FARLEY made an emphatic return to winning ways against a callow Lymington thirds in County Division 4 West.

After struggling initially to time the ball on an unusually slow track, Mike Covill and Ian Swain grew in confidence, both finding the boundary regularly on the way to half-centuries. Swain fell for 51 and Covill shortly after for 74 - taking his tally for the season over 500 in the process. Two further wickets fell quickly as Farley slipped from 125-1 to 145-5 - and, with recent collapses in mind, there was a slight sense of anxiety in the home dressing room.

But Andy Coveney and James Melhorn quelled the doubts, running hard between the wickets and punishing anything loose. The pair added an unbroken 124 in the last 14 overs, both making it past the 50 mark for the first time this season. Farley finished on 269-5.

The visitors' opening pair of Gannaway and Tollerfield got off to a flyer, taking full advantage of the extra pace of Dan Jackson. But as he and Geoff Ramsey found their length, the runs dried up. Jackson bowled the in-form Tollerfield with one that nipped back and Ramsey eventually won his dual with Gannaway, bowling him for 40 and striking again the next ball. Jake Hand tore through the middle order, as Lymington subsided to 87-6. Young Josh Royan showed some patience, digging in for half an over as the Farley fielders closed in. His persistence ensured that Lymington made it to 118 before the final wicket fell.

There was a battling performance from nine-man Farley 2nds away at Ferndown Wayfarers. They restricted the high-flying hosts to 211-6, and made a determined 144-5 in response - earning seven points in the process to remain in 10th position, ahead of next season's League restructure.