West of England Cricket League Premier 2
Taunton 220-7 beat Shapwick & Polden 217-8 by three wickets

SHAPWICK & Polden fell to their fourth league defeat from six matches on Saturday as they were narrowly beaten by Taunton.

Having elected to bat upon winning the toss, Sam Edmunds (41) and Alex Ralston (26) got Shapwick off to a good start.

However, a mini-collapse saw the visitors fall from 54-0 to 67-3, and it took valuable contributions from captain Ben Rudge (31), Lee Edmunds (26) and Harry Woolway (35*) to take Shapwick to 217-8.

Taunton’s reply looked to be cruising when they reached 106-1, largely thanks to opener Hugh Kelly’s 58.

A flurry of wickets then saw Taunton lose three batsmen without adding to the score, however, and Shapwick were back in the game.

Jack Cooper (15) and Grant Davey (22) steadied the ship but, when they and William Abell (6) departed, Taunton were left 166-7 – still requiring 52 runs with only three wickets left.

That was as good as it got for the visitors, though, as Tom Diamond (26*) and Ben Phillips (22*) teamed up to put together an unbeaten eighth-wicket partnership which saw the home side over the line.

The wickets were shared around for Shapwick, with James Haggett (2-37) leading the way and Sam Spencer, Wayne Spencer, Harry Woolway and Ben Rudge claiming one apiece.

The defeat leaves Shapwick eighth in the division ahead of Saturday’s visit of Taunton Deane, who themselves have made a slow start and sit just one place above Shapwick going into the weekend.