WEPL Premier 1
Taunton St Andrew's 266-5 beat Bedminster 264-7 by 5 wkts

CAPTAIN James Regan led from the front with a century as Taunton St Andrew's maintained their victorious start to the Premier 1 season by beating Bedminster on Saturday.

Having lost the toss and been asked to bowl first, Harry Clements claimed the first breakthrough for Saints as he had Max Tryfanos (12) caught by JJ Poole with the score on 37.

Rob Contreras (2-29) then picked up the quickfire wickets of Miles Hammond (42) and George Russell (26) to leave Bedminster 107-3, and Deven Bell (2-44) then did likewise as the hosts slipped to 142-5.

Saiprasad Sudarshan Kamuni went on the attack, joined by his captain Rob Cunliffe before he was run out for 19, and Tom Pugsley cracked 40 from 21 balls at the death to take his side past 250.

Kamuni ended unbeaten on 58 as Bedminster set the Saints 265 to win, and the reply began badly as Alex Millard departed for a duck.

Somerset's Eddie Byrom, making his first Saints appearance of the season, was joined by Regan and the pair laid the foundations for a successful chase.

Having added exactly 100 for the second wicket, Byrom was clean bowled on 45 before Lloyd Alley (13) and Kyle Hopper (2) also fell to leave the visitors on 140-4.

Regan was anchoring the chase effectively but soon lost JJ Poole (11), which heralded the arrival of Rob Contreras.

The new batsman put his foot down from the off, bringing the run rate down rapidly as he cracked 42 from 36 balls, including six fours and a six.

Regan brought up his century at the other end as the pair led Saints home with a minimum of fuss, the captain finishing unbeaten on 123.

Regan said: "It was nice to contribute and it's a bit of a weight off my shoulders.

"It's a massive confidence boost to chase that many and any chase of over 250 is always a good one.

"Rob Contreras probably played the match-winning knock - he took the rate down from six an over to two an over and, once I'd brought up my hundred, the runs started to flow a bit quicker for me.

"With the ball we didn't quite put enough balls in the right areas. We thought 230 was about par and there were a few too many wides in there, but what is so pleasing is that we have had outstanding individual performances from different players in every game and we are winning as a collective unit.

"The camaraderie we have at the moment is not something I've experienced in any team I've played in for a long time."

WEPL Premier 2 Bristol/Som
Weston-super-Mare 164-8 beat Taunton Deane 163 by 2 wkts

HAVING lost the toss, the Deane were somewhat surprised to be inserted in batting friendly conditions on a glorious day at the Convent Field. 

With the Weston attack boasting former Somerset favourite Charl Willoughby and current paceman Paul van Meekeren, the Deane innings started well enough with Ali Warren and Sam Loud putting on 47 for the first wicket.

Loud looked particularly organised, combing abject defence with an array of cover drives and flicks to bring the Deane towards a half-century stand at the end of the powerplay.

Warren started more watchfully at the other end, expertly playing inside the line as the ball appeared to beat the bat on many occasions. 

Van Meekeren was replaced by Tom Chambers (1-21) and the change of bowling yielded a flurry of boundaries but also a wicket as Warren, perhaps sensing the shackles had been released, lofted Chambers into the hands of van Meekeren at mid-on.

The Deane soon found themselves 48-2 as Calvin Harrison (1) fell LBW to the left arm spin of Ashley Allen. 

Captain Harry Thomas joined Loud, but the third wicket partnership only added a further 13 runs before Loud was bowled by Allen for a well-made 33. 

New man Sam Shaikh joined Thomas and the two left handers were in no doubt as to the importance of their partnership. 

Van Meekeren returned and extracted extra bounce to find the glove of Thomas (13), who turned ruefully to see the ball nestle into the hands of the Weston keeper, and Luke Williams (10) started with a brace of boundaries before Allen accounted him, caught at slip by another Somerset favourite Rob Turner to leave the Deane 95-5.

Harry Smith joined Shaikh and the youngster pulled no punches in taking the attack to the Weston bowlers, pushing the Deane past 100 in the 23rd over. 

The sixth wicket partnership looked well set pushing the Deane onto 126 before Shaikh was the next to go, bowled by Allen playing an untimely slog-sweep for 20.

That was about as good as it got for the Deane, as from 126-6, Smith (17) became another LBW victim for Allen as he finished with 5-34. 

After a few lusty blows from the tail, van Meekeren returned to bowl Redrup (16) and Pryke (12). Shabil Ahmed (1-31) claimed the last wicket of Matt Derham as the Deane subsided to 163 all out in less than 40 overs.

Rob Pryke and Harry Smith took the new ball for the Deane and, after conceding 20 from a wayward first four overs, Pryke (1-28) found the edge of Ahmed (9) and Thomas took the catch at slip. 

Calvin Harrison entered the fray and pinned Jack Press lbw for 12 with his second ball before clean bowling Ben Gully (15) as Weston stuttered to 56-3. 

