CINDERFORD recorded their first win in this season’s Gloucestershire Cricket League with a three-wicket win over Cranham.

The victory was set up by the bowlers after Cranham were put into bat and were limited to 159 all out.

Andrew Bevan, Ragunanthan Sethunathar and Mark Roberts each claimed two wickets and there were one each for Liam Cottrell and Josh Edwards.

The visitors were soon in trouble with the exit of captain Benn Pickett to a golden duck.

He was caught by wicketkeeper Jonathan Bowdler off the first delivery of the game from Bevan.

Two overs later he added to Cranham’s difficulties by bowling Will Hayes for two, leaving the visitors on 18-2.

A partnership between Zabi Ahmadzai and Joe Niblett steadied things for the visitors, putting on 45 for the third wicket.

The pairing was broken by Sethunathar, who is in his first season with the Forest club.

He bowled Ahmadzai for 26, which included four boundaries, to make it 63-3.

That quickly became 63-4 when Niblett was caught for 23 off the bowling of spinner Mark Roberts.

Cranham’s woes continued as Bowdler took his second catch, off the bowling of Sethunathar to reduce them to 70-5.

With Cranham needing to add runs to set a defensible target, they opened themselves up to runs-out.

Rich Tuttle became the first to fail to make his ground with Josh Edwards on target.

The batsman had scored three runs off 19 balls and Cranham were now 82-6.

Hamad Zazai, who went on to become Cranham’s top scorer was keeping the scoreboard ticking but he lost another partner when Ubaidullah Oryakhail was caught by Mark House off Roberts.

Zazai had made 32 when Tom Hopkins became the eighth wicket to fall with the score on 134.

He was caught for eight by Steve Skelton off the bowling of Josh Edwards.

Zazai eventually became the ninth wicket to fall, going to a run-out for 43.

The innings ended on the second ball of the 36th over with Liam Cottrell bowling Arlo Pockett for a duck to give a final total of 160 all out.

Roberts finished with 2-11 off eight overs including a couple of a maidens, Bevan was 2-18 off seven overs, Sethunathar 2-36 off eight with one maiden, Cottrell 1-17 off 4.2 with a maiden and Edwards 1-19 off three.

In reply, Cinderford reached the target with nearly 12 overs to spare.

The top scorer for the home side was Cottrell who hit an undefeated 32.

Progress to the target was slow with Mitchell Scorer going for five to the bowling of Mustafa Miah.

Miah was again on target to bowl Josh Edwards for 16.

Tom Hopkins was the pick of the Cranham bowlers, taking 3-30 from his eight overs.

He had Andrew Bevan caught by Will Hayes for four and the pair combined to dismiss Jonathan Bowdler for 16.

Ragunanthan Sethunathar also went to a catch, this time by Zabi Ahmadzai off the bowling of Rich Tuttle for 17.

Hopkins and Hayes again combined to dismiss Mark House for four.

Daniel Kibble contributed a useful 20 to the total before he was bowled by Hamid Zazai.

Cottrell and Kuwait Theivendran steered their side across the line to claim 19 league points.

Theivendran scored eight as Cinderford posted 161/7 off 28.2 overs.

The result lifts the Forest side into seventh place in the Gloucestershire Cricket League.

On Saturday (May 31) they travel to fourth-placed Churchdown.

Cinderford: Mitchell Scorer, Josh Edwards, Andrew Bevan, Jonathan Bowdler, Ragunanthan Sethunathar, Mark House, Daniel Kibble, Liam Cottrell, Kuwait Theivendran, Mark Roberts (capt), Steve Skelton.