovered and only reached 154 thanks to some lower-order resistance from Sobczak and Coppell.

The home side were eventually bowled out in the 45th over, leaving Bristol with a comfortable looking chase.

And comfortable it proved to be, as Gloucestershire star Housego raced to a fluent half-century, following the early dismissals of Sillence and Smith to Coppell (1-35) and Rudge (1-5) respectively.

Housego soon began to motor, striking 14 fours and a six on his way to an unbeaten 91.

Hayman was unlucky to leave wicketless after a tidy spell of seam bowling, but the Ashcott bowlers were left short of a defendable target. Tavare (29 not) gave solid support as Bristol cruised to victory and condemned Ashcott to their sixth defeat of the season.