West of England Premier League
Premier 2 Bristol/Somerset
Shapwick & Polden 242-8 beat Bishopston 133 by 109 runs

SHAPWICK & Polden put greater distance between themselves and the bottom two with a thumping win over Bishopston on Saturday.

Hosts Shapwick were put in to bat, and reached 36 before losing Sam Edmunds (19).

The second-wicket partnership of Wayne Spencer (41) and Will Mason (79) put their foot down, taking their side past 100, and John Stratton added 23.

Stratton was the first victim of Jack Hunter (4-44), as the home side stumbled from 187-3 to 208-8.

Undeterred, the unbeaten pairing of Josh Luckins (18no) and Harry Woolway (9no), aided by 47 Extras, saw Shapwick to a very decent total of 242-8.

Bishopston’s reply was in trouble almost immediately, as they slipped to 4-1 and 12-2, only for David O’Brien (21) and Mark Coombes (15) to stage a fightback.

However, 52-3 became 79-7, as only Jack Hunter (39 off just 41 balls) could resist the Shapwick attack.

Hunter’s was the last wicket to fall, as the away side were all out for 133 in 39.2 overs.

Joe Mason took 3-24 off 10 overs, Woolway 2-30 off nine and Spencer 2-30 off four for the hosts.

The result moves them on to 45 points, 23 ahead of second-bottom Bishopston on 22.

This coming Saturday sees Shapwick travel to basement side Taunton (12.30pm start).

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West of England Premier League
Somerset Division
North Petherton 149-9 beat Yeovil 148 by 1 wkt

NORTH Petherton survived wobbles at either end of their innings to squeak past Yeovil by one wicket in a tight encounter on Saturday.

Having won the toss and chosen to bowl, early breakthroughs were not forthcoming for the hosts as the away side added 54 for the first wicket.

Once Alistair Bunce (2-24) got the ball rolling, however, Yeovil wickets fell regularly.

Paul Short (4-23) tore through the middle order and Liam Winter (2-24) removed dangerman Jacob Hayes for 60 before claiming the final wicket as Yeovil were all out for 148.

Hayes’ knock was the outstanding score for the visitors, with Calum Gundry’s 26 being the next best.

In reply, Pethy opener Lloyd Irish (12) was the only member of the top five to make it into double figures as Pethy slipped to 50-5, which became 70-6 when Tom Williams (18) was caught.

Up stepped Liam Winter and George Western to put together the vital partnership, doubling the hosts’ score as they carried them to 140-6 and within nine runs of victory.

Both fell in quick succession, though, as Winter was bowled for 45 before Western (25) was caught.

When Bunce then fell for a duck, Pethy had lost three wickets for four runs and were 144-9, still five runs short of success.

However, Lewis Knight (6no) and Farran Gregory (2no) held their nerve to see the home side over the line in a nail-biting finish, achieved off 48.2 overs.

For Yeovil, Ben Ford took 2-22, Sam Fuller 2-29 and Alex Murphy 2-30, all off 10 overs.

The result leaves Pethy comfortably in mid-table, ahead of Saturday’s visit to Frome, who are third in the WEPL Somerset standings after a defeat to leaders Chard.

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West of England Premier League
Somerset Division
Minehead 215-8 beat Wembdon 185 by 30 runs

WEMBDON 1st XI’s trip to the seaside saw them return with a 30-run defeat against an improved Minehead team.

The hosts elected to bat and, despite excellent swing bowling from Brendan Pope and Jonathan Brockwell, Wembdon had to wait until the 12th over for the breakthrough, with Pope dismissing Freddie Wilson (17) with the score on 44.

A flurry of wickets followed, with the introduction of Josh Henry (1-19) and Max Sellick (2-41) leaving Minehead on 52-4.

An 11-over partnership between Stephen Hayes (17) and Alastair Harrison moved the score to 91 from 30 overs, at which point Sam Williams (2-31) claimed his first for the day.

But Harrison was holding the Minehead innings together, and partnerships with the lower order increased their run rate, the most notable being between Harrison and Matt Sully (27), who added 72 runs in just nine overs.

Harrison remained unbeaten on 77 as the hosts posted 215-8 from 50 overs.

Wembdon were confident they could chase the total on a good wicket, but lost Dan Bingham early on.

Sam Puddy (10) and Jack Lowe (23) batted together for seven overs, moving the score along to 39, when Puddy was adjudged lbw.

When Brockwell fell cheaply a handful of overs later, Wembdon were facing an uphill battle.

Lowe remained, though, and joined by Pigden (17) he moved the score along to 69, but then Darren Sherring clean bowled both batters, leaving the visitors on 76-5.

Karl Trunks looked in good form, attacking the spin of Ian Buchanan (1-29), but he fell to a stunning one-handed diving catch from Harrison.

Wembdon were on the ropes but found a superb partnership between Henry (40) and Pope (28), batting together for 13 overs and moving the away side on to 162 from 41 overs.

They were going well when a superb stumping off a leg-side wide removed Henry, and when Pope followed shortly after, it left too much for the lower order to do, as the innings fizzled out on 185 with three overs remaining.

It was another week where Wembdon felt they were well in the game but just couldn’t get the result.

Wembdon remain in optimistic mood, and they are on the road again on Saturday, with a trip to Yeovil (12.30pm start).