Taking to the crease at 2.30pm, Zac Oldenhof and Matthew Woods advanced the Lions’ total from 4-84 to 4-108 – just 64 runs away from the target - before Jonathan Chapman struck.

Oldenhof hit two sixes in his 26 but was trapped in front by Alex Kerrison, who formed a lethal spin duo with the returning Jacob Kooran.

The pair combined for the next three wickets before Chapman secured first innings points with a caught-behind.

“All the bowlers did a really good job today,” Westbury skipper Richard Howe said.

“I think we were a little bit loose early and Zac hit the ball pretty well early but once we got into the rhythm the bowlers did a really good job – (172) isn’t a great deal of runs so to be able to defend that is really good.

“(Kooran’s) a handy pickup so we’ll try and get some overs into him in the next couple of weeks and get him raring to go.”

The Lions bowled another 12 overs after being dismissed and snared both openers, with Harry Banks grabbing a wicket and Alistair Taylor gloving a catch off Rowan Smith.

Taylor said his side was disappointed to lose but pleased to have been given the chance to play for the points.

“Credit to Jack Whelan and the umpires, we got a fair bit of cricket in which was excellent,” he said.

“We needed someone to get 50-plus and we probably would have won to be honest, but they bowled really well and put us under pressure.”

A fearless batting performance from no. 10 Lyndon Stubbs assured first innings points for RIVERSIDE at Windsor Park. 

Resuming on 8-110 in pursuit of 130, Stubbs and all-rounder Alex Saunders put on 13 before the latter was knocked over by a fiery ball from Callum Peck (4-40).

Jesse Homan arrived at the crease as the last soldier between Mowbray and first innings points, and managed to stick around while Stubbs (17 not out) saw the Blues to 9-134.

The Blues declared in pursuit of an outright win, but had no such luck as Alex Jordan (75) fired the Eagles to 1-126 off 36 overs.

“We were pretty nervous (when Saunders got out),” Blues captain Tom Garwood said.  

“But Jesse’s not going to throw his wicket away and Lyndon being an experienced player, I’d back him to sort it out and he did which was good.”

“We tried to have a crack at outright but we didn’t get early wickets and bowled too many boundary balls so they got away a bit, but Alex batted well.”

The Blues’ win condemned Mowbray to a bottom-of-the-table finish.