Kym Marsden’s unbeaten century was not enough as Badshot Lea slipped to a two-wicket defeat at home to Waverley in a 40-over match on Sunday.

Waverley won the toss and decided to field first on a tricky looking pitch, and soon got their first wicket with only nine on the board. A second quickly followed, both claimed by Adrian Day (three for 16).

This brought to the wicket Kym Marsden, who mastered the pitch and most of the Waverley bowlers. Marsden (130 not out) hit eight sixes and 17 fours in his innings, and kept his head while none of the other Badshot Lea players reached double figures.

Collecting the other wickets, Andy du Gay managed three for 18 and Sam Tempest two for seven, while the other bowlers took a hammering as Badshot Lea made 172 all out.

After the break, in general, the visitors fared no better, with wickets soon tumbling. It was not until the seventh wicket partnership of 51 between Scott Upward (37) and Charlie Harding (13) that Waverley looked anything like a winning team, with Kevin Wilson (two for 15) and Josh Austin (two for 25) being the pick of the bowlers.

Simon Brewer hit 19 and Chris Beanland 12, but a tail end wag of 26 concerning Day (ten not out) and skipper Toby Elborough (nine not out) enabled Waverley to creep across the line, and it was fortunate for Waverley that extras, with 42, was the top scorer in their 173 for eight.