Burnham-on-Sea Cricket Club lost their opening game of the 2024 season to Wells and Horrington CC by seven wickets after being bowled out for 86 runs.

Wells elected to field first and it was a rough start to the day as opening Burnham batsman Fred Berry was removed for a golden duck with the very first ball of the season, courtesy of an Ollie Smart delivery.

Burnham were forced to re-group and went about starting to build an innings.

Lee Coles joined Peter Harris on the square and the two put together a partnership that took their team to 26 runs until Coles was dismissed in the fourth over for 11 runs, again by a Smart ball.

Connor Lefrere, who hit 20 from 27 balls, then put on the team’s best partnership with opener Harris, 18 off 55, to take their team to 54 runs before Lefrere was sent back to the changing rooms by Matthew Williams in the 11th over.

Lefrere put on his team’s best performance with the bat and his 20 runs helped keep the game sightly competitive.

Replacement Ben Adams followed Lefrere just three balls later after being bowled by George Ball, taking Burnham to 56-4 and giving the squad their second duck of the day.

The Burnham pairing of Harris and Ethan James then took on their team’s longest stand of the game, protecting their stumps for 10 overs whilst adding 24 runs between them until opener Harris was eventually bowled by Jack Moore at the start of the 22nd over for 18 runs.

Burnham were now 80-5 after 22 overs and Wells’ bowlers were looking to end their innings early.

Matthew Williams removed Joe O’Neill 10 balls later for five runs, followed by Matt Denman who fell to Moore for a single run at the end of the 24th over, and putting Burnham on 86-7.

Moore’s dismissal was followed directly by a hat trick of wickets for Williams, who bowled James, Archie Stamp and Aidan Roberts with three consecutive balls to end Burnham’s innings at 86-10 after 24.3 overs.

Wells openers Moore and Dan Vassalli gave their team the perfect start, hitting boundaries for fun and putting on a 49-run partnership before Burnham’s Roberts dismissed Moore for 37 off 18 balls.

Vassalli added 33 more to Burnham’s total while Pete Dickens and Harry Connock hit single digits before being removed by O’Neill, taking Wells to 88 runs and the seven-wicket victory after just 10.3 overs.

Burnham next play against Wembdon CC at home on May 18th.