BRIDGWATER Red Sox Under-19s won their third straight Vitality Club T20 title at Uphill Castle on Sunday.

Their first opponents on the day were Keynsham, with Bridgwater seeing them off by 26 runs.

Batting first, Bridgwater posted 103-5 from their 15 overs, with Ned Leonard retiring on 40 as per the competition rules.

Keynsham never got going in reply, and the score was always out of their reach as Tom Bellinger and Callum Pope picked up two wickets apiece.

The semi-final was a rematch of last year’s final against Taunton St Andrew’s.

Bridgwater fielded first and were excellent, showing just why they were two-time champions as Saints were bowled out for 49.

Tilly Bond was outstanding as she took 4-3 in an incredible spell of bowling, while Pope claimed 3-5 and Seth Locke 3-9.

In reply, the Red Sox opening pair of Bellinger (19no) and Pope (26no) made light work of the target, getting over the line within seven overs without losing a wicket.

The final pitted Bridgwater against a strong Yeovil side; the Red Sox won the toss and elected to bat.

Things didn’t quite go to plan, as Pope and Bellinger were dismissed early, so it was down to Leonard (32) and Dominic Court (30) to set a good platform for the lower order on what was a low-scoring pitch.

They continued to lose wickets at key stages, though, and were eventually bowled out for 116 – a score which was defendable, but a few light of what they wanted.

Bellinger and Leonard opened the bowling and they set the tone brilliantly, as Yeovil slumped to 23-4.

Nonetheless, Yeovil were still in with a good chance, and Will Chesterman and Sam Fuller put on 57 for the fifth wicket as they started to take the game away from Bridgwater.

But Bond claimed the vital breakthrough, trapping Chesterman lbw, and it was game on.

Fuller continued to pick up singles and the odd boundary as he looked to see his side home, and with two overs to go, Yeovil needed 14 to win.

Fast bowler Leonard produced a very tight over, until the last ball of the over was Chinese cut for four, which saw Yeovil needing eight from the last.

Locke bowled an excellent over and three was required off the last ball to win.

Fuller picked out midwicket as they ran through for a single, but a clean pick up and throw from the fielder meant it was Bridgwater’s title once again.

This was a great all round performance from the team, with different players contributing at different times throughout the day and earlier in the competition.

Many players who have now been a part of the success for the last few years will now bow out, making the third title an incredibly valuable one.

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IT was a very different story for Bridgwater’s 1st XI on Saturday, as they were crushed by 204 runs at Clevedon.

Harry Ellison (93) and Jacob Lintott (65no) top scored in the hosts’ 287-6 – Scott Clapp taking 2-49 and Chris Skidmore 2-59 for Bridgwater.

The visitors slid to 45-9 in reply, before a last-wicket stand between Ned Leonard (24) and Matt Habberfield (14no) took them to 83 all out (Cameron Harding 4-10).

Bridgwater host Taunton St Andrew’s this Saturday (12.30pm).

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FINE knocks from John Hill and Billy Vickery led Bridgwater 2nd XI to a comfortable victory at Yeovil on Saturday.

The hosts batted first and were quickly reduced to 19-3 by Kieran Windsor (2-31) and Ian Higgins (2-17).

Seth Locke (4-35) and Callum Pope (2-28) built on that good start to bowl Yeovil out for 160.

The hosts had a sniff when they reduced Bridgwater to 27-2, and it was 65-3 when Hill and Vickery came together.

They knocked off the remaining runs in a super 97-run stand, Hill finishing on 62 with Vickery on 42 as the chase was completed with 19 overs to spare.

Bridgwater 2nds travel to Frome on Saturday.