Carpenter the architect of Taunton's crucial derby win

5:35pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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A MAJESTIC bowling performance from Henry Carpenter helped Taunton romp to a ten-wicket win at home to local rivals Minehead in the Bristol and Somerset Division last Saturday.

It also helped Taunton take another big step to the title and promotion back to Premier Two.

Taunton had suffered their only reverse to date in the league at the hands of the Seasiders, but 1st Financial Group man of the match Carpenter was able to lay that result to rest, with career best figures of 6-38.

The hosts' skipper, Lee Cooper, had given his counterpart, Andy Stevens, first use of another fantastic Gipsy Lane track. Stevens and fellow-opener, Tom Wright, looked untroubled as they took the score to 18 by the end of the third over.

However, the introduction of Chad Barrett nipped that partnership in the bud, when the young South African won a leg-before verdict against Stevens (14).

There was a buzz around the ground as former Taunton hero, Gary Bennett, strode to the middle to join Wright.

It was to be a passage of play that always seemed likely to shape the entire destiny of the match - the prolific Wright and talismanic Bennett going head-to-head against the controlled-aggression of Carpenter and Matt Bulbeck - it was club cricket at its best.

With the score edging towards the 50-mark, Bulbeck bowled Wright (19) with a beauty - a full-pitched delivery hitting the top of off-stick, as the tall left-handed batsman just hung back in his crease a fraction.

Shortly afterwards, Carpenter picked up the prized-scalp of Bennett (10), who was furious with himself when he nibbled at a delivery he felt he should have left alone and was neatly caught behind by Carl Gazzard, in front of first slip.

Taunton had seized the initiative and, thereafter, they never let go. Carpenter ripped through the Minehead middle order, accounting for Shaun Lee, James Keays, Nick Dimmock, Andrew Dyer and Adam Jones in relatively quick succession. For good measure, debutant left-arm spinner, James Excell, threw down the stumps at the bowlers end to run out Matt Sully.

At 88-9, Andrew Woodward played an excellent rear-guard knock that carried the visitors beyond three figures before Jack Cooper popped-up to trap last man, Peter Deary, in front, leaving Woodward undefeated on 31 and his side 119 all out at the end of the 37th over.

With the job half done, the Cooper brothers, Lee and Jack, set-about the task of capitalising on their bowlers' fine efforts.

Minehead's new ball pair of Keays and Bennett were both nursing injuries that saw them unable to run in with their usual vigour.

But this should take nothing away from the manner in which the two batsmen went about their business.

With the scoring rate always up around the five-an-over mark, the two Coopers never looked like getting out, with Jack content to let his big brother play the more dominant role - a sure sign of his growing maturity.

Lee (64 not out) moved smoothly past his third half-century of the season, before hitting Deary through mid-on for the winning runs, with Jack left unbeaten on 39.

Remarkably, in five completed innings batting at home, Taunton have now racked-up 984 runs for the loss of only ten wickets.

However, any complacency amongst the home side's ranks should have well have been well and truly banished when news filtered through of another comprehensive win for nearest title rivals, Midsomer Norton.

Therefore, Taunton entertain Timsbury this weekend with everything still to play for.