WEPL round-up: Taunton earn first win while St Andrew's and Taunton Deane beaten

TAUNTON picked up their first win of the season after defeating fellow strugglers Bishopston on Saturday.

Bishopston chose to bat first on a pitch that looked full of runs, but Taunton made a good start with the ball as James Hayes (2-69) and Archie Dunning (2-49) picked up an early wicket apiece to leave the hosts 34-2.

Mark Coombes (46) and Jamie Tapper accelerated in the middle overs, with Tapper becoming increasingly influential as he helped his side recover from 174-7.

Tapper and Frank Connelly (23*) added 80 for the eighth wicket before Dunning bowled the latter for exactly 100, with the hosts ending their 50 overs on 270-8.

Along with Hayes and Dunning, there were also wickets for James Clark (1-37 from 10), Chiragvir Dhindsa (1-35 off 10) and Will Abell (1-40 off eight).

Taunton’s reply started badly and the visitors were struggling on 30-3 after the top three all fell cheaply.

Dan Quick and Will Abell set about repairing the damage and did so successfully, playing patiently but keeping the score moving as they put on 131 runs for the fourth wicket.

Abell fell for 72 from 74 balls, and Quick’s subsequent departure for 67 left the game in the balance with Taunton on 201-5.

Captain Hugh Kelly played the key role from thereon in, making an unbeaten 58 at better than a run a ball.

He was supported by James Clark (18) and Jon Kerslake (10*) as the visitors crossed the line with two balls to spare.

Kelly said: “It’s been a tough start to the season so it’s great to get a win on the board.

“It was a hell of a track - the best I’ve seen it up there - but, though we pulled it back a bit at the end of their innings, I thought we gave them about 30 too many.

“We had a wobble at the start but Will Abell and Dan Quick played really sensibly.

“It gives us confidence going forward and, now the school terms are coming to an end, we have a few players available again who will make us stronger for the remainder of the season.”

On Saturday, Taunton travel to Weston-super-Mare, who have had a solid start and beat Shapwick & Polden by seven wickets last weekend as Somerset’s Peter Trego claimed a five-for and scored a half-century.

WEPL Premier 2 Bristol/Som
Midsomer Norton 207-7 beat Taunton Deane 128 by 79 runs

TAUNTON Deane slipped to their third defeat of the season as an abject batting display saw them beaten at Midsomer Norton.

Bowling first in a rain affected match, reduced to 40 overs per side, the Deane made early inroads as opener Harry Smith (3-30) had Hashan Guanthilaka caught down the leg side by a diving Sam Shaikh who took a smart one handed catch.

Martin Cox was then dismissed lbw and Nick Pang’s departure left the hosts 30-3.

Matt Derham and Roelof van der Merwe served to further constrain the scoring rate, as van der Merwe, extracting prodigious turn and bounce, claimed 3-22 from eight overs. 

When opener Alex Lear fell for a patient 29, bowled by leg-spinner Luke Williams (1-35), the score was 114-5. 

Andrew Cox and Dan Nolan added 55 before van der Merwe held a steepling catch off his own bowling to remove Cox for 37 from 24 balls.

Nolan continued where his colleague left off and proceeded to open his arms, finishing unbeaten on 83 as MSN posted 207-7. 

The Deane reply started well as Alastair James-Bradley and Calvin Harrison pushed the score to 24 before Harrison (8) was somewhat unfortunate to be caught behind working ball to fine leg off the bowling of Chris Hampshire (5-35). 

Skipper Thomas and Warren moved the score to 55 before Thomas fell for 13.

Roelof van der Merwe (4) also fell to Pang before Henry Mellor was pinned on the crease to leave the Deane reeling at 61-4. 

That became 67-5 when James-Bradley tried to force one past the bowler but was bowled for 35. 

Hampshire then bowled Luke Williams (4) and Liam Redrup (2) as his claimed his fourth and fifth wickets respectively before Sam Shaikh was run out.

Smith (20) and Rob Pryke (28) earned the Deane their first point, but the latter was the final wicket to fall as the Deane subsided to 128 all out.

The Deane host Shapwick & Polden on Saturday.

WEPL Premier 1
Bristol 208-8 beat Taunton St Andrew’s 148 by 60 runs

TAUNTON St Andrew’s slipped to a second defeat in succession as Bristol proved too strong on Saturday.

