Taverners sit comfortably after third win

AON St Saviour's are rapidly becoming many people's top prospects for relegation from Barclays Premier One. Last night's defeat to Deutsche Bank Taverners will have helped their cause little, but injury-ravaged St Saviour's hardly helped themselves with a shabby fielding and erratic bowling display.

Three dropped catches - none difficult - and 12 wides eased Taverners' problems in coping with a much-maligned bowling attack which, wides apart, performed creditably.

Nobody could really get going in the Taverners batting line up after they chose to bat.

Skipper Robbie Moore chopped on to Ross Bateman, Justin Scriven got over-ambitious against Gary Tapp and Mark Bisson fell to a remarkable one-handed running catch by Neville Scott.

But Gordon Irish, with his best knock for some time in the top flight, and John Bullock recovered an unpromising situation for Taverners.

Gary Cordery's return to the attack after four tight overs at the top of the innings saw Bullock crash 14 runs from the first three balls, which helped to ease Taverners to a 132 for eight total - better than a run-a-ball. Irish ended unbeaten on 29 from 26 balls.

St Saviour's response was aggressive from the off.

Tapp stroked his first ball faced to the boundary and looked imperious.

Then he under-edged Martyn Bone to Andrew Boyce behind the stumps and St Saviour's were wounded.

Richard Veillard also looked classy and played with composure until he, too, nicked Bone behind.

St Saviour's were in the hunt, at 41 for two from just six overs, but their two top players had gone.

Scott, a revelation as opener, was relaxed and confident but he struggled to find support at the other end as the run rate escalated.

Richard Walker's arrival at the bowling crease, coupled with the return of Scriven, put the game out of reach.

Walker, the pick of all the bowlers on the night, bowled Scott for a chanceless 36 and Mike Veillard, though he remained unbeaten, never really attempted to get after the bowling as the sky blues chances faded rapidly.

St Saviour's stay on two points as a result.

Taverners, meanwhile, have six points from six games played and, after years of perennial struggle, sit comfortably in mid-table.