GUS Atkinson took a sensational hat-trick as Bradfield College produced a tremendous bowling performance to defeat Radley College by 29 runs, writes Richard Ashton.

The visitors chose to bat after winning the toss, but they lost two early wickets to fall to 10-2.

Captain Harry Came (48) played something of a lone hand as only two other players in the top nine made double figures.

As 116-9, the writing looked firmly on the wall for Bradfield, but a vital last-wicket partnership of 39 between Henry Phillips (15no) and Ollie Waddington (18) steered their side to a defendable 155 all out.

Atkinson and Ollie Cox took an early wicket apiece to leave Radley 13-2, before the former took three wickets in three balls to leave the home side in disarray on 27-5.

Rory Betley (61) led a recovery for the Oxfordshire school, but Seb Waddington (2-32) produced another tidy spell to help reduce Radley to 92-7 and right up against it.

The eight-wicket pair of Betley and Tom Eden added 32 to keep their hopes alive before the latter was run out.

Atkinson (5-18) completed his five-wicket haul and Ollie Waddington dismissed Betley to leave Radley 126 all out.

Bradfield had less success at Harrow last Thursday, crashing to an eight-wicket defeat.

The visitors again had a poor start with the bat, crashing to 26-3.

However, Came (73no) and Atkinson (65no) shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 151 to salvage the innings and help their side to 177-3 after 50 overs.

Harrow’s opening pair added 60 before Ollie Simpson picked up a wicket, and although Ollie Waddington also collected one, Harrow cruised to victory in just 30.1 overs.

The Oratory School slipped to a seven-wicket defeat at home to Magdalen College School on Saturday.

Captain Will Legg once again played a lone hand among the home side’s top order, batting superbly until he was dismissed for 61.

However, the rest of the team struggled as they fell to 111-8, only for an outstanding partnership – full of excellent running between the wickets – between James Appleyard (49) and Craig Rintoul (47) to rescue their side.

Neither could record deserved half centuries, but The Oratory set a competitive 226.

Magdalen’s reply started slowly, but they accelerated superbly after the tea interval and ultimately secured a straight-forward victory with seven balls to spare.