West of England Premier League
Covid Group C
Taunton Deane 318-7 beat Taunton 129 by 189 runs

AFTER the previous weekend’s false start due to wet weather, club cricket really got going in Taunton on Saturday with a local derby at Gipsy Lane.

It was Taunton Deane who carried off the bragging rights, claiming an emphatic 189-run victory over hosts Taunton.

The Deane won the toss, opted to bat first, and soon they had put on 156 runs without loss.

Robert Woodman cracked 81 off 49 balls (15 fours and one six) before departing, and his fellow opener went even better.

Charlie Sharland smashed 10 fours and five sixes in a superb knock of 109, coming off 71 balls.

Sharland was finally caught and bowled by Will Abell, who went on to claim 4-51, but by that point the visitors already had 239 runs on the board.

Calvin Harrison added a further 40 (off 36 balls), and a total of 318-7 from 40 overs left the home side with a daunting task.

Openers Simon Manley (31) and Ozzie O’Livey (30), but from 50-0 Taunton collapsed to 84-5, with Abell, Richard Godfrey and Hugh Kelly contributing three runs between them.

Destroyers-in-chief were Jamie Stephens, with an excellent 4-16 off eight overs, and Harrison with 4-43 off seven.

Dan Quick (25) and George Rowe (28) attempted to stabilise the hosts’ innings, and took them past the 100-run mark.

But after Quick was stumped by Sam Shaikh the end was nigh, and Taunton were all out for 129, from 33.3 overs.

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Bridgwater 313-7 beat Taunton St Andrews 200 by 113 runs

BRIDGWATER opted to bat first at Taunton St Andrews on Saturday, and were wobbling at 68-3, with Lloyd Alley taking 3-52 for Saints.

But Will Smeed - who signed his first professional contact with Somerset this week - smashed 137 from just 76 balls, to help post a big score of 313-7.

Saints made a decent start to their reply, but were soon 48-4 as Chris Skidmore (5-40) ran riot.

Despite 53 from Justin Burke, the hosts could not recover and were all out for 200.

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GROUP C also saw Wellington pick up a notable win away to Wembdon, who were restricted to 171-9 (Rob Dickins 30) as Neil Hendy (5-30) took control.

Arron Campbell hit 42* and Luke Desave 37 as Wellington got home by five wickets.

Minehead also won on the road, by three wickets at Weston-super-Mare.

Jay Darrell took 3-18 in the hosts’ 175-9, and Alastair Harrison (73) and Archie Marsh (60) led the chase.