WEPL Somerset Division
North Perrott (190-3, 182 after adjustment)
beat Wellington (127) by 55 runs

NORTH Perrott sit top of the West of England Premier League Somerset Division after a feisty 130* and then three wickets from overseas player Troy Johnson fired them to victory at Wellington.

Play was only possible thanks to a great effort by Wellington’s ground staff following Friday’s deluge, as the match began after 2pm – the hosts putting North Perrott in to bat.

Ian Hewson removed George Retter with the score on five – but a dropped catch with Johnson on 11 proved absolutely crucial.

The visitors had faced 20 of their 40 overs and had not scored 50 when play stopped for rain.

The game was now a 39 overs per side affair, and Gordon Whorlow went for 20 as he was caught by Will Derrick off Jack Beal.

Jake Symes (8) was also caught by Derrick, off Jake Nichol, leaving the game in the balance – only for Johnson and Nick Taylor (11) to put the foot down.

They took North Perrott to 190-3 in 37.1 overs, when another rain break forced tea to be taken.

The hosts needed 183 to win in 35 overs, but Aks Latifi (0) was caught by Whorlow off Stacy Hawes.

Kayden Hine and skipper Alex Sparks added 55 to overcome that setback, but Sparks went lbw to Johnson for 27.

Hine (26) also fell to Johnson, who finished with 3-15 to add to his earlier exploits with the bat.

Whorlow took 2-23 and spinner Lorraine Szczepanski 3-27 as the hosts’ middle order collapsed.

The game was up for Wellington with one ball to spare when Nichol (14) was bowled by Retter, which meant a 55-run win and 18 points for the visitors.

With three wins from three this season, North Perrott top the division on 55 points – level with second-placed Weston-super-Mare.

The top two meet this Saturday, at North Perrott (1pm start).

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NORTH Perrott and Wellington met for the second time in two days on Monday in the Baker Cup.

A 52-run win for North Perrott sent them into the quarter-finals, with Troy Johnson again excelling with 57 off 36 balls and Lorraine Szczepanski taking 4-24.

The reward for the victors is a trip to Taunton A.

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ILMINSTER’S WEPL Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset match at home to Bishopston succumbed to the weather on Saturday.

The fixture was abandoned with the visitors having made 67-4 from 20 overs, meaning Ilminster picked up eight points to Bishopston’s six.

Joe Wenham (1) was caught by George Hayward off Sam Grinter as the away side got off to a poor start.

Prevan Nayanah Rajh (21) and David O’Brien (9) rebuilt the innings somewhat, before Richard Elswood removed the former.

Louis Kraucamp then trapped Mark Coombes lbw, and Elswood returned to hand O’Brien the same fate, as Bishopston went from 38-1 to 39-4.

No further wickets fell before the weather interceded, ending the day’s play.

This coming Saturday Ilminster go to Taunton St Andrews (12.30pm start) – the match pits first against fourth.

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CHARD’s Somerset Division match also fell victim to the rain, with the hosts 103-4 from 30 overs at home to Temple Cloud.

Captain Robert Glentworth (0) was run out with the score 4-1, but Scott Wells-Burr (27) and Matthew Micale (35*) got the Chard total moving, while the visitors’ Andrew Mortimer took 2-28, before the weather saw the match abandoned.

Chard, who collected six points, sit second bottom in the table and travel to the side immediately above them – Staplegrove – on Saturday (1pm).