ASTON Ingham cricketers warmed up with three wins out of three at the weekend following last year’s best ever season, with Australian overseas recruit Nick Merrin firing a standout 137 for the 1st XI.

Taking on Biddestone CC at home on Saturday, they secured a 76-run victory after the Perth opener's superb knock, in which he fired nine sixes and 14 fours before being caught.

Last year's top scorer Anthony James played support this time, scoring 41, including seven fours and a six, as Aston racked up 251-7 off their 40 overs, with Edward Bell chipping in with an unbeaten 20.

The hosts' tight bowling then kept Biddestone's batters bottled up, Sam Didcote and Merrin making early break throughs before the visitors were all out for 175 with seven overs to play.

Didcote and Merrin both took three wickets apiece, the latter off 2.3 overs, backed by Jordy Luis with two and one apiece for James and Angus Bartlett.

The same afternoon, another Aston team travelled just up the road to play Dymock CC in a 40-over match, where they won by 62 runs.

Jimmy Davies fired 50, including seven fours, before retiring, backed by Mark Mathias with an unbeaten 28 and Simon Clark with 21, as Aston scored 175-8.

Dymock opener Dan Gale smacked two sixes and six fours in an unbeaten 52 in reply, but only Xander Rogers with 12 and Brandon Cuffell and Clyde Breetzke with 10s also reached double figures as the hosts were all out for 113 in the last over.

On Sunday, Aston hosted another friendly against Fownhope Strollers, with skipper Leo Lockwood firing 54 before retiring, supported by Breetzke swapping clubs with 36 not out, Merrin 28 not out and Ethan Drew-White with 25.

Aston reached 226-6 off their 40 overs, before then steamrollering through the Fownhope batting to dismiss them for 127 with 7.4 overs to spare, Drew-White and Gardner taking three wickets each and Will Green two.