A TALE of four of the past five champions of the Cotswold Hills League during the past ten years sees the 2000 title winners riding high at the summit.

Exhall and Wixford easily accounted for Earlswood with another half-century for Simon Hollands in a ten-wicket defeat of Earlswood after occasional bowlers Andy Marsh (4-8) and Jon Simpson (3-17) had helped dismiss the visitors for 109.

Meanwhile, closest rivals and reigning champions Overbury could only manage a further 16 runs at Shipston where the six-times Premier Division champions showed signs of a return to their old form.

Gary Betteridge took 4-32 and the wily old Dave Murphy three wickets for one run off two overs as the visitors were shot out for 125.

Paul Gillett, who had batted at No 9, produced a fearsome spell of pace bowling to remove Neil Harper but Matt Corby stood firm for 19 before Howard Bentham (53no) and Betteridge guided Shipston to an eight-wicket win in fine style.

Stratford Bards posted a similarly comfortable seven-wicket win at Tanworth to leave Exhall leading a 22 points ahead of the visit of Bards on Saturday week seven days after this weekend's trip to Overbury.

The only former top Premier champions still in the top flight, Broadway, look like having a tough task to retain their status after last weekend's four-wicket reverse at Moreton-in-Marsh.

Two other sides who can boast a title triumph, Well-esbourne and Bidford, met in a Division One contest that went the way of the former who had five wickets to spare when overhauling the 170-9 of the visitors.

The 2001 winners, like Broad-way, face a tough summer if they aren't to be relegated while another former Premier Division club, Bretforton, could be on the way back up after Satur-day's defeat of Ashton left them in top spot in the first division.

Norton Lindsey suffered a surprise defeat at home to Henley, while Winchcombe hammered a mammoth 362-7 in inflicting a 156-run defeat of Stratford who lost just three wickets in passing 200 in reply.

Andy Hamilton was bowled one short of a century, Eddie Huggett hit 61, while skipper Lee Ashton (61) and Dave Durstan (56) added 120 as the visiting bowlers were made to suffer.

Stanway failed to halt Long Itchington's march to a seventh straight third division win and the leaders now have a 38-point cushion after Leamington's surprise setback against Hockley Heath.

Temple Grafton and Wood-bourne continue to have it all their own way in the fourth division and it's a similar story in Division Five with Fladbury and Mickleton, who face each other on Saturday, holding all the aces at the top.

There was an amazing session of play at Ashton where the home side sent down 12 successive maidens as Dorridge chased 139 for victory.

The visitors got home with three wickets to spare leaving Guy Garland and Les Webb reflecting glumly on their efforts while the former's figures of three wickets for two runs from ten overs, nine of which were maidens, proved all n vain.

Cookhill scraped past Welford by four runs in a tense finish when top played bottom in Division Six and the leaders are now 29 points clear of Blockley.

Broadway hit back from a ten-wicket reverse last weekend as Duncan Beale's century helped his side total 254-5 against Eve-sham who only managed 110.