12:30pm Sunday 29th August 2010
WHILE Ashcott and Shapwick had little but pride to play for in the final league fixture of the season, fellow Somerset side Iliminster still had every chance of promotion to Premier One, and an enthralling cricket match was played out as a result.
Ashcott and Shapwick skipper Ben Rudge won the toss and elected to field first, but it was Ilminster who made the better start, putting on 15 in the first three overs.
James Haggett, revelling once again in the responsibility of bowling down the hill with the new ball, made the breakthrough, having Gary Larkham brilliantly caught down the leg side by Tom Barr, keeping wicket for the first time in a league game due to usual keeper Sam Edmunds living the high life in the Greek Isles. After this, Shapwick began to take control.
Haggett also clean bowled overseas player Coetzee before it was over to Nayan Karmarkar with his canny swing.
The Ilminster batsmen had no answer to the extravagant movement and the control of Karmarkar as he claimed 6-20 in ten superb overs.
Barr’s otherwise excellent day behind the stumps suffered a blot when he shelled Ilminster captain Sam Spurway while stood up to Karmarkar, but the bowler outwitted the former Somerset keeper again in the next over and took an excellent return catch to dismiss him for a classy 36.
Spinner Wayne Spencer took the final two wickets. The first was from a brilliant catch by Ben Rudge, running backwards from mid-off and taking the ball over his shoulder.
He clean bowled the second to leave Ilminster at a seemingly well under-par 91.
But Ilminster are in the top reaches of the table for a reason, and opening bowlers Hurford and Elswood caused all manner of problems for the top order.
Hurford made the breakthrough in the very first over when Will Rudge shouldered arms and was out LBW.
Wickets continued to tumble and suddenly Shapwick were staring a very unlikely defeat in the face.
An important partnership between captain Rudge and James Hayman took Shapwick closer to their total, but the game was still very much in the balance when the eighth wicket went down at 73.
This brought Barr to the crease to partner Sam Patey, who had been showing great patience, apart from one trademark swept six.
Barr blocked while Patey looked for the runs, and Shapwick crept closer and closer.
Patey finally clipped the winning boundary through mid-wicket to bring up an excellent victory, finishing unbeaten on 24 himself while Barr had two not out.
This was a great achievement from Ashcott and Shapwick to survive comfortably in their first season in Premier Two, and will lock horns with Ilminster once again next season along with fellow Somerset sides Glastonbury and Taunton, who join them in Premier Two following relegation from Premier One.
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