FOUR points separate the top three sides in the Premier Division of the Cotswold Hills League after leaders Kineton lost to a buoyed up Shipston outfit.

Exhall and Wixford lie third after smashing 287-4 in a 63-run defeat of gallant Stratford Bards but it was Exhall's second string that earned most of the batting plaudits at the expense of Bards' beleaguered bowlers.

Openers Greg Bruner and Steve Hughes embarked on an amazing run spree with an unbroken stand of 278.

Bruner, dropped in the first over, smashed 156 not out, while his partner finished just two short of his century.

It was an afternoon that Bards' skipper Paul Rathkey will want to swiftly forget.

After asking Exhall to bat first and seeing his bowlers blasted to all parts of the ground, Rathkey was then stumped by opposite number John Holder off the first ball of his side's reply.

Temple Grafton bettered that 168-run margin by one as Evesham slumped to 70 all out in reply to 239-7.

Harvington's second team bounced back from defeat at Great Alne to skittle Elmley Castle for 136 after posting 153-7.

A fourth successive win has lifted Badsey into second place in the second division. Their latest victims were Stanway as Emerson Paul (4-47) helped skittle the hosts for 138.

Back in the top flight, Bretforton closed the gap on their relegation rivals after Sean Barber (84no) and Alex Evans (44no) shared a match-winning stand of 115. Batsmen Andrew Witts had double cause for celebration after reaching 3,000 runs for the club.

Alcester and Ragley's hopes of a swift return to the top flight suffered another turn for the worse when Broadway sneaked a narrow win.

Andy Beale hit 66 as Broadway totalled 204-9 despite a fine spell of bowling from Shaun Quirke that realised figures of 3-12 from ten overs.

Quirke then hit a half-century as Alcester reached 88 without loss but only skipper Nick Chad-bourne could take advantage with 49 as the hosts fell eight runs short of their target.