BOSBURY won their first home Marches League Division 5a match on Saturday by one run.

BOSBURY v PRESTEIGNE

In a tense and exciting match at home against Presteigne, the visitors won the toss and asked Bosbury to bat on what turned out to be a slow pitch.

With the ball swinging noticeably, Bosbury lost both openers Dave Daffin and Matt Graff for one run apiece to leave them reeling at 12-2.

Luke Ledbury and Merv Carless staged a brief recovery, Ledbury hitting 26 quickfire runs, before he was bowled by Rhodes with the score 45-3.

Merv Carless continued to play an anchor role, but his patient innings of seven runs came to an end with the score on 75. Steve Davies (13) became the first of Sparey's victims, and soon after Mark Moaby, who played a fine innings scoring 46 runs, was also bowled by Sparey. Mark Wadley (10) then hung around as Jon Owen blasted five fours in a whirlwind innings of 24, then the Bosbury tail played out the remaining overs, pushing the score to 167-9.

Presteigne got off to slow start as Mark Wadley and Steve Davies bowled accurate spells.

It wasn't until the 13th over that Bosbury broke through, when T Armstrong (four) was bowled off his pads by Davies with the score on just 24.

However, Presteigne's captain N Bartholomew was in great form, and he was joined at the crease by S Duncan. These two put together a partnership that took the score to 94, and the visitors appeared to be progressing towards victory as Bosbury wavered in the field.

But then Jon Owen had Duncan lbw for 28, and soon after Mark Wadley bowled R Sparey for seven with the score now on 106-3.

Owen claimed another victim soon after as he bowled M Davies for four, but it took a great catch on the boundary by Carless to dismiss Bartholomew for a fine 68 off the bowling of Owen.

The score was now 124-5, and Bosbury could sense they were still in with a chance. Wickets began to fall and runs began to dry up for Presteigne as Bosbury continued to pile on the pressure. Rhodes played well to get Presteigne to within sight of victory, before he was bowled by Moaby for 27.

Nine runs were needed off the final over, bowled by Alan Lancett. But Lancett and the Bosbury fielders kept their cool in the evening heat, and Presteigne could manage only seven runs, thereby losing the match by one run.

Presteigne had consolation in picking up two bonus points for not having been dismissed, but Bosbury took the ten points for victory.