WEPL Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset

Ilminster 285-0 beat Taunton 284-6 by 10 wkts

LOUIS Kraucamp and George Hayward shared an incredible opening stand of 285 as Ilminster crushed Taunton by 10 wickets on Saturday.

Kraucamp made 151 from 133 balls, with 17 fours and four sixes, while 19-year-old Hayward scored 106 at exactly a run a ball with 14 fours and a six for his maiden first team century.

The partnership is believed to be a club record for the opening wicket and has ensured Ilminster’s Premier 2 status for another season.

Ilminster’s Craig Rice said: “It is a good wicket at Taunton but chasing 285 is always going to be tough, so to do it without losing a wicket - and with nearly eight overs to spare - is a brilliant achievement.

“Louis has the ability to take attacks apart and he got us off to a flyer - once he was past his hundred he played steadily to see us home.

“George has come up through our youth ranks and we have always known of his talent, but he has really kicked on this season.”

With the ball, Ilminster’s wickets were shared between Richard Elswood (2-39), Sam Grinter (1-54), Adam Cox (1-37) and Charlie Vickery (2-63), who clean bowled Taunton’s overseas player Jesse Vertonghen three short of his century.

Charles Clist (61) and Dan Quick (60) also made half centuries for the hosts but Ilminster ended up making light work of what could have been a testing chase.

On Saturday, Ilminster host Keynsham (12.30pm), who look almost certain to be one of the three relegated teams.

WEPL Somerset Division

Street 271-7 beat Chard 195 by 76 runs

CHARD paid for some costly death bowling and sloppy fielding as Street ran out comfortable winners on Saturday.

Street opted to bat first and, following an early breakthrough for Chris Scott, Daniel Lake (64) added 91 for the second wicket with Ben Trotman (49).

Richard Scott (2-48 off 10) broke the partnership and there was a wicket for Jon Dalwood (1-39) but Chard then paid for a costly drop as Jack Western was put down having made just a single.

Western went on to belt 50 from 31 balls as, combined with Mike King (36 from 25), Street took 98 from a damaging 10-over spell and suddenly an expected target of around 220 became 272.

Chris Scott was the pick of the visiting attack with 4-42 from his 10 overs.

Chard’s reply started badly when Dalwood was clean bowled by King without scoring, and the same bowler then accounted for fellow opener Graham Johnson (8).

Akhona Mbanga hit out in his 23 and Nathan Johnson provided the bedrock of the innings with a patient half century.

Apart from Chris Scott (35), however, no Chard batsman stayed with Johnson long enough to put together a decisive partnership and Johnson was the eighth man to depart having made 56.

King tore through the lower order to add figures of 6-25 to his earlier cameo with the bat, as Chard - missing key figures such as Reid Mawdsley and Harvey Dening in their batting line-up - fell to defeat by 76 runs.

On Saturday, Chard - now fourth in the table - host bottom side Taunton Deane 2nds in their penultimate league match of the season (12.30pm).

This Sunday (August 25), Chard Cricket Club are hosting a Jeff Day memorial match in honour of their former chairman, who passed away earlier this summer.

The match begins at 1.30pm.