GRAMPOUND Road were left bemoaning their luck as Werrington fought back superbly in both innings to secure a potentially season-defining victory on Saturday.

Both teams had lost their first two matches, but the hosts soon reduced the visitors to 37-5 in a remarkable first few overs.

After Sam Hockin was caught down the leg-side by Harry Gregory off Nathan Keevil, Chris Roberts (2-41) then dismissed Ben Smeeth and Adam Hodgson in the space of three balls.

John Moon soon found skipper Tom Orpe off Antony Angove and Mark Gribble was comically run-out for nought.

Sri Lankan Thulina Dilshan and skipper Nick Lawson then added 63 but when Lawson was lbw to Tom Fox-Dean (2-19) they soon lost Dilshan (52) and Mark Taskis.

But from 122-8 they rallied brilliantly as Ben Jenkin (33no) dug in, allowing Dan Barnard to make a swashbuckling 56 from just 38 balls before Angove (4-27) finally wrapped things up.

In the chase, Dave Hoskings (25) and Angove (37) and Alex Lean took the score to 121 after 26 overs before Angove departed.

At 183-4 the hosts looked certainties before Orpe (18) was lbw to Mark Taskis off the final ball of the 43rd.

With 28 required off 42 deliveries the home side could only manage 13 off the next four overs, although crucially Lean was still there.

With 15 to get off the last three, Chris Roberts was caught behind off Ben Smeeth and in the penultimate over Lean was brilliantly run-out by Dan Barnard for 68.

It meant 11 was needed off the last bowled by Smeeth.

Eight come off the first five balls but Keevil was run-out coming back for the second to condemn the Road to the most frustrating of defeats.

They visit St Just on Saturday (1pm).