HEREFORDSHIRE sealed their most successful Minor Counties Championship season for eight years.

An 83-run win over Wiltshire at Colwall was their second three-day Western Division success of the summer.

The victory over Devon at Eastnor earlier in the season had been their first three-day championship victory for five years.

Wiltshire won the toss and put Herefordshire into bat but the first day belonged to David Exall (142), who hit his maiden century for Herefordshire.

In his new role as opener, Exall struck 18 fours, one six and was ninth out with the score on 278.

He was well supported by Atiq Chishti (31) and James Ralph (45).

Herefordshire reduced Wiltshire to 49-3 with Luke Sellers and Freddie Eburah sharing the wickets.

On day two, the hosts continued to make inroads and bowled them out for 144 with only Jayden Levitt (52) making any contribution.

Eburah (3-62), Sellers (4-40), Dan Vernon (2-16) and Callum Stewart (1-24) did the damage. First-innings saviour Exall (89) and skipper Chris Boroughs (120 not out) took Herefordshire’s lead to 423 before the declaration on 286-7.

By the close, Wiltshire had reduced the deficit by 95 for the loss of three wickets.

The visitors put up strong resistance on the third day but were eventually bowled out for 340.

Levitt scored 101, Michael Coles 61 and last man Tom Bowler 44no, while Eburah claimed 4-127, Stewart 3-46, Vernon 2-92 and Sellers 1-72.

The first time Herefordshire recorded two wins in a season was when they won the Western Division in 2002.