FARLEY cruised to a sixwicket victory at a young St Cross V in Regional Division One (North).

In humid conditions, the visitors elected to field first, but began sluggishly, allowing the home openers to build a steady partnership. It was Paul Roberts who found a breakthrough, bowling Smith for 30, and then Jake Hand removed the obdurate Birks courtesy of a left-handed diving take from Ian Swain in the gully.

After that, St Cross never really got out of second gear despite Mo Wahid making the most of some lives to carve 43.

Phil Owen, removing the dangerous Bussey with a reflex return catch, proved too much for the lower order, picking up three wickets at the death as St Cross finished 131-8.

Swain (36) and captain Mike Covill calmly set Farley on the way to victory, adding 80 for the first wicket before Swain went to the game’s second stunning caught and bowled. Covill fell for a tidy 43, full of fluent cover drives, and there was a brief wobble before Dave Glanvill finished things off with two boundaries in the 33rd over.

Farley seconds had a tough outing at Amfield as they were bowled out for 84 runs.