HALES are another step closer to becoming Alliance Division Three champions as they easily beat Downham A by eight wickets. On a pitch which looked green and damp which had a ridge on a length, skipper Steve Rowe won the toss and elected to field.

HALES are another step closer to becoming Alliance Division Three champions as they easily beat Downham A by eight wickets.

On a pitch which looked green and damp which had a ridge on a length, skipper Steve Rowe won the toss and elected to field.

Andersen bowled tidily as usual, going for three off his first six overs. The Downham openers did their best to keep the scoreboard ticking but it wasn't happening for them as they were pegged back at 18-0 off the first 12 overs.

Hales finally got a deserved breakthrough in the 29th over when Kaveny was caught by Cornish off Lovick for 21. After that point wickets came a little easier as the Downham batsmen knew they had to do something to get up to a decent score.

Rowe dismissed Coe for a slow but hard battled 59. Andersen came back on after Lovick had finished his 12 overs to bowl another six overs conceding 10 from them. He clean bowled Ferguson and had Edwards caught behind by stand-in keeper Mark Ramsdale as Chris Andersen pulled up in the warm-up.

Andersen got another wicket caught by Lovick. This left Downham at 81-4 off 37 overs. Rowe then dismissed Coe for a slow but hard battled 59 and N Grommit in the last over to ensure Haes got six wickets and three bowling points. As Downham's innings closed on 100-6 from 46 overs.

In reply Hales got off to a great start as Martin Cornish, who was standing in for injured Dave Harmer, went out with a 'no nonsense' attitude as he smashed boundaries to all parts of the ground. He and Chris Andersen had 50 on the board off 10 overs before Andersen departed in the 11th over for 18.

Phil Squire came in and he and Cornish carried on hitting the ball all round the park. Cornish got up to 48 with a big six but was then bowled two balls later for a well batted 48. With three needed Dan Andersen came in and finished it off in one ball as him and Squire ran a three.

The White Horse man of the match goes to Martin Cornish for his excellent batting on a difficult pitch.

Hales have a first against second clash tomorrow as Hillington visit Postwick.