West of England Premier League
Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset
Ilminster 124-3 beat Taunton Deane 123 by 7 wkts

SPIN was king when Ilminster met Taunton Deane on Saturday, the visitors winning by seven wickets after an impressive bowling performance.

Ilminster’s Craig Rice said: “It was a bit of a funny game – they were 30-0 after five overs.

“And when our captain Sam Spurway went for a catch and injured his hand [Spurway had to go to hospital for stitches], you wondered if it was going to be one of those days.”

Deane’s openers Robert Woodman (9) and Alastair Warren (18) were both removed by Harry Montacute (2-16 off eight overs), but it was when the spinners entered the fray that the away side really found some joy.

Only Calvin Harrison (34) and Luke Williams (18) managed to contribute double figures to the hosts’ total, as Charlie Vickey (4-14 off 5.3 overs) and Richard Thompson (3-25 off nine) ran amok.

“It was a bit of a two-paced wicket, and it was our spinners – Charlie Vickery and Richard Thompson – who did the damage,” said Rice.

“From 90-3, Deane lost their last seven wickets for just 30 runs.”

The home side were all out for 123, in 34.3 overs, but the job was not yet done for Ilminster.

Louis Kraucamp got the chase off to a positive start with 34, aided by Jonny Warry’s 16, but both were trapped lbw by Harrison (2-13 off 10).

Rice added: “Louis Kraucamp came out and smashed it as he always does, but we lost a couple of quick wickets, and we were a batter down with Sam Spurway’s injury.

“It looks like a comfortable win but we faced 10 overs of attritional cricket against their spinners, so Charlie Vickery and Matt Davis had to play very sensibly.”

Vickery eventually fell for 30, but Davis (27no) and Jon Hurford (4no) secured the win, in 37.4 overs.

The result leaves Ilminster sitting third in the table, going into this Saturday’s match at home to Midsomer Norton (12.30pm start).

“We’re quite happy with our league position; we just aim to be competitive,” said Rice.

“Sam Spurway will be out for seven to 10 days, which is a big blow, as in my opinion he’s one of the best batters in the league.

“But hopefully we can get on a roll, and it’s nice to see different people contributing every week.

“We’ve not played Midsomer Norton for a few years, so it should be an interesting game.”

***

West of England Premier League
Somerset Division
Chard 1st XI 179-5 beat Frome 178-9 by 5 wkts

LEADERS Chard welcomed second-placed Frome to the Dening Field on Saturday and produced a confident performance to win with 10 balls to spare.

The visitors won the toss and, despite some early scares, were accelerating ominously to 81 from 16 overs when Chris Scott trapped Paul Sanger lbw for 26.

Reece Croker soon followed for nine at 97, yielding Scott his second wicket.

The decisive blow then came when Robin Lett fell for 43 to a fine midwicket catch by Chris Scott.

Chard then squeezed the Frome batting with only 51 runs from the next 20 overs.

A last-wicket stand of 17 saw them close at 178.

Pick of the Chard bowlers was Chris Scott, with 3-34, while there were two wickets apiece for Scott Wells-Burr (2-33) and Richard Scott (2-39).

Chard’s reply got off to its familiar measured approach which provided the platform for their fifth league win out of five this season.

Jon Scott was the first to go for 25 in the 23rd over after an opening stand of 77 with Nathan Johnson.

Johnson, joined by Harvey Dening (27), continued to push on before finally falling for an excellent 71 at 151-3.

Pete Moxom (28 not out) then saw Chard to victory by five wickets to spare.

The victory extends Chard lead at the top of the division and sets up Saturday’s encounter at fourth-placed North Perrott.

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WEPL Somerset
North Perrott 149-1 beat Bridgwater 2nd XI 147 by 9 wkts

THE guile and flight of Lorraine Szczepanski set up a rousing victory for North Perrott over high-flying Bridgwater 2nds on Saturday.

Szczepanski knocked-out Bridgwater’s middle order by taking 4-23 off eight overs as the home side were all out for 147.

Bridgwater have made a strong start to the season, lying in third after three victories out of four.

But Szczepanski, in tandem with Stacy Hawes (3-33) and Gordon Whorlow (2-33), ushered Bridgwater to a low total with only Todd Barrett (30) and, late on, Daniel Rossiter (27) offering any resistance.

Backing up their bowlers, Perrott’s batsmen were in top form.

After losing George Retter (8) to the bowling of Daniel Rossiter with 33 on the board, that was the end of Bridgwater’s success.

Whorlow was joined by Alex Eckland and the pair expertly saw Perrott home in the 35th over.

Eckland hit 11 4s in his not out total of 62, while Whorlow was unbeaten on 54 with six 4s to his name.

As a result, Perrott leap-frogged Bridgwater into fourth in what is becoming a very tight division.