Gerrards Cross climbed up to third in the Home Counties Division Two table after a hard fought draw against rock bottom Aston Rowant.

Elliot Green starred with the ball, taking 6-82 from his 17 overs, and Sam Westaway (51*) was in good form with the bat, but they didn’t have an easy ride against Rowant.

Having won the toss, Matt Watson elected to field – a decision he may have been regretting after the hosts reached 249-8 after 58 overs.

An eighth wicket stand of 75 had frustrated the visitors after the exertions of Green, Richard Knusden (1-77) and Jamie Hoddle (1-33) had reduced Rowant to 169-7.

Cross’ response got off to a disastrous start with wickets falling at regular intervals after Justin Hampshire (1) had been dismissed early on.

Both James Crosthwaite and Dan Hampton scored 11 before falling victim to Aston bowler Wesley Morrick, who picked up his third wicket of the innings when Watson headed back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers.

The away team were reeling on 43-4 before Westaway alongside Ben Lane (25), Sam Bracey (21) and Hoddle, who finished unbeaten on 21, steadied the ship.

When the players walked off at the end of the day’s play, Cross finished on 172-6 after 52 overs and picked up eight points for their troubles.

On Saturday, Watson and his side come up against Cove, who go into the game having defied their lowly league position to beat Amersham by six wickets.

Cove began the match bottom of the standings but they moved off the foot of the table after chasing down 249 to win on Saturday.

Luke Jackson’s side had crushed Finchampstead by 105 runs last weekend and they looked to be in a strong position once more after compiling 248-6 from 58 overs.

Having slipped to 58-3, a superb stand of 125 for the fourth wicket between Paul Langley, who finished unbeaten on 75, and Sri Lankan Maduka Liyanapathiranage (75) moved the score onto 183-4 before the latter was caught off the bowling of Neil Randall.

Langley’s knock came off 128 balls and included eight boundaries as he helped put his side into a seemingly strong position.

Amersham toiled in the field, however, and despite the best efforts of Liyanapathiranage (2-94), Nicholas Buchanan (1-34) and Farhad Mullahzada (1-24), Cove crossed the finishing line with six wickets in hand.

Jackson’s side have another home match on Saturday as they welcome fourth place Datchet to Shardeloes.