MINEHEAD'S cricketers hit the record book for six with a league and club record score on Saturday.

But it might never have happened had part-time firefighter Gary Bennett not made it back from a call-out in time to score 153 of the runs.

Opponents Lansdown were left shell-shocked as Minehead amassed their 428 for five wickets off 50 overs - a club record and the highest total in the Bristol and Somerset Division of the West of England Premier League since it was set up in 2000.

Key to the total was a second wicket partnership of 263 - also a club and league record - between Gary and Tom Wright off only 34 overs.

The pair came together with the score on 36 in the sixth over and remained at the wicket until the 40th over, when Tom was out for 111 with the total on 299.

Gary's 153 was a career best, beating his previous highest of 123 for former club Taunton, and he hit 22 fours and five sixes.

But he only arrived at the ground after the game had already started.

The 36-year-old, a retained fireman at Minehead, said: "In the morning I was helping to run a stall at Minehead First School fete and then I got a call-out for the fire brigade.

"So by the time I arrived the game was already ten minutes old and Andrew Woodward was padded up ready to go in if the first wicket fell.

"There was no time for my normal warm-up and I quickly got changed and put my pads on just in time before our captain Andy Stevens was out.

"I didn't have any time to think about my innings, I just walked out there to bat, so I guess I was probably more relaxed than I usually am.

"The ball just seemed to come onto the bat, and I don't think we realised quite what was happening- except the board just kept ticking along."

Tom Wright had opened the innings but almost missed the start of the game himself: "I was waiting for a table to be delivered at home so I only just arrived before the game stared and didn't go through my normal pre-match routines," he said.

"This is the biggest total that I have ever been involved in helping to score and the biggest partnership as well.

"As we batted we chatted between overs and glanced over at the board and just couldn't believe the number of runs that we had got."

Opponents Lansdown started the match second in the league table and favourites to win after a series of mixed results from Minehead this season. 

"Having been bowled out for 120 the week before after being 40-6, it wasn't our plan to try to score as many runs as we did," said Tom.

"But this has to be one of the best days that the club has ever had and I feel very proud to have been part of it."

When Gary was out in the 43rd over with the score on 326, a further 102 runs were added with Andrew Woodward hitting 51 off 25 balls and Matt Sully a quickfire 28 off ten.

l Match report on Page 11, Kwinty's Comment on page 4