West of England Premier League
Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset
Ilminster 24-2 beat Weston-super-Mare 21 by 8 wkts

HARRY Montacute took 7-7 as Ilminster skittled Weston-super-Mare for just 21 in a quite remarkable victory on Saturday.

The hosts went into the game sat second but had no answer to the Ilminster attack, slipping to 1-3 and then 10-5 as Montacute and Sam Grinter (3-14) tore through the top order.

There was to be no let up, with six ducks in all and the top score of six shared between Shabil Ahmed and Somerset paceman Paul van Meekeren as the visitors ran riot.

Having needed just 15 overs to dismiss their hosts, Ilminster required only six to complete the run chase despite losing Jon Hurford (14) and Jonny Warry (1) along the way.

Though the hosts were missing Peter Trego, their line-up featured ex-Somerset wicketkeeper Rob Turner and county youngster Jack Press as well as van Mekeren and Charl Willoughby.

Ilminster’s Craig Rice said: “It was a surreal day and we’re still in a bit of a daze.

“We travelled without a massive amount of optimism but the wicket did a bit and Harry and Sam were brilliant.

“Even when they were 10-5 I kept thinking someone would come in and get a quick 30-odd and they would get up to 100, which would have been a tough chase on that wicket with their attack.

“We started earlier [at 12 noon] to fit the football in but we had finished, showered and had a pint with them by 2pm and got back the clubhouse at Ilminster in time to see England get through to the semi-finals of a World Cup - if Carlsberg did Saturdays...

“The only match I can remember like this is when we bowled out Lansdown for 25 in 2006, when Kieran Boucher took 9-18.”

Ilminster host Bishopston on Saturday (12.30pm start).

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West of England Premier League
Somerset Division
Minehead 232 beat Chard 189 by 43 runs

CHARD look to have let their title hopes slip away through their fingers, after a 43-run loss away to fellow contenders Minehead on Saturday.

A depleted Chard side – minus Harvey Dening, Jon Dalwood and Scott Wells-Burr – travelled to West Somerset, with a much earlier start time (due to England’s World Cup quarter-final) and delays en route meaning they had no warm-up time.

This was to prove costly in the extreme, as catches were dropped from the outset.

Akhona Mbanga’s pace and line gave the Minehead top order a torrid time, and his final figures of 10 overs for six runs (only three from the bat) and one wicket was the least he deserved.

Of the early Minehead batters, only Ian Buchanan (64) showed any fluency, as Angus Marsh – who went on to score 69 – took 35 balls to get off the mark, while also benefitting several times from Chard’s generous fielders.

Chris Scott (3-32 off 10) suffered from “dropsy and stumpsy”, and the rest of the attack fared little better – Richard Scott (3-53 off nine) being the pick.

Brother John also took three wickets, but was uncharacteristically expensive, with 64 from his 10, as Minehead were all out in the 49th over for a challenging 232.

Turning straight around Chard were soon in trouble, losing both openers early to slip to 17-2.

Pete Moxom (35) saw Chard through to the two-hour football break, but his dismissal – first ball back chasing a short wide – was pivotal.

The rest of the Chard order tried valiantly to chase the game, with Richard (35) and John (47) Scott taking their side from 75-6 to 158-7.

Mention must go to young George Gladman, scoring 21 from 21 balls on his 1st XI debut, but Chard were all out for 189 with four overs left.

Slipping back to fourth in the table, Chard host bottom side Staplegrove on Saturday (12.30pm start).

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West of England Premier League
Somerset Division
North Perrott 213-6 beat Yeovil 209 by 4 wkts

NORTH Perrott moved above Chard and into third spot in the WEPL Somerset standings after Jack Henderson’s 88 not out helped them win at struggling Yeovil on Saturday.

The home side chose to bat first but were quickly in trouble at 33-2, only for Calum Gundry (34) and Ben Ford (62) to take their side up to 100.

Gordon Whorlow removed both on his way to 3-40 off 10 overs, but Louis Martin added 35 before he was bowled by Lorraine Szczepanski (2-25 off 8.2).

Set a target of 210 to win, Whorlow (35) and George Retter (30) put on 67 first-wicket runs.

But Ford added to his exploits with the bat by taking 3-29 off 10, as well as a run-out, and at 89-4 victory was anything but certain for the visitors.

Henderson wasn’t going anywhere, though, and alongside Jamie Baird (13) he took Perrott up towards 150.

Baird and John Ireland were both run out, but Lewis Hunt (20) and Henderson stayed together to the end, reaching 213 with three overs to spare.

This coming Saturday, Perrott – 11 points off leaders Frome – are at home to fourth-bottom Wembdon, looking to keep pace at the top (12.30pm start).