A MIDDLE-ORDER collapse summoned Bridgwater to an 87-run defeat at the hands of Taunton St Andrews at the Wyvern Club on Saturday.

Bridgwater were well set at 107-3, before losing their final seven wickets for just 61 runs to fall well short.

Bridgwater lost captain Mike Coles for just six, caught off the bowling of Lloyd Alley early on, and Windsor (9) wasn’t too far behind as Grundy found the batsman’s outside edge to reduce the visitors to 25-2.

But Hallaran (42) and Gange (43) took the score past 50, before Hallaran was trapped LBW by the spin of Lintott.

Gange continued to tick along at a steady rate, but the introduction of Justin Avendano into the attack was to have catastrophic consequences for Bridgwater.

The Australian dismissed Barrett (22), before bagging Gange shortly after.

From there on in, the Bridgwater innings disintegrated as Avendano ran through the middle-order to take 6-33 from his ten overs.

Earlier, Andrew Skidmore had taken 4-44 to peg St Andrews back to 150-6, but a ninth wicket partnership of 65 between Grundy (29 not) and Poole (35 not) propelled the Taunton side to very competitive total.

They had looked like posting an even larger total early on, as openers Jenkins and Lintott put on 86 for the first wicket in quick-fire time.

But the introduction of Skidmore proved to be pivotal, as he tore out a well-set top order to put the brakes on any St Andrews’ momentum.

Skidmore removed Jenkins for 43 before having Avendano smartly stumped by Tom Pople, and when he clean bowled Alley the very next ball, Bridgwater were well and truly back in the game.

Mitchell Windsor (3-39) provided ample support to Skidmore and accounted for dangerous Lintott, as the right-hander edged behind to Pople for 46.

But the St Andrews’ tail wagged and some brutal late-order hitting from Grundy and Poole reignited the innings to help post an intimidating.

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