CRICKET: Steve Tinnion hits century as Shapwick & Polden beat North Perrott

STEVE Tinnion smashed 143 off 89 balls as Shapwick & Polden picked up a rare victory in emphatic style away to North Perrott on Saturday.

Perrott elected to field first, a decision made to look very unwise as Tinnion and Sam Edmunds (75) put on 203 runs for the first wicket.

George Retter (4-51) fought back, but the visitors had 259 on the board when Tinnion eventually fell, having struck 18 fours and six sixes.

Oskar White (33), Wayne Spencer (20), Steve Coppell (15) and Callum Harvey (20no) also made decent contributions to boost the Shapwick score up to 333 from 48 overs.

Perrott also began well in their reply, Matt Pardoe (44) and Gordon Whorlow (28) scoring 74 first-wicket runs for their team.

But Joe Mason (2-31) and White (2-28) promptly reduced the home side to 84-4 and they never really recovered.

Harvey (4-23) ripped into the middle order, dismissing Jamie Baird (10), Retter (10) and Max Dicker (11) to leave Perrott 129-7.

Sam Rowswell (23) provided some resistance, but Harvey had his number too, and Harry Love (2-25) finished the job – the hosts all out for 159 in 32.4 overs.

Shapwick’s second league win of the season takes them within two points of second-bottom Keynsham with two matches remaining this season.

The first of those sees Shapwick host Weston-super-Mare this coming Saturday.

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WEPL Somerset Division
Wembdon 177 beat Minehead 131 by 46 runs

WEMBDON recorded a 46-run victory over Minehead on Saturday, the hosts opening up a 20-point gap between themselves in second and the teams below.

Wembdon were asked to bat first, with Will Anning opening the innings alongside in-form Tom Brooks – a young opening partnership with a combined age of 34.

The pair played watchfully against the useful seam of Ellis Taylor and challenging spin of Ian Buchanan.

The openers took the score to 31-0 after 10, but first change bowler Gary Archer removed both Anning (11) and Brooks (17).

Jon Brockwell and Sam Puddy punished a couple of early loose deliveries but Buchanan replied by bowling Puddy (11), and Archer then had Brockwell (7) caught.

Dan Bingham and Nkululeko Serame came together at 57-4 and added 40 in five overs to regain momentum.

Minehead reintroduced Taylor and he did the trick, finding Bingham’s edge on 18 to leave Wembdon 97-5.

Jack Lowe took the score past 100 but a loose slog by a well-set Serame (32) saw him bowled by Dan Bowditch.

When Liam Pigden was then out lbw without scoring, Wembdon were 108-7 having lost three wickets for 11 runs.

Lowe and Mike Watts added 23 for the eighth wicket before Archer trapped Watts (14) lbw for his fourth wicket.

But Max Sellick and Lowe put on a match-defining stand of 42 for the ninth wicket.

Lowe, who top scored with 37, was caught at long-off and Sellick (16) was the last man to go, as Wembdon were all out for 177 in the 48th over.

Brockwell (2-8 off six) gave Wembdon the ideal start with the ball, finding the dangerous Buchanan’s edge with his third ball as Puddy held a sharp catch at gully.

The same bowler had Robbie Garwood caught behind by Pigden before a moment of controversy when Angus Marsh edged Sellick low to Bingham at slip; the batter refused to walk and as the umpires conferred they couldn’t agree if it had carried, much to Wembdon’s dismay.

The disappointment only fuelled Wembdon even more, and Sellick took a catch off Serame to remove Marsh (13) at 31-3.

Serame removed Marsh’s brother Archie (18) but Minehead got to 92-4 from 28 overs, leaving it evenly poised.

The breakthrough came as Watts trapped Bowditch (21) lbw before Puddy (3-27) tore into the middle order, the visitors losing five wickets for just 16 runs to slip to 108-9.

Overseas player Philip Barraclough progressed to his half-century in a 23-run last-wicket stand with Archer (13), but Watts (2-14 off six) was replaced by Serame (3-34) and it took him seven deliveries to find Barraclough’s edge, Bingham holding the catch at slip.

Wembdon travel to Wellington this coming Saturday.

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WEPL Somerset Division
Frome 187 beat North Petherton 160 by 27 runs

NORTH Petherton gave newly-crowned champions Frome a run for their money at Heathfield Park on Saturday before eventually succumbing to a 27-run defeat.

Frome opted to bat first upon winning the toss and Farran Gregory claimed the key wicket of Robin Lett, caught behind by Owen Irish for 25.

Gregory (2-47 off eight) later removed Reece Croker (5) before Liam Winter (2-21 off seven) claimed two quick wickets to leave the visitors 100-5.

Number three Sam Croker was the key man, standing firm as wickets continued to fall around him with Paul Short (2-24 off eight) and Lewis Knight (2-26 off seven) chipping away.

Croker made 84 before he was the last man to fall, run out from the final ball of the final over with the score on 187.

Pethy lost both openers with the score on just seven but skipper Harry Bowditch looked in good touch early on.

Bowditch made 39 before he was caught off Lett to leave the hosts 93-5 following the earlier key wicket of Ali Asif (26).

Owen Irish also made a start before he was clean bowled for 22 by Mark Watts, who went on to run through the tail and finished with 4-41 from 8.3 overs.

Liam Winter (20) displayed some resistance but the hosts were bowled out for 160 midway inside the 47th over.

Pethy are six points off the bottom with two games left and travel to Street on Saturday.