West of England Premier League
Somerset Division
Chard 128-0 beat Staplegrove 124 by 10 wkts

CHARD went top of the WEPL Somerset table on Saturday, following a thumping win at home to basement side Staplegrove.

Having lost at Minehead the weekend before, Chard's title hopes took a turn for the better this week, as their win was combined with defeats for both Frome and Minehead.

Visitors Staplegrove chose to bat first, but lost Thomas Pantling to the first ball, trapped lbw by Scott Wells-Burr (1-28 off 10 overs).

That 0-1 soon became 11-3, as Akhona Mbanga (5-25 off 10) claimed his first two victims.

Grove then sank to 74-7, with Chris Scott (1-20 off eight) and Richard Scott (1-28 off six) chipping in.

There were solid contributions from Ian Bishop (32) and Joe Greenwood (30no), but having staggered past the 100-run mark, Grove were all out for 124 in 36.3 overs, as Joe Draper (1-1 off 0.3) finished them off.

The run chase was made to look a formality by Chard's opening pairing of Paul Rideout (42no) and Harvey Dening (69no).

Dening's total came off just 58 balls, and included 10 4s and three 6s.

The finish line was crossed in just 17.2 overs, as none of the visiting attack could find a breakthrough.

The emphatic result saw the hosts pick up 21 points, and with Frome shocked at home to struggling Yeovil and Minehead beaten at North Petherton, it's Chard who top the table – level on 181 points with North Perrott, who also won on Saturday.

Frome are just one point back, though, and Minehead a further four behind, so Chard will need to carry the momentum from this win into their match away to Uphill Castle this Saturday (12.30pm start).

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WEPL Somerset Division
North Perrott 145 beat Wembdon 111 by 34 runs

IT was a day for the bowlers on Saturday, as visiting Wembdon dismissed North Perrott for 145 on Saturday, but the home side hit back to claim a victory which puts them joint top of the WEPL Somerset table.

The hosts chose to bat first, getting underway with several boundaries.

But James Annison (3-16 off seven overs) sent George Retter’s (9) leg stump somersaulting, and then bowled Alex Eckland (0) to leave Perrott on 28-2.

George Whorlow stood firm, but the spin of Josh Henry (3-14 off 10) accounted for Jack Henderson (8), captain Jake Symes (14) and Jamie Baird (2).

Perrott were in trouble at 100-5, and Sam Puddy then trapped Whorlow (69) lbw.

Dan Bingham’s 4.4 overs brought four wickets, and Perrott were all out for 145 in the 45th over.

The Wembdon reply began well, but then Perrott introduced spin, and Bingham (16) was caught off Whorlow, soon to be followed by Brooks (13) and Brockwell (0) as Lorraine Szczepanski (3-24 off 10) reduced the visitors to 30-3.

Puddy (20) and Jack Lowe (17) moved the score past 50, before the former fell to Eckland (4-25 off 10).

Wembdon then lost their final four wickets for 16 runs, dismissed for 111 in the 46th over.

This coming Saturday sees Perrott visit Frome in a crucial top-of-the table clash (12.30pm).

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WEPL Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset
Ilminster 199 beat Bishopston 115 by 84 runs

ILMINSTER sit fourth in the Premier 2 table – just four points off second – after enjoying an 84-run win over bottom side Bishopston on Saturday.

The hosts chose to bat first, and saw Louis Kraucamp (17), Jonny Warry (37) and Charlie Vickery (22) make solid contributions with the bat.

The telling score of the Ilminster innings came from George Hayward, who put on 52, but despite 23 from Matt Davis and Harry Montacute’s 16, the home side were all out for 199 off the penultimate ball.

David O’Brien performed strongly with the ball for Bishopston, taking 3-27 off 10 overs, while Lawrence Cook claimed 2-22 off 10.

But the hosts’ total would prove more than enough, despite the away side making a good start thanks to Daaryoush Ahmed’s 31.

Ilminster introduced spinners James Thompson (3-19 off 10) and Vickery (2-31 off 10), and no other Bishopston batsman managed to pass 20 runs.

Pace bowler Montacute – who took 7-7 in Ilminster’s win at Weston-super-Mare the previous weekend – returned to sweep away the tail, finishing with 4-41 off 7.5.

With the visitors all out for 115 in 34.5 overs, the home side claimed victory.

Ilminster’s Craig Rice said: “It was a good all-round performance from us, especially bowling and fielding.

“We felt our score was 20 to 30 runs light, as a few got starts and didn’t kick on, but enough of us chipped in, and George Hayward did a great job.

“[Bishopston] made a good start but our spinners pulled it back for us; I think the dryness of the pitch helped the spinners.

“In a way it was an ‘old school’ Ilminster win, hitting 200 and backing ourselves to defend it.”

This Saturday, Ilminster travel to face sixth-placed Keynsham (12.30pm).

Rice added: “We’re expecting a tough game at Keynsham; they always bowl at least 30 overs of spin there.”