Huntspill & District 1sts 223-7, Staplegrove 2nds 219-9

HUNTSPILL and District have sealed the Division Four league title and an immediate return to Division Three of the Somerset Cricket League with a narrow three-wicket victory over Staplegrove.

Craig Slack (83) and Matt Counsell (58) guided the home side to victory with crucial half-centuries, after CJ Organ had taken 4-37 to keep Staplegrove to a gettable total.

Staplegrove won the toss and elected to bat first, but found themselves in trouble early on with Pantling (0) falling to Organ without scoring, caught down the leg side.

Shortly after his introduction, Dibble (3-44) picked up two quick wickets; first clean bowling Richards before repeating the feat with Bishop.

Golden arm Dan Cavil clean bowled Trump for an aggressive 39, but it was the return skipper Organ who ripped the heart out of the lower order with three wickets in two overs to reduce Staplegrove to 173 for 7 and send Huntspill within a point of promotion.

Dibble was the man to take the eighth wicket and seal promotion, as he bowled Dunn with the score on 198, and some late hitting took Staplegrove to 219-9 after 45 overs.

In reply, Huntspill got off to a slow start and lost Cavill (4) early on.

Slack joined Crawford and the pair steadily accumulated runs, adding 48 before Crawford was clean bowled.

Tippetts fell cheaply to leave Hunstspill faltering at 63-3, but a belligerent 58 from Matt Counsell put Huntspill back in control.

Counsell smashed six sixes and four fours in his 28-ball innings as Huntspill raced to 150-3.

He was dismissed in the 29th over, bowled through between bat and pad and was followed soon after by Organ.

Slack was standing firm at the other end and received good support from Dibble, who was steadily picking off the runs.

Huntspill still required 40 when Dibble fell, but Slack held his nerve and struck three boundaries in an over to send Huntspill and District back into Division Three.