Bristol chose to bat upon winning the toss, but Saints struck early as Joe Wadham (1-23) had Fin Trenouth (4) caught by his Somerset teammate Tom Banton.

James Bracey and Will Young steadied the ship, adding 65 for the second wicket before the latter was bowled by Lloyd Alley (1-35) for 35.

Gloucestershire’s Will Tavare picked up the reins alongside Bracey and took the score into three figures before Justin Burke and Tom Banton applied pressure.

Burke ended with 3-25 from his 10 overs, with Banton’s off-spin claiming 2-35 from 10, as Bristol slipped to 182-8.

Captain William Rudge struck an unbeaten 22 to take the hosts past 200, as they finished their 50 overs on 208-8.

The Saints reply started steadily as Eddie Byrom and Tom Banton put on 37.

Byrom’s departure for 18 sparked a cluster of wickets, however, as James Regan (0), Alley (6) and Banton (25) were dismissed to leave the Saints 58-4.

The middle and lower order made starts, but none could progress past Deven Bell’s 22 as Saints fell to 148 all out.

Captain James Regan said: “We were disappointed to lose from the position we got ourselves into.

“James Burke and Tom Banton bowled beautifully and we were pleased to keep them to just above 200 - I’d have backed us to chase it down nine times out of 10.

“We need to take more responsibility and ensure one of the top four goes on to make a big score. When we won four on the bounce at the start of the season it’s because someone would always make a big one.”

This Saturday, Saints travel to Bridgwater, who beat Bath on Saturday with Max Waller hitting an unbeaten 137.

“They are probably the club I most admire in the WEPL,” Regan said.

“It’s a great set-up there and games against them are always played hard but fair.”

West of England Premier League Somerset Division
Minehead 305-8 beat Yeovil 192 by 113 runs

MINEHEAD claimed their sixth consecutive league victory with an impressive win at home on Saturday.

Batting first, Minehead lost Freddie Wilson early on but Ian Buchanan and Dan Bowditch settled the innings, playing watchfully as Sam Fuller (3-71) and Steve Redwood (0-32) offered few scoring opportunities.

Some looser bowling followed, however, and Bowditch raced to his half-century with several boundaries through the offside.

Buchanan fell for 42 but overseas player Sean Mosquera wasted no time in finding the fence.

Their partnership passed the 100-mark in quick time before Mosquera passed his 50 and shortly afterwards Bowditch chalked up a fine century in 88 balls including 15 fours and a six.

He was to fall for 101 just two balls later with the score on 233 but Mosquera continued to find the boundary.

Three sixes took him to his first century for the club in just 78 balls.

He lasted just one more ball thanks to a fine catch on the boundary before opening bowler Alex Murphy (3-43) returned to take two further Minehead wickets in two balls.

A boundary from the last ball of the innings meant Minehead had 305-8 to defend on a good wicket and fast outfield.

Minehead’s new ball pairing of Gavin Paviour and Ellis Taylor created opportunities from the off and Paviour found the edge of Ewens’ bat, feathering through to keeper Mosquera for 13.

Paviour also accounted for Calum Gundry and the innings was teetering at 33-2.

Jake Hayes and visiting skipper Ben Ford moved the score to 81 before Bowditch did for Hayes, but Ford pushed on and brought up a fine counter-attacking 50.

Bowditch (4-36) removed left handers Harry Boucher (0) and Steve Redwood (6), before claiming the crucial wicket of Ford, clean bowed for 62.

A brief late order partnership took the Yeovil side past 150 but three wickets for Brad Martin (3-21) saw the tourists all out for 192, 113 short of victory.

Minehead claimed 20 points from the match to go seven points clear at the top of the table with plenty of cricket still to play.

They travel to mid-table Bridgwater 2nds on Saturday looking to reinforce their position ahead of the chasing pack.

WEPL Somerset

Frome 79-1 beat Staplegrove 77 by 9 wkts

Staplegrove’s tough season continued as they were skittled for 77 against Frome, with only Henry Graydon (34) and Shaun Lee (25) in double figures.

Robin Lett (43*) helped Frome cruise home by nine wickets.

On Saturday, Staplegrove travel to North Perrott.