ROBBIE O’Donnell made a tremendous debut for Thornbury, hammering an unbeaten 175 off only 138 deliveries to help set up a 190-run victory away to Corse & Staunton in WEPL Premier Two Glos & Wilts.
The 28-year-old New Zealand A player smashed 15 fours and 12 sixes to dominate an imposing total of 354-9 after losing the toss.
And Thornbury, bidding to bounce straight back to the Premier Division after being relegated, kept the pressure on as left-arm spinner Harry Donelan, a winter recruit from St Fagans, marked his league debut with a return of 4-10 from 10 overs of left-arm spin.
It was much tighter at Hatherley & Reddings who squeezed in by one wicket against Marshfield. Rugs Magarira finished with 5-10 from ten as the visitors were restricted to 136 before Hatherley slipped to 38-5 in reply.
James Harber (26) and Tom Bowler (25) steadied the ship but it still needed the last wicket pair to add ten for the victory.
Promoted Painswick went down by four wickets at home to Goatacre despite’s Jarren Bacher’s haul of 5-34 from ten and Cheltenham lost out by nine runs at home to newcomers Royal Wootton Bassett, Will Hope top scoring on 53.
In Premier One, West Indian paceman Oshane Thomas made an instant impression for promoted Frocester with figures of 3-33 in a 60-run home success against Chippenham, fellow newcomer Tommy Boorman also taking 3-10.
Gloucestershire’s Josh Shaw bagged 4-21 as promoted Bristol edged Taunton Deane by 10 runs while Bedminster went down by seven wickets at home to Bridgwater.
In Premier Two Bristol & Somerset, Harry Thomas thumped an unbeaten 109 off just 61 (14 fours, five sixes) for Golden Hill who cruised in by seven wickets against Downend, and Bishopston lost out by 26 runs at Ilminster.
Opener Tom Collinson’s 90 helped steer Gloucester to a seven-wicket triumph away to Cheltenham Civil Service in the Gloucestershire division where captain Ross Martin (68) top scored in Dumbleton’s 71-run home win against promoted Chipping Sodbury.
Tom Stevens and Tom Allcoat were both out for exactly 50 in Tewkesbury’s 81-run home victory against Stroud, Stevens following up with 4-30 and Allcoat 3-14.
Cirencester trumped Bourton Vale by 55 runs while the Charlton Kings-Frocester 2nds match was cancelled.
Twyford House, meanwhile, eased in by five wickets at home to Winterbourne in the Bristol & North Somerset, Tom Armfield taking 3-9 from ten.
Knowle slipped up by 41 runs at home to Congresbury while an opening stand of 164 between Ashiv Lakhani (112 not) and Bobby Brown (77) put Bristol 2nds on course for an eight-wicket home success over Brislington.
The visitors’ total of 229 was dominated by Milo Ayres’ 114 from 83 (16 fours, three sixes) as Dan Jones bagged 3-49 before Lakhani and Brown took centre stage.
Promoted sides Frenchay and Bristol West Indian Phoenix both went down to defeat.
Frenchay came up 22 runs short at Bath 2nds while BWIP were bowled out for 121 at home to Bedminster 2nds, Sam Bowen bagging 4-23 before George Davey’s crucial unbeaten 37 then helped bank the points.