Haresfield Gladiators missed out on their first league win of the season by the barest of margins on Saturday.

Non-striker Lloyd Watts was run out from the final ball of the innings by Charfield wicketkeeper Rich Mustoe going for what would have been the winning run after Luke Evans had swung and missed.

It meant the Gloucestershire Cricket League Division 7B game ended in a tie and it really was a dramatic finish because the sixth ball of that last over was a wide.

Haresfield, who closed on 175-9 from their 40 overs, had looked to be well placed when third-wicket pair Andrew Bolton (57) and Austin Garlick (52) were together after the fall of two early wickets and opening batsman and chairman Andy Malpas admitted: “We threw it away.

“We faced some intense bowling but Andy Bolton scored a very good 50.”

So did skipper Garlick, whose half-century included a couple of sixes, one of which over square on the legside is likely to be talked about for a long time.

“He hit it over the netting at the side of the ground, over the road and over the bungalow into their back garden, we had to knock on their door and ask for our ball back,” laughed Malpas.

“It was a flick over square leg, it was an awesome shot.

“He followed it up with another six into the field on the other side, that was a long boundary.”

Earlier, Haresfield had restricted Charfield to 175-8 with slow-medium bowler Colin Pensom, who mixes it up, taking 4-27.

“I think they got away a little bit in the middle overs but we were happy with 175,” said Malpas.

Haresfield, who travel to second-placed Poulton 2nds on Saturday, are bottom of the 10-strong division but have plenty of time to push up the table as they still have 11 games remaining. Charfield are sixth.