West of England Premier League Premier 1

Bridgwater 187-9 beat Bedminster 143 by 44 runs

BRIDGWATER brought their run of four league defeats to an end on Saturday, with a dogged performance against Bedminster in gale force winds at The Parks.

The home grounds team had worked tirelessly to get the game on, but it was Bedminster who won a seemingly important toss to insert the home side in difficult conditions.

Andy Hallaran and Scott Clapp made light work of it, however, as they got their team off to a flier by adding 54 in nine overs before Clapp was well caught for 32, which included two huge sixes.

Hallaran (28) departed shortly afterwards and it was left to Ben Coombes and Calum Haggett to steady the ship.

Both played soundly against a lively attack until Haggett (19) was bowled by the impressive Joe Millard (2-28) with the score on 120.

Coombes, who is batting with growing maturity, moved calmly to 41 before he was clean bowled by Millard.

At this stage a score of 200 plus looked on the cards, but Bridgwater’s recent batting performances and the lack of confidence that has brought meant the middle and lower order struggled to keep the momentum going.

They faced an accurate visiting attack, in which Saiprasad Sudarshan Kummi (3-43), Gloucestershire’s George Drissell (1-25 off 10) and Millard were the pick, as the home side lost seven wickets for only 67 runs.

Jason Oates (16) and the tail scraped their way to 187-9 off 47 overs, as three had been lost to scudding rain showers.

Defending the lowish total seemed unlikely, so the only real option was to bowl the opposition out.

The fit again Chris Skidmore led the way with an aggressive and sustained 10-over spell that brought 2-31 and the bat beaten numerous times.

Scott Clapp (2-29) joined in and with the score on 85-4 the match was evenly poised, Tom Price having scored 31 and Charlie Walker 27 for the away side.

The hosts brought Steve Davis into the attack and his best spell in Premier 1 was to change Bridgwater’s fortunes.

Aided by an excellent catch in the deep by Haggett to remove the dangerous Drissell (14), Davis proceeded to work his way through the Bedminster order, his 10 overs bringing him a match-winning 5-31.

Despite a tail wag of 21 from the last pair, Bedminster were all out for 143 to leave Bridgwater 44-run winners in what had been a gritty performance played in tough conditions for both sides, who left the field to warm and appreciative applause from the large and supportive crowd.

Match sponsor: Trelleborg Sealing Solutions; match ball sponsor: TMB Patterns Ltd

Bridgwater, who have guaranteed Premier 1 cricket at The Parks next season, need to take this form into their last three matches to build for the challenge of their 14th consecutive season in the top flight.

Coming up this Saturday (12.30pm start), fourth-placed Bridgwater go to Clevedon, with last year’s champions precariously positioned down in eighth.

They are 23 points clear of Taunton St Andrew’s (who occupy the second-from-bottom relegation place), while Bridgwater are just five points behind Bedminster in third.

WEPL Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset

Midsomer Norton 194 beat Shapwick & Polden 162 by 32 runs

SHAPWICK & Polden remain rooted to the bottom of the table after a home defeat at the hands of Midsomer Norton on Saturday.

The visitors opted to bat first but lost two early wickets to Steve Coppell (3-38 from nine), only for Caleb Rowe (25) and Nick Cox (48) to rebuild.

Nick Pang then made the decisive contribution, making 62 having walked to the wicket at 70-4 to guide his side towards a competitive total.

Shapwick’s bowlers continued to chip away, with three wickets apiece for Wayne Spencer (3-43) and Oskar White (3-34), who took the final wicket from the penultimate ball of the 45th over with the score on 194.

There was rain around and, having been given 47 overs to chase 195, Shapwick got off to a strong start as Steve Tinnion and Sam Edmunds added 62 for the first wicket.

Edmunds fell for 15 but Tinnion reached a 34-ball half century only to fall two balls later having struck five fours and four sixes in his 51.

James Venkatrao made 28 before falling in the midst of a collapse which decided the game, Shapwick tumbling from 103-3 to 137-9.

Jacques Luckins (19) and Harry Love (7no) added 25 in a spirited last wicket stand before Luckins fell midway through the 43rd over to seal the hosts’ defeat.

Shapwick, who have still won only once all season, sit 21 points adrift of second-bottom Keynsham and realistically need to win their remaining three matches to stand any chance of survival.

That task begins with a tricky trip to North Perrott on Saturday (12.30pm).

West of England Premier League

Somerset Division

Wembdon 115-1 beat Yeovil 116 by 9 wkts (DLS)

Half-centuries from Tom Brooks and Sam Puddy led Wembdon to a nine-wicket victory at Yeovil on Saturday which moved the victors up to second.

Wembdon elected to bowl first, and opened with Jon Brockwell and Max Sellick.

