JON Sore’s impressive 77 in difficult conditions helped Swindon to their first Glos/Wilts win of the season at Chipping Sodbury, but after the game the number three was quick to credit his teammates’ effort in the field as the major reason behind their victory.

Sore smashed 13 fours and a six in 72 balls to propel Swindon to their 171-run target with more than four overs to spare of this rain-reduced contest near Bristol, after the hosts had elected to bat first in high winds and sporadic showers.

Tight bowling from Matt Kidd, Michael Wilson and Santosh Iyengar, who claimed 3-28 from seven overs, put the visitors in a commanding position at the break and it was that foundation which Sore thought was the primary factor in his side’s success.

“We bowled really well as a united. Matt Kidd bowled well and really tight, Santosh as well and the spinners tied an end down. We really pressured them early on,” he told the Advertiser. “They were 18 or so off 10 and fielded really well. If you save a few runs in the field that’s less you’ve got to get with the bat and that eases the pressure as well.

“We’ve been working hard on that during the winter and it really paid off in this game.”

Sore, who will be looking to secure his place in the Wiltshire Academy squad once again this term, was ably supported with the bat by Hampshire youngster Jake Goodwin, who registered nine boundaries in his unbeaten 45 from 39 balls.

Sore fell with 15 still required for victory, run out by Dan Clark, but Goodwin and Adam Tucker saw Swindon home.

“It was so windy and there was a bit of rain about as well, so we had to bear that in mind. It was a really good win and a really, really good team performance,” said Sore.

“It’s always good to get some runs and help the team but, with the way we fielded and bowled, we kept them down to a low total and it turned out to be a really good batting pitch as well. It was a team effort, I reckon.

“We had a talk before the game and said that we were disappointed about the result the week before but we put it behind us and moved on. We were lucky in that we were one of the only teams that played and we got some points to gain on those who only got shared points for cancellations.

“We’re back in it again now. We knew we had to up our game and get that first win on the board, which is what we were able to do.

“It was a really good pitch and fair play to them, they put a lot of work in. We travelled down there as it was raining, we turned up and thought there was no chance of playing, sat around, the wind picked up and it drained the place out completely. It was rock hard by the end of it and the pitch stayed good.

“I imagine that in the summer would just be ridiculous. We were a bit surprised when they won the toss and decided to bat first but they knew their ability and knew the pitch would remain good.”