WEPL round-up from Taunton St Andrew's, Taunton Deane, Minehead and Wellington

Bedminster 260-7 beat Taunton St Andrew's 217 by 43 runs

TAUNTON St Andrew's are still searching for their first win of the season after losing out at Bedminster on Saturday.

The hosts won the toss and, after electing to bat, Drissell and Russell shared an opening stand of 106, which might have been a different story if two catches hadn’t been missed.

The returning Mike Parsons and James Hayman bowled well up top and were unlucky not to get early wickets, regularly beating the bat.

However, the introduction of Lloyd Alley (5-34) and Justin Burke (2-31) made inroads into the Bedminster line-up as they collapsed to 129-7.

However, Danish international Jino Jojo, with an unbeaten 88, and Garreth Elphick (39no) put Saints to the sword, adding 131 in an unbroken partnership to see the hosts to 260 from their 50 overs.

In reply, Saints lost Robbie Contreras early, after which they regularly lost wickets.

Only James Regan, with an impressive 113, had any answer to the Bedminster attack as the visitors were eventually all out for 217.

The Masterplumb man of the match was James Regan.

Taunton St Andrew's visit Bath on Saturday, where they will be hoping to get their first win.

Captain Jack Cooper said: “We lacked a killer instinct with the ball and let them get away from us.

“We rushed through our overs too quickly without much of a plan.

“With the bat, Regan aside, we didn’t apply ourselves and there were too many poor shots.

“Lloyd [Alley] bowled very well in the middle and Justin Burke and Michael Parsons gave us good control.

“I have seen enough to see that we can compete. It is now about putting it all together and getting some wins on the board.”

Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset

Taunton Deane 194 beat Keynsham 134 by 60 runs

A PUGNACIOUS knock of 114 from Harry Thomas led Taunton Deane to victory over Keynsham to make two wins from two.

Having won the toss, stand-in skipper Sam Shaikh elected to bat on a wicket that produced some assistance to the new ball early on.

The Deane were reduced to 5-1 then 12-2 as openers Grant Davey (0) and Sam Loud (2) were both caught at gully.

Tenessee Harlow and Harry Thomas managed to add a further 48 runs before Harlow succumbed lbw to the miserly Sam Wheller (3-22).

When debutant Jamie Stephens (3) was caught behind, the scoreboard read 86-5 with more than 30 overs left.

However, Thomas stood firm with bullish drives, cuts and pulls as he and Shaikh saw the Deane to 98-5 at the halfway stage.

The partnership yielded a further batting point as Thomas secured a hard fought century but as the Deane moved to 186, Thomas was bowled off his pads looking to force one way to the short leg side boundary with eight overs left.

After Shaikh (25) was run out backing up at the non-striker’s end and Will Hardwick was bowled by Jack Stiff first ball, a late flurry of wickets saw the Deane eventually finish on 194 all out, a competitive total given the early batting conditions.

The Keynsham reply saw James Mitchell and James Bancroft play with intent.

However, the dismissal of Bancroft, caught sharply at slip by Thomas, heralded a rush of three quick wickets.

Anthony Cains (19) and Dan Price moved Keynsham past 50 and to 79 just before drinks before youngster Harry Smith trapped Cains in front and Stephens deceived Richard Pannell (2) into lofting a catch to Rob Pryke at mid-on.

At 94-5 the Deane felt in control but the Dan Price was steadfast against the home attack and also managed to clear the boundary on a number of occasions.

Keynsham keeper Mark Branton joined Price but Thomas deceived Branton in the air to disturb the bails.

Stephens accounted for away captain Tom Bryan (3) and victory was all but sealed as Stephens then lured Price into a false sweep towards the deep midwicket boundary where Harry Smith hung onto a looping catch.

Fittingly, centurion Thomas to claim the final wicket as Harlow took a diving catch at point to seal victory by 60 runs.

The Deane have another home fixture against Winterbourne on Saturday.

