GRAHAM Howls fired an unbeaten 78 as an eight-wicket home win kept up Ross CC 1st XI's promotion challenge on Saturday.

The hosts' attack restricted visitors Brockhampton 4ths to 134-6 off their 40 overs, Will Brookes taking two wickets for 30 runs off eight overs, Alex Springer 1-11-8, Herefordshire Women's skipper Chloe Tingle 1-19-8 and Sachin Anil 1-23-8.

In reply, opener Howls' 63-ball knock featured 15 fours, backed by Brookes with 22 and Paul Franklin 14, as Ross eased to 135-2 in 22 overs, leaving them third in Herefordshire South 9 with two games to play.

Mid-table Goodrich also won by six wickets away to Cheltenham Civil Service in their Gloucestershire 5 match, restricting the hosts to 169-8 in 40 overs before racing to 172-4 in 25 overs.

Neil Price, Matt Young and James O'Brien took two wickets apiece and Jack Lewis one, who also secured a run out, before Andrew Brown cracked an unbeaten 62 off 72 balls, supported by Jack Waldis with 24 in an unbeaten 108-run fifth wicket partnership, following knocks of 24 and 19 from openers Sam Griffiths and O'Brien.

But the 2nds lost by an agonising single run in the final over at home to Cinderford 2nds, dismissed for 169 chasing 170 all out.

Megan Jones, Adam Kibble and Ralph Heaven Richards took wicket braces as the visitors were all out in 38.3 overs.

And top four Ayrton Lowther with 61, Matt Davies 20, Colin Walker 15 and Heaven Richards 11 gave the hosts a solid start, only for the final wicket to fall with three balls left and a run still required to level.

Elsewhere, Newent 1sts' opening pair put on 130 for the first wicket but they only added 65 more (195-8) in their 40 overs with no other batters reaching double figures, ultimately falling to an eight-wicket Gloucestershire 3 home defeat to high-flying Quedgeley & Hardwicke.

Jack Cowles fired 81 for Newent, including 12 fours, while Paddy Thompson struck 65, before the visitors reached 199-2 with seven overs to spare, Sam Watts and Josh Hayes with the wickets.

The 3rds lost by a tight three wickets at home to Aston Ingham 4ths after compiling 205-7 off their 40 overs.

Skipper Jimmer Cunliffe with 52 and William Pettipher with 40 shared an opening stand of 97, backed by Leo Kelly with 20.

But despite four wickets for 26 runs off 5.3 overs for the captain and two wickets for Pettipher and one for Charlie Lacy, the derby visitors then reached 209-7 with 3.3 overs to spare, leaving the hosts second from bottom of Gloucestershire 9C.

Fownhope 1sts reached 63 without loss at home to Garnons, but were all out for 99, openers Alex Bromhead scoring 33 and Richard Lerego 26.

The visitors then reached 103-6, Ben Boswell and Doug Roberts taking wicket braces.

Fownhope 2nds were also all out for just 35 away to Challengers 1sts, who needed just four overs to reach 38-1.

Fixtures this Saturday (July 26) include – Woolhope 2nds v Ross-on-Wye 1sts, Bourton Vale 2nds v Newent 1sts, Newent Lions v Andoversford 1sts, Apperley 3rds v Newent 3rds, Malvern 2nds v Fownhope 1sts, Fownhope 2nds v Bartestree & Lugwardine 4ths.