ONLY three matches have been completed as local sides embark on their annual quest for a trip to Lord's.

This season's Wadworth GX National Village Championship has been hit badly by the wet weather and the Foot and Mouth outbreak.

Concessions and withdrawals have marred this year's competition yet Dumbleton's batsmen managed to bring some welcome run-packed action when they tackled Painswick.

Openers Piesse and Evans added a mammoth 229 for the first wicket before an unbeaten 40 from Boorman boosted the score to 289-1.

Piesse remained undefeated on 109 while his opening partner fell eight runs short of a second century.

Painswick were restricted to 168-8 in reply with the winners now facing Down Hatherley.

There was a similarly convincing margin of victory in the same Gloucestershire group when Bredon met Wickwar The latter were skittled for 55 and Bredon stormed to a ten-wicket win to book a date against Marshfield in the second round.

Martin Hill was the Bredon Star with three cheap wickets and an unbeaten 30 with the bat.

Former finalists, Apperley, took advantage of North Cerney's concession and will face Haresfield while Slaughter's United's bye gives them a tie with Woodchester.

Another Cotswold side, Adlestrop, were forced to concede.

As yet there have been no matches played involving sides in the Warwickshire/Leicestershire and Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Powys groups.

Exhall and Wixford and Kineton have both benefited from byes and concessions and will now face Offchurch and Cropston respectively in the last eight.

Bearley Bears were unfortunately forced to withdraw after seeing their first attempt to overcome Offchurch ruined by rain.

The visitors rattled up 241-2 after a century opening stand but rain prevented any play after tea and Bearley couldn't raise a side seven days later and pulled out.

Overbury and Elmley Castle both received byes into round two to face Eastnor and Martley respectively.

The latter made the trip to Elmley last Sunday and lost a thriller by seven runs.

Castle were indebted to 55 not out from Mike Granacki in a total of 121 which proved just too many for Martley as a quartet of home bowlers all picked up wickets as the winners moved into the quarter-finals.