Newport 88 Ludlow 89-4 LUDLOW produced an excellent bowling and fielding performance to dismiss Newport cheaply.

After an early scare they went on to gain a comfortable six-wicket win at Audley Avenue and get their Marston’s Shropshire Premier County campaign up and running again after suffering back-to-back defeats.

Acting skipper Baden Wilton and teenager Andrew Hillman bowled a tight line from the start making runs hard to come by. Wilton shifted the two openers by the time the score had reached 32.

Will Sparrow replaced Hillman after the youngster had completed his seven overs for just 15 runs and clean bowled Parvez Aziz for a duck. Wilton (4-38) took another wicket before making way for the in-form Louis Watkins.

Watkins cut through the rest of the Newport line-up, finishing with 4-7 from four overs and Newport were dismissed for 88 in 30 overs. Sparrow (2-28) claimed the other wicket.

Ludlow made a poor start losing their first three wickets for 39. Rob Genner (16) joined Sam Edwards and the pair pushed the score along to 67.

Wilton supported Edwards who had just reached 50 when Ludlow passed the Newport score in the 27th over.

Newport 2nd 183 Ludlow 2nd 156 LUDLOW went down by 27 runs after bowling their Newport counterparts out for 183 at The Burway. They were then bowled out for 156 with six overs to go.

Luke Miles (2-33) and Dave Hughes did the early damage with the ball, but it was Simon Miles (4-37) and Rob Taylor (2-19) who polished the Newport innings off.

Ludlow’s innings got off to a poor start with the first two batsmen falling for ducks. Richard Taylor (42), Leon Burnley (19), Luke Miles (29) and Ed Rayen offered some hope, before Rayen was dismissed for 18 to end the innings.