GERRARDS Cross are still fighting for their lives in Division One of the Home Counties League after a Duckworth-Lewis victory over Aston Rowant on Saturday.

Rowant batted first and openers Tim Morgan (15) and Chris Watling (64) made a steady start with a stand of 44.

However, some disciplined Cross bowling kept the run rate under control and Rowant were unable to find the boundary as often as they would have liked.

They were well placed though after reaching 131-4 with ten overs left, but were unable to accelerate in the latter stages of the innings as they finished their innings on 198-7.

Nicholas Ferraby (32) and Joshua Smith (23) scored valuable middle order runs while Tom Hampton was the pick of the Cross bowlers with figures of 3-38.

Cross were soon in trouble with their reply though, as Mohammed Avas and Jamie Hoddle departed for 8 and 1 respectively.

But that was as good as it got for Aston Rowant as Matt Watson and Daniel Solway settled in in the middle.

They had taken their side from 29-2 to 125-2 when the rain arrived after 33.1 overs.

At that stage they were 25 runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par score, and them forced home that advantage when play resumed, leaving Cross chasing a revised target of 150.

That left them 6.5 overs to chalk off the remaining 25 runs, and they got home with 15 balls remaining thanks to Watson (71 not out) and Solway (57 not out) With Harefield also winning, Cross remain bottom of the table but they are now just eight points from safety with two matches remaining.

On Saturday they go to Burnham.