CCS Home Counties League Division 2 West: Excellent bowling by Chris Watling and Tim Foster gave Aston Rowant an exciting 15-run victory over Burnham on Saturday to ease their relegation worries.

Watling and Foster took seven wickets between them to bowl their hosts out for 187.

After being inserted on a dry surface, Rowant made good progress, with Chris Eaton playing the aggressive role in an opening stand of 91 with Tim Morgan.

Eaton fell two short of his 50 and Morgan soon departed, leaving their side at 99-2 at lunch.

With the wicket showing signs of being two-paced, Rowant never really got going at the interval, only Watling scoring more than 20.

Their total of 202-8 off 60 overs was always going to be competive if they could take early wickets.

Paul Humphreys made the most of uneven bounce to reduce Burnham to 41-2.

But with Khan batting superbly, the game was slipping away from Rowant until he tried one shot too many and was well held by Watling at mid-on.

With Foster and Watling bowling well in tandem, and the wicket doing strange things, Burnham certainly didn't need the run out which cost them their fourth wicket before tea.

At 100-4, the game was on a knife-edge, but Burnham lost wickets when going for their shots.

Foster (4-51) and Watling (3-46) bowled superbly to secure Aston a much-needed victory.

ASTON ROWANT

T Morgan c S Ullah-Sarwar b H Khan...16

C Eaton b H Khan...48

T Bant lbw A Khan...17

T Brown b A Khan...18

C Watling st A Butt b A Khan...21

P Plumridge b S Ullah-Sarwar...13

L Lewis b A Khan...4

C Hutton not out...12

T Foster run out...8

T Needham not out...0

Extras...45

Total (8 wkts, 60 ovs)...202

Fall: 1-91, 2-92, 3-117, 4-149, 5-169, 6-177, 7-177, 8-195.

Bowling: Malik 9-4-17-0, Ruane 6-1-26-0, Ullah Sarwar 12-2-46-1, H Khan 14-5-45-2, A Khan 19-6-41-4.

BURNHAM

H Khan c Foster b P Humhreys...17

S Baig c & b P Humhreys...8

A Khan c Watling b T Foster...31

T Nawaz run out...18

S Ullah-Sarwar lbw Watling...20

S Nadeem c Bant b Watling...8

E Miah c Hutton b T Foster...14

A Chaudrey lbw T Foster...7

A Butt b C Watling...17

C Ruane c Bant b T Foster...6

H Malik not out...0

Extras...41

Total (all out, 45.1 ovs)...187

Fall: 1-28, 2-41, 3-92, 4-94, 5-129, 6-138, 7-153, 8-161, 9-187

Bowling: Needham 4-1-26-0, Humphreys 7-1-33-2, Foster 19-3-51-4, Watling 15.1-2-46-3.

Burnham 5pts, Aston Rowant 25