DAN Huxstep led from the front with an excellent all-round effort as Frampton-on-Severn chalked up only their second win of the season to move out of the drop zone in Division Two of the AMS Gloucestershire County League.
The skipper opened the bowling and returned 3-43 from eight as home side Shurdington were restricted to 159-7.
And Huxstep then followed up with a gritty unbeaten 68 from 92 (12 fours) to help seal a two-wicket win with nine balls in hand, opener Billy Curtis weighing in with 42 while Chris White and Keith Knight took three wickets apiece.
Thornbury stretched their lead at the top with a four-wicket home success over nearest rivals Redmarley, Danny Slade top scoring on 79.
In Division One, Rockhampton’s lead has been reduced to five points after a second successive reverse.
Jordan Stone’s spell of 3-29 from nine helped restrict the Rams to 179-6, and Lydney then rallied from 8-3 to complete a nervy two-wicket win, Dan Brown dropping anchor for a crucial unbeaten 61 from 97.
Chipping Campden rolled out Kingsholm for only 50, Sam Groves capturing 6-23 to seal a 127-run victory while second-placed Aston Ingham overcame Hawkesbury Upton by 34 runs, Anthony James top scoring on 66.
Division Three pacesetters Tewkesbury 2nds dispatched Cinderford St John by 146 runs, Josh Mills and James Cooley capturing three wickets apiece.
And Shafiq Maroofkhel’s 81 and 3-18 from Malik Wasim helped wrap up a 106-run triumph for Gloucester AIW at home to Cricklade.
In Division Four, opener Benet Sathyadass (107) and Pavel Sharma (82 not) powered Kingsholm 2nds to a nine-wicket victory at their Chipping Sodbury counterparts, lifting their side from ninth to fifth in the process.
Quedgeley & Hardwicke, the Division Five leaders, chased down a target of 264 for the loss of only two wickets at Parkend, John Brown unbeaten on 102 and Ben Hopkins hitting 80 after Ellis Waugh had earlier taken 6-62 while Nick Grove’s unbeaten 111 at the top of the order proved to be in vain for lowly Oldlands who were trumped by six wickets at Sheepscombe.
Gloucester 2nds suffered a first defeat in Division Six, succumbing by three wickets at Arcadians Nine Elms, Rajesh Gopireddy bagging 5-17 and Arvind Kumar Singh hitting 79, but leaders Down Hatherley marched on with a four-wicket win at Eastcombe, Chanaka Marasinghe contributing an unbeaten 61.
King’s Stanley, the Division Seven pacemakers, made it eight wins in a row with a nine-wicket thumping of Aston Ingham 2nds who were skittled for 52, James Weir (5-25) and James Harley (4-10, both from eight) sharing the honours.
And Pete Lavis enjoyed a fine afternoon with ball and then bat, taking 5-9 and finishing unbeaten on 78 as Stone overcame Langford 2nds by ten wickets.