A GOOD all round team performance brought Cirencester their first Readers Glo'shire County League, Division Two victory of the season by the slim margin of nine runs against Birdlip at the Park on Saturday.

Having won the toss for the second week running, Town opted to bat first with openers Reynolds and Walker putting together a platform for a large score.

When both were out in quick succession, 72 had been put on the board and the hosts were looking for a total in excess of 200.

But with tight bowling and the loss of Rodrigues and Jeffcott, this began to look less likely.

Once Richard Graham had found his feet, he and the belligerent Cooper set about the task with gusto.

Cooper hit three sixes and Graham a number of fours as the pair put together a partnership which included a spell of five overs when 45 runs were scored.

Finally with 200 in sight, Cooper was out for 37, followed soon after by Graham (63) for his second successive league 50. The Cirencester innings finally finished on 197-8.

Town got off to a great start in the Birdlip reply when a brilliant one-handed reflex catch by Cooper in the gully dismissed Cirencester old boy Charlie Harris.

This was the first wicket to fall to veteran bowler John Turner who, for the third week running, delivered his 12 overs at a cost of just over two runs an over.

For the first 25 overs, the Park side kept a tight rein on the visitors' batting until Birdlip captain Ian Green started to increase the scoring rate.

Birdlip made 100 in just over 30 overs for the loss of three wickets. On reaching 67, Green hit Ian Butler, who had replaced John Turner, for a six and a four in successive deliveries.

Butler, though, kept his cool under pressure and, with his fourth ball of the same over, knocked over Green's leg stump for a well paced 77.

With the score on 110-4 in the 33rd over, the game was still tilted Town's way. Over the next ten overs, it swung to and fro with Birdlip scoring at the required rate but Cirencester picking up wickets at the right times.

So with the arrival of the 43rd over and with the score on 179-7, the game was still very much in the balance.

It was then that new overseas all-rounder, Donwill Rodrigues, produced a crucial tight over with a mixture of medium and medium-quick seam.

Only four runs were conceded and, more importantly, he took his first league wicket. For the penultimate over, Town captain Dominic Jeffcott took himself off and brought back Butler.

The 45th and final over proved the most important in what had been an absorbing contest.

With five runs coming off the first four balls, Butler then cleaned bowled batsmen ten and 11 with successive deliveries.

Two Town players worthy of mention in this marvellous win for their efforts in the field are James Constable and Donwill Rodrigues.

Cirencester 197-8 (R Graham 63, A Cooper 37); Birdlip 188 all out (I Green 77, J Turner 2-27, I Butler 3-52).