Youth cricket: Wiltshire Under 15s condemned a strong Wales side to their first defeat of the season at the County Gound in Trowbridge on Sunday.

The day started well to match the balmy early summer sun, with Wiltshire winning the toss and electing to bat.

Openers Guy Brothwood (captain) and local boy Mike Reynolds, playing on his home ground, cautiously found their feet on a firm wicket.

Wales’ opening bowler Williams claimed Brothwood as his first scalp who was well caught by Gehler at mid-off.

Things weren’t to improve for Wiltshire as a determined Reynolds fell for seven shortly afterwards.

Then entered a belligerent Tom Cowley, who calmly and methodically brought some stability, thus fending off an increasingly impatient Welsh attack.

Respectable partnerships started to emerge with Jack Mynott and then Jack Haines contributing to a solid display.

Cowley was then bowled by Herring for 42 and it was time to up the tempo and set the visitors a challenge.

Good contributions from Craig Miles, Brad Dawson and Jack Dymoke took the total to 156 for seven after a full 50 overs. Wales began their innings in reply but Wiltshire’s opening pace bowler Craig Miles tore down the wicket to deliver a fabulous first ball sucker-punch to the visitors.

Bewildered Callum Herring walked from the crease in disbelief as the fielders celebrated.

An excellent James Lavis then despatched Cameron Herring with just six runs on the board and advantage was handed to the home side.

Following a brief period of consolidation by Wales, Wiltshire’s keeper and Trowbridge boy Tom Weaver caught Smith, who edged from a wonderous Lavis ball.

Wales were now three down for 25.

Tom Baker took to the wicket to steady the ship but he lost his partner Lewis to another clean Lavis ball.

Things went from bad to worse for Wales as they lost two more wickets while only adding seven more runs.

The game then entered a steady period controlled by some tidy fielding with two wickets falling to Mynott with slip catches by Miles.

In a moment of genius by the captain Brothwood, spinner Cowley was introduced to provide some variation to the attack and he duly despatched a comfortable Baker for 29, then took the final wicket next ball.

Wales were all out for 101 and Wiltshire had achieved the victory, which had eluded them in previous encounters between the teams.

Other notable contributions in the field came from Ben Gardner and Tom Merriman. Witshire U15s’ next fixture is at Gloucestershire in two weeks.