Deane turned to the off spin of Rana at the other end to tighten the grip on proceedings, but his first three overs leaked 23 runs. 

A counter attacking 15 from Howson threatened to move the game away from the Deane as he took advantage of a few looseners from Liam Williams before Calvin Harrison pouched a diving catch to his right at cover to bring the wicket the Deane craved and see Weston 85-4.

Rob Turner entered and, with Chris Davidson looking assured at the other end, Rana returned to claim a wicket as Turner chipped another low catch to the diving Harrison at cover for a 10 ball duck. Weston were 97-5 and it was game on in the 23rd over.

Rana returned 1-10 from his second spell as the next 8 overs from him and Harrison yielded a miserly 20 runs. 

With no concern about runs and needing further wickets, Harrison bowled his 10 overs straight through to finish with 2-30 and Harry Thomas continued in the same vein, conceding six runs from his four overs of off spin.

Chris Davidson stood firm and reached his fifty from 65 balls. He was now well supported at the other by Weston keeper John Davidson, as the sixth wicket partnership yielded 45 runs.

Thomas turned to Liam Redrup in search of a breakthrough. His efforts were short lived however, as having been struck on the leg in the warm up, he collapsed unable to continue after four deliveries.

Matt Derham completed the remaining Redrup over without incident before a stroke of luck for the Deane. With a large crowd gathering, Derham found the edge of Chris Davidson for 13, before bowling the hapless van Meekeren for a four-ball duck in his next over to leave Weston 144-7 requiring another 19 runs to win.

Derham’s two wickets had cost 20 in his first two overs as Davidson looked to push Weston over the line with a flurry of boundaries and wides, however Derham persisted and, despite a hard chance at slip going down and a dropped catch at midwicket, his third over brought the wicket the Deane wanted as the tiring Chris Davidson caught by Pryke running back at mid-on for an excellent 77. Derham’s third over had cost a further nine runs to leave Weston 160-8.

With the shadows lengthening and crowd hushed by the unfolding drama, Ashley Allen was joined by Charl Willoughby with three runs required. 
Pryke replaced Derham (3-29) at the Vivary Park End as Deane sensed an improbable victory if they could perhaps get Willoughby on strike.

Allen, who had earlier claimed 5-34, was not to be denied and it was fitting that he should hit the winning runs as he dispatched Pryke through cover to allow Weston to claim victory in the 39th over, much to the vociferous delight of the away team.

Weston took 18 points from the game and the Deane six points as Weston open up a 10-point lead at the top of the table. 

The Deane slip back to third, 14 points behind the leaders and one point above Lansdown who have a game in hand.

This Saturday, they travel to face second-placed Keynsham.

WEPL Premier 2 Bristol/Som

Midsomer Norton 238 beat Taunton 187 by 51 runs

A LACK of top-order runs cost Taunton at Midsomer Norton on Saturday as they lost for the third week in a row.

The hosts elected to bat upon winning the toss but Ollie Sale (1-47) struck early for Taunton as Alex Lear (8) was caught by Alex Sparks.

James Clark came on as second change and struck early, clean bowling Hashan Gunathilaka (8) to leave Midsomer Norton on 48-2.

Daniel Dredge was next to go, becoming the first of Will Abell's four victims, before Clark (2-26) picked up his second and Oliver O'Livey (2-25) removed the dangerous Nick Potter (48).

With Midsomer Norton on 139-6, Taunton would have been hoping to chase less than 200 but let their hosts off the hook as they added valuable lower-order runs.

Dan Nolan was the chief architect, finishing unbeaten on 44, and though Abell returned to polish off the tail and end with 4-42, the total of 238 all out was perhaps more than the visitors would have liked to chase.

That became especially true when they slumped to 29-4 in reply, with Alex Sparks (1), James Cooper (3), Jon Kerslake (2) and Dan Quick (6) all falling for single figure scores.

Abell and captain Hugh Kelly rebuilt, adding 54 for the fifth wicket before the former was trapped lbw for 30, and when Ollie Sale fell for 21 the writing was on the wall.

Kelly was last man out for a valiant 83 as Taunton fell 51 runs short - they host Lansdown on Saturday determined to record their first win.

WEPL Somerset

Minehead 297-7 beat Staplegrove 126 by 171 runs

STAPLEGROVE remain without a win in WEPL Somerset as Minehead proved far too strong on Saturday.

Alistair Harrison made a run-a-ball 79 and Sean Mosquera added 48 as the visitors racked up 297-7, with Thomas Pantling (2-46) the pick of the Grove attack.

Both Staplegrove openers fell early in reply and, though Henry Graydon displayed resilience with 39, only Joe Greenwood (26) offered much in the way of support as they slipped to 126 all out.

On Saturday, Minehead host North Perrott and Staplegrove travel to Wembdon.