IN a battle of two high quality seam bowling performances, Swindon’s George Rigali led his side to a hard-fought 27-run win against Irfan Sahar’s Wootton Bassett in Glos/Wilts on Saturday.

Rigali conceded just 17 runs in 10 overs, taking four wickets in the process, as Swindon bowled their hosts out for 125.

That was after Sahar’s devastating spell of fizzing swing had demolished the Swindon top-order, leaving them in the lurch at 65-6 batting first.

But Matt Gunn steadied the ship, accumulating 33 valuable unbeaten runs and sharing important partnerships with the tail, as the away side limped to 152 all out.

Nevertheless the target was a small one, and despite a couple of early wickets Bassett appeared to be well on course to victory with Mark Vincent and Neil Twine together and just 50 runs needed with five wickets left intact.

But Rigali, Stuart Archer and Asanka Vithanage had other ideas, and with an efficient collective fielding display, it was Swindon captain Liam Tucker who was able to claim local bragging rights.

“It was a very good game of cricket, and a lot closer than it has been in the past,” said Tucker.

“There were two very good bowling displays and, if I’m being honest, two poor batting displays.

“It wasn’t anything to do with the pitch either, it was all down to the bowlers.

“Irfan was very good for them, and if we’d been offered 150 when we were 65-6 we would have comfortably taken it.

“At one stage we were really staring down the barrel, but Gunny got us up there from number eight which isn’t huge, but in the context of the game it was massive.”

After a fairly abject display by his batsmen, Tucker’s mood was lifted by the inspired spell of pace and movement from Rigali and the resolve shown by his side to snatch a vital win.

Although two difficult half-chances went to ground, Swindon fielded with discipline, and the County Ground outfit’s skipper believes digging out a result in such circumstances can give his teammates a real confidence boost with the season still in its infancy.

“You learn a lot more from games like this than you do from beating someone very comfortably,” he said.

“The lads had to fight for each other, because we knew 150 was below par, and as a team they have come through.

“George was much the same as Irfan when he came on, and although they looked like they were chasing down our score at a canter at one point he pulled it back.

“He was moving it around and deserved his wickets.”