LYDNEY returned to the top flight of the Gloucestershire County Cricket League at the first time of asking and sealed it – and the Second Division championship – with a win against Newent at the Bob Park Cricket Ground.

Fittingly, the winning runs came from a boundary by the afternoon’s top scorer, Tom Legge.

Lydney captain Alex Nelmes was delighted with the championship and promotion double and the manner in which they were achieved.

The Forest side led from the off and it never seriously looked as if a second season in the division was an option.

Alex said: “We’ve had a professional attitude from start to end. We’ve trained hard and we’ve looked like we mean business and that showed in our performances.

“Its been the strength of our performances rather than the weakness of the opposition.

“I was glad to win at home – it was nice to seal it like that.

“Tom batted beautifully, it was a class innings.”

He also praised Newent who are currently fourth in the division

“It was a good game and they put up a good fight.

“We won with five overs to go, so pretty comfortably at the end but it could have gone either way for a lot of it.”

Newent were put into bat and after a couple of dodgy opening overs for the home side in which 15 runs were shipped, mostly in extras, the bowlers got a grip on the game and the run rate slowed dramatically.

The first wicket fell with 37 runs on the board when Morgan Evans was caught for seven by Alex Nelmes off the bowling of Ellis Boughton.

Captain Richard Howell was caught for 30 – which included five boundaries.

– by Max Turner off Ed Jones and Newent were 75-2.

Newent’s top scorer, Richard Henry, and Jack Cowles put on 58 for the third wicket but the game unravelled quickly after that for the visitors with a further six wickets falling for 22 runs.

Cowles was caught lbw by Jordan Stone, the first of three wickets for the Lydney bowler.

His 36 included two fours and a six and left Newent at 132-3.

That became 133-4 when Liam Devries was run out by Jones.

Richard Henry was also run out as the visitors tried to build up a defensible with Turner on target this time.

Henry went for 46, including five fours, leaving Newent at 145-5.

Jack Griffiths and Josh Ralph went in quick succession with Griffiths becoming the third Newent wicket to fall to a run out – this time by James Legge – on 146-6.

Ralph was caught by Turner off the bowling of skipper Gooding and Newent were 147-7.

The last two wickets to fall – Lee Roberts and Mike Mason – were both bowled by Stone and the innings closed at 154-9.

The visitors got the start they needed with a couple of early wickets falling with just 21 on the board with Rich Henry having a hand in both.

First Alex Nelmes was caught by Mike Mason with the score on 18 and just three had been added when James Ralph got under a high ball to dismiss James Legge.

At the other end, Tom Legge was putting together an intelligent innings, keeping the scoreboard moving towards the target.

He and Niall Holford put on 52 for the third wicket with Holford’s 25 coming off 34 balls including two sixes and a four.

Holford was bowled by Karl Mortimer to make it 73-3.

Alex Gooding made 22 off 27 balls including three fours and a six but with Newent shouting for everything, he eventually went lbw to Henry.

Lydney were 106-4 and when quick reflexes by Mortimer resulted in Jordan Stone being dismissed with three runs having been added to the total, it seemed as if the momentum was swinging towards the visitors.

Lydney were reduced to 126-4 when Matthew Aldridge was bowled by Simon Clark but that brought Ed Jones to the crease.

His aggressive innings saw him finish 16 not out from 16 balls including three fours while Legge was undefeated on 67, including eight fours, from 109 balls as Lydney made it across the line.

Lydney will want to finish the season on a high when they travel to strugglers Rockhampton Seconds on Saturday (September 3).