WEPL Somerset

Chard 154-9 beat North Petherton 151 by 1 wkt

DEFIANCE from Chard’s lower order led them to a nail-biting one-wicket win over North Petherton on Saturday.

Chard put their visitors in on a two-paced wicket and had to be patient early on in the face of countless plays and misses.

It took a change of bowling to bring the breakthrough, Ben Meek (7) caught by Nathan Johnson from the bowling of Chris Scott with the score on 37.

That was the first of four scalps for Scott, who finished with 4-35 from 10 overs, while Jon Dalwood ran through the middle order and finished with typically miserly figures of 3-23 from 10.

Pakistan Under-19 international Ali Zaryab Asif stood firm for Pethy, batting sensibly and accumulating runs at a steady rate to anchor the innings.

He survived one scare when a top edge off Chris Scott evaded wicketkeeper Nathan Warren but soon progressed past his half century.

Opening bowler Richard Scott (2-21 from 5.4) returned to take the final two wickets, leaving Asif stranded on 61 as the visitors were bowled out for 151.

Chard’s reply started badly when Reid Mawdsley was trapped in front in left-arm seamer Farran Gregory’s first over, and two wickets for the impressive Ben Meek - including a peach to clean bowl Nathan Johnson (3) - left the hosts struggling on 20-3.

Harvey Dening (20) got the scoreboard moving with some typically lusty blows before both he and Chris Scott (10) departed with the score on 51.

Jonathan Scott (30) and Jon Dalwood (20) added 45 valuable runs for the sixth wicket but both fell to Asif (2-22 from 10) and soon Chard were 106-8, still requiring 46 to win.

George Gladman, who was promoted from the second XI on the morning of the game, was joined by Richard Scott and the pair chipped away at the target, with Gladman displaying a solid defensive technique.

Gladman made it to 13 before hammering a leg stump full toss straight to mid-wicket, which saw young Emmanuel Shazad enter the fray with 25 still needed.

Scott and Shazad played patiently and, with Pethy’s top bowlers bowled out, were able to wait for their opportunities to score.

With two needed, the visitors brought their third man up into the circle and Shazad - who relishes anything outside the off stump - promptly carved through the vacant area for four to win the game for Chard.

Chard remain third in the table with three matches to play, the first of which sees them travel to Street on Saturday (12.30pm).

WEPL Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset

Weston-super-Mare 175 beat Ilminster 163 by 14 runs (DLS)

ILMINSTER slipped to a narrow rain-affected defeat at Weston-super-Mare on Saturday.

The hosts batted first and saw Scott Harris (63) combine with Somerset’s Peter Trego (39) to rescue them from 9-2.

James Thompson (3-34) and Sam Grinter (3-39) continued to chip away with the ball while Charlie Vickery took 2-8 from four overs as the hosts were bowled out for 175.

The target was slightly adjusted to 178 from 38 overs and openers George Hayward and Vickery (23) got Ilminster off to a good start.

Hayward continued to 69 but his departure, caught off the bowling of Trego (2-27 from eight) was pivotal as Ilminster’s lower order failed to fire.

No batsman from number six downwards scored more than six as the visitors slid to 163 all out.

On Saturday, mid-table Ilminster travel to Taunton, who are not completely out of danger (12.30pm).