SOUTH Wilts beat Paultons by four wickets in the round 2 of the Southern Premier Cricket League Twenty20.

Paultons opted to bat first. They made steady progress as they accumulated 132 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their 20 overs.

Three of those wickets fell to spinner Jack Richards (3 for 17) with 2 for Ryan Murray. Cameron Grierson 22 and Nathan Feltham 29 got them off to a good start and skipper Tony Richman 15 not out and Simon Ennew 27 not out put on an unbroken 44.

A swashbuckling 70 from James Hayward in just 34 balls with 13 fours and two sixes gave them the platform they needed and took the pressure off the other batsmen.

When wickets fell, notably two in one over from James Bills, it was skipper Rob Pittman who steadied the ship with 19 not out and Luke Evans hit a boundary to seal victory with 13 to spare.