Monmouth Scientific Somerset League
Division 3
Lympsham & Belvedere 176-5 beat Chard 2nds 171 by 5 wkts

AFTER a delayed start due to the M5 traffic, Lympsham & Belvedere kept themselves top of the Division 3 standings with a five-wicket win over Chard 2nd XI.

After winning the toss, the visitors’ opening pair looked to attack from the off, but Andy Taylor (1-18) made the breakthrough as he bowled Tom Balch (17).

The pressure continued as Tom Gooding (1-17) and Neil Chadwick (2-25) picked up wickets, and H Evans (16) was well run out by Mike Hosey.

Lee Brun (35) and Paul Grinter (42no) then dug in for Chard, before Jack Neville (2-31) removed Brun.

The visitors sank to 118-7, but Grinter and Andrew Sochon (18) dragged their side to a decent score, until George Nuttycombe (2-3) dismissed the latter and Jack Luff (1-25) ended the innings at 171 from 39.4 overs.

Hosey and Dave Luff got the reply off to an aggressive start, sending any loose deliveries to the boundary.

Hosey made 48 (including 10 fours) before being bowled by Emmanuel Shazad (1-40), then Jason Parsons (0) fell to Paul Grinter (2-27), who also accounted for Dave Luff (46, with nine fours).

That left Lympsham on 117-3, and Joe Draper (2-54) gave Chard hope by removing both Gooding (0) and Nuttycombe (1).

But Jack Luff (44no, with seven fours and a six) was not to be moved, counter-attacking alongside Gabriel Counsell (17no).

Their unbroken partnership took Lympsham to the finish line from 29.4 overs.

This coming Saturday sees Lympsham travel to second-placed Weston-super-Mare 2nds.

***

ELSEWHERE in the Somerset League, Huntspill & District are still unbeaten and still top of Division 4.

They won the toss on a blistering hot day at Yeovil 2nds, and openers Nick Slack (80, with 13 fours and a six) and Sam Lillycrop (66, with 10 fours) made hay.

Liam Plympton (3-40) fought back with the ball for the hosts, ending Slack and Lillycrop's 130-run partnership, but Ali Hay’s 40no helped Huntspill to a total of 278-8.

Yeovil openers Dominic Rowe (28) and James Farr (29) began well, but once they were out the rest of the home order crumbled to Shaun Lismore (3-27) and Dave Counsell (3-36).

All went for single-figure scores, and with Thomas Garner (2-13) finishing them off, Huntspill ended up 177-run winners.

Wedmore sit third in Division 5, after beating leaders Trull 2nds by 143 runs.

Matt Drew (71) and Martyn Boley (93) were the key men in their total of 217-5, and Drew followed that up with 5-12 come the reply.

Simon Boley chipped in with 3-11 as Trull were all out for just 74.