4:59pm Sunday 11th May 2008
West Premier League Premier One 2nd XI: Bridgwater 241-9 bt Weston 142 by 99 runs
A VERY young Bridgwater 2nd XI gave a performance of the highest order to beat their local rivals at The Parks on Saturday.
After skipper Scott Sealey had chosen to bat first, he lost opening partner Dave Hallaran in Jason Lane's first over. Ali Witts supported his captain in rebuilding the innings and they took the score to 41 before Witts was bowled by Jalal Ahmed for 17.
Tom Smith, in his first game of the season, took the game to Weston from ball one, with a series of exquisite drives and cuts in a sublime innings to which Weston had no answer.
Even the dangerous Lane was despatched to all parts of the ground by Smith, most memorably a massive six that cleared a house in Park Road. He was well supported by Sealey, who was out for 50, making his side 174-3 after 32 overs.
Rob Prescott, back with Bridgwater after a spell at Staplegrove, got into in the groove immediately with some superb drives. Smith fell for 99, Prescott for an enterprising 18, then, after a flurry of wickets, final pair Andrew Skidmore and James Dickens saw Bridgwater to the excellent total of 241-9.
Bridgwater took to the field with one of the youngest bowling attacks in memory, the eldest front-line bowler being 20. Mike Skidmore bowled one of his best spells, clean-bowling the first thre batsmen, and his opening spell of 11 overs was crucial, as he took 3-35.
His younger brother Andrew Skidmore was already into a fine spell of offspin from the top end and his 4-35 included the wicket of Andre Belcher for 40. This signalled the end of Weston's challenge, as excellent fielding and good spells from Ben Whitemore, James Dickens (2-30) and Ali "Goog" Hewson (1-9), saw Weston dismissed for 142.
Good catches were held by Prescott and Hallaran, while Tom Pople had an excellent game behind the stumps.
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk