West of England Premier League
Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset Taunton 137-3 beat Shapwick & Polden 131 by 42 runs (DLS)

SHAPWICK & Polden missed the chance to put daylight between themselves and the drop zone as they were beaten by bottom side Taunton in a rain-affected encounter on Saturday.

The hosts put their visitors in upon winning the toss, but opener Charles Clist got Taunton off to a brisk start with 39 at just under a run a ball.

Joe Mason (2-19) impressed with the ball but 35 wides cost Shapwick as Taunton made 137-3 in 20 overs.

Shapwick’s target was adjusted to 174 from 20 overs after rain intervened but the hosts lost each of their top three cheaply.

Somerset seamer Ollie Sale (2-21) was partly responsible, while last weekend’s star Sam Edmunds was caught behind off Ben Phillips without scoring and Fionn Hand was run out having made five.

John Stratton was playing fluently at one end and Shapwick knew they had a chance as long as he was at the wicket.

He found little in the way of support, however, and eventually fell for a fine 61 from 40 balls, including five fours and three sixes, to leave his side staring down the barrel at 107-6.

Will Mason was the only other batsman to make it into double figures but he was the penultimate wicket to fall, departing to a return catch by Will Abell (2-22) having made a defiant 29 while wickets fell regularly around him.

Chiragvir Dhindsa (3-20) then clean bowled last man Harry Woolway to end the innings on 131 in the 19th over, Shapwick falling to defeat by 42 runs.

In a tightly-contested division, Shapwick sit sixth with three matches to play.

They are 26 points off the bottom but just 22 points off third-placed Weston-super-Mare, who they visit on Saturday.

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WEPL Somerset Division
Yeovil 184-6 beat Wembdon 141 by 66 runs (DLS)

WEMBDON won their first toss in eight weeks and, with a gloomy forecast, elected to bowl first.

In a rain-affected game with a revised Duckworth Lewis total, Yeovil were eventual winners in the latest finish of the season.

In challenging swing conditions, Yeovil made a watchful start and Brendan Pope got the breakthrough; two balls later, Pope found the edge of the young Chesterman and a good catch at first slip by Dan Bingham had Yeovil 23-2.

A 50-run stand for the third wicket between Redwood (37) and B. Ford (29) moved the score along to 73, aided by too many wides, as the bowlers toiled in blustery conditions.

Tim Bennett removed Ford but Redwood remained and, joined by the experienced C. Gundry, added a further 43.

Redwood was the next man to go, as he played on from Josh Henry, before rain brought an early tea.

Yeovil came out swinging, as Sellick and Annison accounted for two late wickets but M. Mitchell (21 from 15) and W. Hanrahan (13 from nine) boosted Yeovil’s score to 184-6 from 39 overs.

Under DLS, Wembdon’s target had been revised up to 208 from 39 overs, a tough proposition given that conditions still favoured the bowler.

Bingham came out looking to get Wembdon off to a positive start, but was caught in the covers in the first over. Thereafter, the score barely moved for several overs, and increased pressure saw Tom Brooks run out.

Just as Wembdon were gaining momentum, Sam Puddy (22) edged the ball on to his pad and was adjudged lbw, before Jon Brockwell went for 11.

Jack Lowe (23) and Brendan Pope (19) shared a 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but both fell within a run of each other.

At 89-6, light fading as 8pm approached and the overs dwindling, any hope of victory was beyond Wembdon, so sights were set on accumulating points.

Josh Henry (10) and Dan James-Stone (17) aided Wembdon’s cause while Tim Bennett struck 20 to move Wembdon to 141.

Ultimately, they were dismissed with 16 balls remaining, so Yeovil sit four points ahead of Wembdon, who are 23 points ahead of Uphill Castle with three games left.

Match sponsor: Dave Kirk & friends, Ian Falconer

Wembdon’s fixture on Saturday at Uphill Castle is now a must-win game.

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WEPL Somerset
Frome 179-7 beat North Petherton 145 by 55 runs (DLS)

NORTH Petherton’s batsmen failed to fire as they slipped to a rain-affected 55-run defeat at home to Frome on Saturday.

Pethy won the toss and chose to bowl in murky conditions, but it took the introduction of Ryan Meppem at first change to bring a breakthrough after Paul Sanger (36) and Scott Lewis (13) had got Frome off to a solid start.

Meppem clean bowled Lewis and went on to tear through the rest of the top order on his way to figures of 4-22 from 10 overs as Pethy seized control.

Their progress was checked by a fine knock from wicketkeeper Charlie Smith, who made an unbeaten 62 from number seven to guide Frome to 179-7 from 42 overs.

Rainfall saw Pethy’s target adjusted to 201 from 42, but the chase got off to a poor start as Reece Croker removed Harry Bowditch (5) and Liam Winter (0).

Tom Williams (41) and captain Paul Short (29) led a middle-order recovery to raise hopes of an unlikely win, but the end came quickly after their departures as Pethy were bowled out for 145 in the 38th over.

On Saturday, Pethy travel to leaders North Perrott.