BRETFORTON crashed to their first defeat of the Cotswold Hills League season as reigning champions Exhall moved to within two points of the top flight leaders.

The absence of the holidaying Paul Jones was a huge blow for Bretforton who gave a debut to former Eve-sham skipper Gary Lewis.

And, the visitors looked in good shape going into the final 12 overs but the loss of six cheap wickets, including captain Stuart Berry for 58, allowed Exhall back into the match.

Spilled

Run machine Simon Hol-lands was quickly back in the pavilion - clean bowled by Craig Griffiths - but a crucial spilled return catch by the wicket taker tilted the match Exhall's way.

Steve Kerby was the man to benefit from the final ball of Griffiths' fine spell and he made Bretforton pay.

The match, though, was still finely balanced until 12 deliveries from Jackson Long went for seven 4s and a 6 as Kerby and half-century maker Matt Gwynn seized control.

Gwynn's departure lifted the visitors but the left-handed Kerby (80no) ended the contest in imperious fashion with a maximum and two boundaries of successive Darren Key deliveries.

Overbury were involved in another nail-biter as they chased Shipston's season's best 249-6.

Julian Morris celebrated his 150th league appearance with a career-best 132, add-ing 157 for the second wicket with Simon Wickson (60).

Jamie Munro led the chase with 49 and the match was intriguingly poised with ten overs left and Overbury requiring 84 with five wickets in hand.

When final pair Cleaver and Baldwin came together, 20 runs were still needed from 12 balls and that equation became seven from six after an expensive penultimate over.

Two runs off the first ball followed by a wide left Overbury to score four from five balls and an inside edge to fine leg secured an amazing one-wicket triumph.

Earlswood moved level on points with victims Tanworth after a six-run success, while Moreton moved above Strat-ford Bards after a three-wicket win.

The battle of the top fli-ght's bottom two produced more than 600 runs with Winchcombe's 373-6 being 137 too many for struggling Broadway.

Catherine-de-Barnes won a thriller with their last pair at the crease at home to Alce-ster and Ragley and they top the first division table but only on the same points total as Bidford who easily overcame Wellesbourne.

Fladbury were another side to benefit from the efforts of their last two batsmen but it was Owen Donovan who was the fourth division leader's hero at home to Hockley Heath.

Hockley openers Lane (70) and Haywood (110) dominated an innings that left Fla-dbury needing to score 225 for victory.

Donovan stayed calm under pressure as the loss of late wickets threatened to end their unbeaten start to the season but he carried his bat for 107 to secure the narrowest of victories.

Cookhill and Blockley continue to dominate the fifth division although the latter found life tough at Dorridge where Gilbert's four wickets and an unbeaten 38 from No 9 batsman Clarke proved crucial.

The afternoon's earliest finish was at Bretforton where Elmley Castle were skittled for a meagre 34 as the hosts raced to a ten-wicket win.

Shipston and Stanway rem-ain undefeated in the third division after recording eig-ht-wicket wins at Wood-bourne and Bearley respe- ctively.

Kineton registered the day's highest winning margin when they dismissed Overbury for 42 after rattling up 278-6 in a one-sided Divi-sion Two contest.