Biggleswade s cricketers lost to Elstow by five wickets in the Millman Saturday One. With two players dropping out due to ill health on the morning of the game, their nine men made a valiant effort to win the game. Elstow won the toss and fielded first. R

Biggleswade's cricketers lost to Elstow by five wickets in the Millman Saturday One.

With two players dropping out due to ill health on the morning of the game, their nine men made a valiant effort to win the game.

Elstow won the toss and fielded first. Richard Smith and Tariq Ahmad became Newbury's first two victims of a testing opening spell on a wicket that was difficult to bat on following the rain.

Jay Szwajbak and Matt Twigg consolidated the innings taking the score to 38.

Twigg was dealing in boundaries only and Szwajbak hooked Newbury for an enormous six.

In Newbury's next over, Szwajbak chanced his arm again and could only balloon the ball straight up and was caught at mid-wicket.

Twigg continued his assault on the Elstow bowling with Chris Brown batting sensibly at the other end. The pair added 85 runs in 17 overs and it looked like Biggleswade were heading for a competitive total.

First Brown was bowled through the gate by Jackson for 22 before Twigg skied one to depart for 91 (including 20 fours). At 148-5 with 12 overs to go, Biggleswade could have hoped to get up to 200 but poor shot selection by the lower order meant they were bowled out for 172 with more than seven overs remaining.

In response, Elstow were pegged back by aggressive bowling from Jay Szwajbak and three maidens from Twigg which culminated in him bowling Wisson.

Riddle made a streaky 49 in a 60-run partnership with Stevens before Wayne Buckingham was brought into the attack. He picked up 3-41 in 10 overs but Chris Waghorn was expensive at the other end as he went for 50 from nine overs.

Elstow cruised to victory, losing only one more wicket along the way, getting past their target with more than eight overs remaining.

The friendly game between Biggleswade and FM Arthurs XI took place as scheduled despite the damp morning on Sunday.

Biggleswade put out a strong side against a weakened FM Arthurs XI who had lost several players due to previous engagements.

Captain Twigg won the toss and chose to bat. Jay Szwajbak (80) and Jimmy Hart (60) put on 130 runs for the second wicket to put Biggleswade in a commanding position.

Szwajbak, Hart and Twigg were out in quick succession but Jerry Keen and Dan Szwajbak (32) steadied the ship by having a steady partnership of 64 runs. Tom Dupuy hit a quickfire 46 as Biggleswade ended on 293 all out in 39.4 overs.

In the FM Arthurs XI reply, only Maclennan put up a fight by scoring 62. Dan Szwajbak was the pick of the bowlers (2-10 off five) as Biggleswade won the match by 123 runs.