NIC Merrin was denied his maiden century for Aston Ingham by a single run in an exciting game with promotion-chasing Bourton Vale.

The Australian’s previous high score in the Gloucestershire division of West of England Premier League was 44 in the win against Langford.

Aston Ingham won the toss and elected to bat, setting a target of 251 after being bowled out with one of their 50 overs to go.

His fellow opener, Oliver Henson, was the first wicket to go after being caught by Musa Twala off Liam Webb for 13 with the first ball of the sixth over.

The home side were 37-1 but were fortified by a second wicket partnership of 124 between Merrin and Anthony James.

James made 69 before being bowled by Danny way towards the end of the 34th over.

He had faced 97 balls and had hit nine fours.

Another substantial partnership was followed by a mini collapse.

Gus Carini-Roberts hit 32 off 36 balls, including three sixes, in a partnership of 65 with Merrin and at the end of the 44th over Aston Ingham were 226-3.

Merrin was bowled with the first delivery of the next over by Liam Webb to make it 226-4.

His 99 had come off 118 balls and 13 fours and two sixes.

Merrin’s replacement Angus Bartlett lasted three deliveries, going to a catch by Max Shepherd off Webb for 227-5.

Three runs had been added when Mikey Gooch became the sixth wicket to fall when he was caught by Danny Wa off Darrel Williams.

Williams was on a hat-trick after seeing Dharzekanth Yoganadan caught by Shepherd and bowling skipper Dave Lacey early in the 48th.

Sam Didcote took the run to deny the feat but Aston Ingham were now 244-8.

The innings closed at the end of the 49th over when Didcote was caught and three balls later Dan Smith was caught lbw.

Bourton showed their intent with 14 runs coming off the first two overs courtesy of two fours and a six.

Aston made a breakthrough when Angus Bartlett caught Oliver Whiteley, one of the league’s leading scorers, off the bowling of Mikey Gooch for 34-1.

Over the course of the next 10 overs Gooch, Simon Clark and Anthony James limited Bourton to 21 runs.

The second wicket fell on 46 when Mark Whitney was run out by Oliver Henson off the bowling of Clark.

Wicketkeeper Nic Merrin took a catch off the bowling of James in the next over to make it 48-3.

The same combination made it 66-4 and when Bartlett bowled skipper Darrel Williams it was 68-5.

Bourton fought their way back into the game with a partnership of 109 between Max Shepherd and Musa Twala.

Shepherd went to a catch by Anthony James off the bowling of Dan Smith with the penultimate ball of the 40th over with Bourton on 177-6.

The visitors moved onto 204-6 at the end of the 44th but then put rocket boosters on the chase with 44 runs from the next three.

James claimed his third wicket when he bowled Will Falkner who scored 31 off 23 balls for 248-7.

Bourton had three overs in hand to find the required runs but Tawala hit the winning boundary, finishing 99 not out for a three-wicket victory.