KENILWORTH Thirds opened their Cotswold Hills Division Six campaign with a narrow eight-run success over Lapworth Seconds.
Put into bat, Kenilworth slumped to 10-2 early doors against a disciplined Lapworth bowling attack.
Two more wickets feel cheaply leaving the home side floundering at 36-4.
Charlie Stranks (12) put on 40 with Henry Curran (75) as Kenilworth found scoring runs hard and after 30 overs were reeling at 95-6.
Kenilworth were eventually bowled out for 130 in the 42nd over with Steve Seeley (5-17) and Adam Carter (3-7) doing the damage with the ball for Lapworth.
Skipper Sam Leach and Ian Baker shared the new ball for Kenilworth but the Lapworth openers of Joel Faber and Tom Marsden put on a steady opening partnership.
The pair put on 58 for the first wicket with Stranks (3-37) striking twice to remove Faber for just 16 and then Marsden for 34.
Seamer Jonathan Sparks also took two wickets to leave Lapworth at 94-5.
But it was Sparks’ seventh over which turned the game on its head.
After clean bowling Thomas Winter for a duck, he removed James Agnew (7) before bowling Adam Carter with his last ball to complete a brilliant hat-trick and five-wicket haul.
Lapworth managed to push the score from 97-8 to 121-9 but could only muster up one further run as Kenilworth bowled the visitors out in the 35th over to claim victory.
