CRICKET: Lewis Knight on form as North Petherton win at Wellington

A FINE all-round performance from Lewis Knight saw North Petherton to only their third win of the season at Wellington on Saturday.

Firmly anchored at the bottom of the table, they can now enter the second half of the season with renewed confidence.

Opting to bat first, the home side were stifled by the Pethy attack, Ali Zaryab Asif leaking just six runs off his 10 overs and taking two wickets.

Lewis Knight chipped away, taking 3-33, and Paul Short came on to finish off the innings, ending with 4-37 off 10.

When Pethy replied, openers Owen Irish (23) and Knight made steady progress on a grafters track.

They took the score to 32 before Owen Irish became the victim of the impressive Luke Desave, whose hostile six overs cost just 15 runs.

Knight was joined by Asif and, together, they added an assured 54 taking the score just short of the century before Knight became Neil Hendy’s only victim for an invaluable 46.

A combination of Ben Meek (8) and Harry Bowditch (9no) accompanied Asif across the winning line with the latter still there on 47.

The victory moves Pethy off the bottom of the table and they are embroiled in a relegation dogfight with Taunton Deane, Minehead, and bottom club Street as only six points separate them.

On Saturday, North Petherton face a tough test at home to derby rivals Wembdon, who have won three on the trot after a poor start to the season (12.30pm start).

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WEPL Somerset Division
Wembdon 144-5 beat Street 141-9 by 5 wkts

WEMBDON made it three wins on the spin with a five-wicket victory at Street on Saturday.

On the hottest day of the year, Wembdon were put into the field first but, despite the intense heat, they worked tirelessly and rotated bowlers to good effect.

Matt Hubbard and Jon Brockwell bowled a challenging line and, aided by some good ground fielding, kept Street below 2.5 runs per over for the first 10 overs.

Hubbard got the breakthrough as opener Dan Lake (3) was caught behind by Liam Pigden in the fourth over, with Brockwell trapping Matt Holland (1) lbw in the following over.

Street were 24-3 from 10 overs but first change seamers James Annison and Max Sellick toiled away in the heat.

Wembdon introduced spin for the first time in the 18th over, and Nkululeko Serame and Tom Lott both claimed wickets in their first overs of bowling.

With wickets tumbling, Street’s 16-year-old Josh Kelly (20) remained at the crease for 28 overs, facing 86 balls, before Lott (2-16 off six) clean bowled the young opener.

At 82-6, Mike Watts was introduced and he immediately had Mike King (8) trapped lbw, before Hubbard (4-19 off 10) returned to claim two quick wickets – those belonging to Craig Gourlay (22) and Mark Evely (0) – as Dan Bingham held on to a good catch at backward point to dismiss the latter.

Street were now 112-9, but Andrew Bartlett (10no) and Matt Davey (14no) played out the remaining 12 overs to post 141-9 from their 50-over allocation.

Come Wembdon’s reply, Lott and Brockwell raced to 24 from two overs before the Street bowlers managed to tighten up.

Wembdon reached 34 before Brockwell (14) was caught off the bowling of Mike King.

Sam Puddy and Lott moved Wembdon to 64 from 12 overs, until Lake removed Lott for 33.

Bingham then joined Puddy and they built a strong third-wicket partnership.

The pair moved Wembdon on to 124 before Bingham (30) was caught and bowled by Gourlay.

Puddy remained and, joined by Pigden, took Wembdon to within two runs of victory with 17 overs to spare.

Puddy was bowled for 45 – again by Gourlay (3-30) – and Serame went next ball, before Watts struck the ‘hat-trick’ ball to the boundary to claim victory.