ANTHONY James took five wickets and was top scorer as Aston Ingham beat Cheltenham Seconds by 53 runs.

The West of England Premier Gloucestershire’s bottom side put Aston Ingham into bat and they set a target of 213.

They got off to a rocky start as Oliver Henson was bowled in the first over for 6-1.

At the start of the 14th over they were 56-4 but a fifth wicket partnership of 95 between James and Jack Carpenter turned the innings around.

They went in successive overs and at the start of the 35th the visitors were 151-6.

Carpenter was caught for 38 which included five fours and James’s 68 contained eight fours and two sixes.

Dharzekanth Yoganadan hit 36 off 33 balls including three fours and a six as Aston Ingham finished 212 all out.

Cheltenham were 4-1 after James tooks a catch off the bowling of Mohamed Dilshad.

Dilshad’s second came when he bowled Chris Williams for 15-2.

When Dilshad had Murray Carter caught by Edward Bell, the home side were 24-3.

Angus Bartlett caught and bowled Nemika Benthota on 33 to take Cheltenham to 59-4.

James’s first wicket came when he had skipper James Schofield leg before in the 27th and two balls later he bowled Mohammed Rahman for 78-6.

Bell took a catch off the bowling of James to make it 94-7 but Cheltenham then put on 32 for the eighth wicket.

Sam Didcote caught Raife Hackett leg before for 126-8.

James then bowled Adam Stuart, Cheltenham’s top scorer with 51 for 146-9.

The innings closed when James bowled Jamie Baker with the final delivery of the 45th.

James finished with figures of 5-35 off 10, Dilshad returned 3-16 off seven and there was one wicket each for Bartlett and Didocte.

The win followed a tight 12-run Forest Hundred midweek victory at Lydney.

Clyde Breetzke fired 74 and Craig Baker 49 in an unbeaten partnership as the visitors reached 174-2 in their 100 balls.

And Lydney were then limited to 162-7 in reply, Isaac Goulding taking two wickets, and Drew Stafford, Carpenter and Will Kelsall one apiece.

But on Saturday, the 2nds lost another close affair by just nine runs away to Arcadians Nine 1sts in Gloucestershire League 6A.

The hosts reached 204-8 off 40 overs Andrew Day and Simon Clark taking wicket braces, and Sam Fitzmaurice, Breetzke, David Skyrme and Joseph Day one each.

An unbeaten 58 including two sixes and five fours from Fitzmaurice then kept Aston in the game to the end of their overs, following 29 from skipper opener Jimmy Davies and 26 from Joshua Henson, but they fell just short on 195-9.

The 3rds won another close affair though, beating visitors Ruardean Hill 2nds by 16 runs at Mill Meadow.

Aston scored 142-9 off 40 overs, opener Mark Mathias starring with 63 backed by Joel Fishpool 18, Will King 17 and Isaac Goulding 15.

And the bowlers then restricted Ruardean's last six batters to just 20 scoring runs as they dismissed them for 126 in 32.2 overs, Luke Ward taking 4-25, Oliver Dennis 3-15, Phil Leighton 2-29 and Goulding 1-37.

And the 4ths were also on song, winning by 26 runs away to Westbury-on-Severn 3rds.

Aston were 161 all out of 37.4 overs, eighth man Archie Lane firing 35 following 21 from Drew Stafford, 19 from Nathan Davis and 16 from Colin Leighton.

Will Kelsall then took 4-11, Leighton 2-22 and Davis 2-5 as Westbury were bowled out for 135 in 23.3 overs.

But Sunday saw a 146-run Gloucestershire Trophy loss for the 2nds away to Golden Hill 2nds.

The hosts set a huge 330-6 target as Skyrme and Kelsall took wicket braces, their third batsman scoring 152 not out, which included 24 fours and four sixes.

Aston then came within three balls of seeing out their overs, but were all out for 184, Clyde Breetzke scoring 41, Joshua Henson 37 and Isaac Goulding 30.

But their Women’s XI were celebrating the same day, beating visitors Corse & Staunton by 41 runs in the Forest of Dean T20 League.

Openers Melissa Watson with 50 retired not out and Charlotte Yemm with 48 gave them a superb start, with Vanessa Ward chipping in with 10, as they reached 162-2.

And although Cerys Kings with 53 retired unbeaten and Deborah Cox with 36 not out put up a good fight, Aston restricted the reply to 121-3.

Aston visit Penallt & Redbrook in the Forest Hundred on Wednesday night (June 17) before the 1sts host Chipping Campden in the WEPL on Saturday (June 20).