Somerset Division

Yeovil 185 beat Wellington 184-9 by 1 run

A DEFIANT, unbeaten last-wicket stand of 62 between skipper Arron Campbell and Will Derrick took Wellington so close to a first league win of the season last Saturday, writes David Derrick.

Yeovil chose to bat first but Luke Desave and Jack Beal saw they were 14-2 but a solid stand of 113 for the third wicket between Fuller (38) and Ford, who made a powerful 82, took Yeovil into a good mid-innings position.

Wellington ended well, though, as, from 154-3, the visiting side lost seven wickets for just 31 runs as Desave and Beal came back for a second spell and claimed two each.

Neil Hendy and Arron Campbell were also successful with the ball and three run outs saw Yeovil all out for 185 with one ball left.

Hendy and Tom Chambers then gave Wellington a good start as they added 37 opening wicket runs.

However, when Hendy was bowled for 21 and Chambers trapped lbw for 20, the work had to begin again.

At 49-3, this saw Ben Evett join Arron Campbell and the keeper posted 23 in just 24 balls but, when he was bowled, it saw that, eventually, the score plunged to 122-9 with a lot of overs to be used.

Carefully and studiously, Arron Campbell and Will Derrick, as the last Wellington pair, took stock of the situation and developed a stand which took Wellington into the 150s and a second batting point.

Then they passed 175 for the third batting point and Yeovil were the team with the issues despite Ford taking a decent 4-45 in 10 overs.

With a good mix of running the ball around and putting the bad ball away, Campbell (43no) and Derrick (25no) both did their side proud.

It came down to needing three to tie and four to win from the last ball which was faced by Campbell.

He got a good shot in down to long off but it was just cut off and only two runs were possible before the ball was sent in to the bowler’s end to complete proceedings.

West of England Premier League

Somerset Division

Frome 159-5 beat Minehead 155 by 5 wkts

MINEHEAD embarked on their furthest trip of the season in just the second round of fixtures on Saturday, as they took on last year’s runners-up Frome.

Buoyed by their dominant performance against Wellington the previous week, the Pirates went into the game with high hopes of a repeat performance.

The visitors lost the toss and were asked to bat on a damp, soft wicket which looked like it would offer some early movement for the seam bowlers.

This proved to be the case, as accurate bowling and poor shot selection from the Minehead top order saw them slump to 40-4 inside 12 overs, as Freddie Wilson (1), Angus Marsh (1), Alastair Harrison (4) and Philip Barraclough (5) all fell.

Ian Buchanan (38) and Dan Bowditch (12) battled hard, facing 99 balls between them, but they departed in consecutive overs as the score read 74-6.

Minehead knew that a score of around the 200 mark would be more than competitive on this wicket, and Archie Marsh and Matt Sully set about rebuilding.

Together they built the partnership of the innings, mixing solid defence with almighty blows, taking the score to 119 before Sully was well caught for 19.

Marsh marched on, however, as he brought up his maiden half-century for the 1st XI in just his second knock at this level, before he was caught on the ropes for 53 – a great counter-attacking innings which kept Minehead in the game.

But Frome fought back to clean up the lower order, the visitors dismissed for 155; Tom Barton took 4-31 for the hosts.

The beginning of the second innings saw a considerably drier wicket for Frome to bat on, as Robin Lett and Paul Sanger got Frome off to a steady start.

First change bowler Gary Archer made the breakthrough, as he forced former Somerset opener Lett (20) to edge behind, leaving Frome 32-1.

Minehead kept things tight with Taylor and Bowditch looking dangerous with the swinging ball, although Frome took their score to 70 before Bowditch was too quick for Reece Croker (28) as he fended off to Harrison in the gully.

Sanger (20) was bowled by Buchanan, and at 84-3 it was in the balance.

However, a resurgent innings of 37no from 97 balls from youngster Sam Croker took the hosts within sight of victory.

Taylor returned to take two wickets in two balls at the death, but Charlie Smith (11no) negotiated the hat-trick ball and then hit the winning runs.

This Saturday Minehead host Chard at Luttrell Way (12.30pm start), with a number of regulars unavailable for selection.