Several edges on a slow pitch fell short of both keeper and slip, but in the sixth over Sellick got a deserved breakthrough with a fine caught and bowled.

Sellick (2-26) got his and Wembdon’s second in the next over, this time Brockwell taking the catch, but Wembdon had to be patient for the third wicket.

Steven Redwood was batting patiently while Ben Ford was swinging his blade and struck a few fortunate boundaries as Yeovil reached 70-2.

Nkululeko Serame started with three maiden overs and in his third he trapped Ford (31) lbw.

The fourth wicket came much sooner, in Serame’s next over, as he removed Redwood (16) thanks to a sharp catch at gully by Brockwell.

Dan Bingham then had an immediate impact, finding the edge with his first ball to remove Will Hanrahan, caught by Puddy at slip.

The Yeovil innings was now unravelling after a positive start, as Serame accounted for Jack Fuller and Bingham for Johnny Ireland, both lbw.

Serame (4-12 off 10) had his fourth wicket when yet another lbw saw off Sam Fuller.

Yeovil had lost six wickets for 24 runs in the space of 14 overs and were now 94-8.

Mike Watts had Mark Mitchell (13) caught by Brockwell, and the incoming Jordan Reeves was bowled by Puddy as Yeovil were dismissed for 116.

Some rain during the interval reduced the game to a 47-over match and revised Wembdon’s total to 115.

The visitors opened with Liam Pigden – who had scored well for the 2nd XI the previous week, coming back from injury – and in-form 16-year-old Brooks.

With a low score and plenty of time they were in no rush, and a watchful seven overs passed without a wicket as an opening stand of 24 dominated by Brooks got Wembdon off to a good start.

But in the eighth over Pigden (5) played across the line as Reeves held on to a high catch off Ford.

This brought Puddy to the crease; he too had been in good form in recent weeks and started with an early six over deep mid-wicket.

Both batters played classy innings as the ball was caressed through the covers and pulled through square for well-timed boundaries.

Puddy had the majority of the strike in the latter stages and struck 16 runs from his final seven balls to reach 50.

With eight runs required to win and Brooks needing eight for his maiden half-century, he sensed his moment and struck back-to-back boundaries to get there, Wembdon victorious in the 21st over.

Wembdon host Minehead next Saturday (12.30pm).

WEPL Somerset Division

Chard 1st XI 154-9 beat North Petherton 151 by 1 wkt

NORTH Petherton’s flirt with relegation continued on Saturday after a last-wicket stand of 27 thwarted their chances of a vital victory.

Put in to bat, Pethy added 37 for the first wicket but, despite the efforts of Lewis Knight (27) and Ali Zaryab Asif, they lost wickets regularly as Chris Scott (4-35 off 10) and then Jon Dalwood (3-23 off 10) made inroads.

Only Asif stood firm in a patient innings. When Richard Scott was reintroduced late on, he took the last two wickets and Pethy were all out for 151, Asif marooned on 61 not out.

When Chard replied, Ben Meek and Farran Gregory immediately reduced them to 20-3 and a victory looked on.

The Chard middle order rallied with Jon Scott (30) and Harvey Dening (20) leading the charge.

However, Asif picked up two quick wickets to reduce Chard to 106-8.

George Gladman (13) staged another comeback but he was ninth wicket to fall with 27 still required.

Toil as they might, the Pethy attack just couldn’t make the final breakthrough as Richard Scott (15no) and Emmanuel Shazad (7no) scrambled home to an unlikely victory.

Ben Meek was pick of the Pethy attack, taking 4-32 off 10.

WEPL Somerset Division

Wellington 1st XI 183-7 beat Bridgwater 2nd XI 160-9 by 23 runs

BRIDGWATER’s late order just failed to save them from defeat at Wellington on Saturday.

After putting in the home side, Bridgwater’s bowlers toiled as Sam Whitefield (53) and Nathan Roberts (29) put on 78 for the first wicket.

The visiting attack kept a lid on the run rate in what became a rain-reduced match, with Matt Habberfield (3-43 off 9) being the pick of the Bridgwater bowlers.

Wellington were struggling on 129-6 but a late flurry of runs, led by Luke Desave (37), proved decisive as the home side closed on 183-7 off 42.

When Bridgwater replied, it was Desave, again, who had a big say in the outcome of the game.

His opening spell claimed two wickets as Bridgwater stumbled to 54-5, with Rob Moysey (3-17 off 8) forming a potent partnership.

At No 6, Billy Vickery picked up the challenge and was on a fine 47 when Desave returned to have him bowled.

Callum Pope (24) and Kieran Windsor (20) kept the challenge going but, as the overs ran out, they became victims of Jack Beal and Bridgwater’s innings closed on 160-9 in their 38 overs.