A MUCH-CHANGED Colwall XI needed big performances from key batsmen at the top of the order to challenge a confident Hatherley team.

An unfortunate misreading of the pitch characteristics by skipper Tom Wolfendale, who won the toss for the first time since the end of May, saw the Colwall openers exposed to a pitch which gave ample help to the seamers in the first inning but which dried out into a benign strip by the end of the day.

Exploiting the wicket was by far the quickest bowler in this league, Theo Modeste. He was able to extract significant sideways movement which soon saw wickets tumble assisted by his captain bowling big off cutters from the other end.

Wolfendale once again looked in fine form, in little trouble against the pace, but David Powell chased a wide ball to feather a catch to the keeper.

Wolfendale's dismissal, bowled by Tiplady, saw two new batsmen at the crease. Jordan Kontarines defended well and Nick Panniers worked hard to keep his wicket intact. It did not last long, Panniers fended off a rising delivery to short leg and Kontarines was pleased to be good enough to nick a vicious delivery through to the keeper. Neither Matt Berry nor Mike King

lasted long and Colwall were in serious trouble at 43-6 in just the 18th over. Tim Riley was joined by Mark Shouler, playing his second game of the season, but by now the wicket was calming and the bowlers showing signs of fatigue.

Riley guided Modeste to the boundary and followed up with a searing Square cut for a second four. Shouler stood firm and together they nearly doubled the score before Shouler was undone by spinner Gorick's quicker ball. Matt Fortnum, in discomfort with back pain smote a four and was gone, leaving young second teamer Toby Dudfield to accompany the veteran Riley.

The pair had added 50, running well and taking advantage of some lax bowling by Gorick before Modeste returned to bowl Dudfield with the 12th delivery of his second spell.

Chris Wheeler at 11 showed that he could cope with the pace better than most, his nine runs including two straight driven fours. With five overs to go Riley played a tame shot to a short ball from Tiplady and was dismissed for 72 to close the innings.

Wheeler and Kontarines were unable to gain the movement off the seam that had marked the start of the game.

However, both beat the bat on several occasions and Wheeler unleashed one or two quick deliveries of his own. The batters took advantage of the occasional loose ball and soon took the score well past 50.

Colwall's spinners sought to regain some advantage. They found assistance in the slow wicket and once again it was Mike King who took the first wicket with the assistance of Wolfendale at mid-off.

With Matt Berry also bowling well Colwall regained a chance in the game as four wickets were taken in quick succession by the spinners. Hatherley's fifth-wicket pair of Modeste and Burry survived three half-chances but were untroubled in seeing the Cheltenham side home.