AFTER a frustrating previous weekend where only four overs were possible at Wembdon, Minehead lst XI returned to action, beating Bridgwater 3rd XI by 111 runs at home in the Premier Division of the Somerset Cricket League

Bridgwater won the toss and asked their hosts to bat on wicket tinged with a shade of green. Ian Buchanan and Andrew Stevens helped themselves to some early boundaries through the offside, but on 45 Stevens was bowled for 12, and Buchanan was soon following him for 26, reducing Minehead to 48-2. Josh Hurley and Dan Bowditch set about the rebuild, and what a fantastic job they did. Hurley dropped anchor while Bowditch played some flamboyant shots each side of the wicket to race to his first 50 of the season, in his first knock. The score passed 100, and Hurley began to play some hard hitting shots of his own, before the partnership was finally broken with the score on 172, Hurley bowled for 36 by a beauty from Kyran Devitt. Inside the final 15 overs Ellis Taylor (8) and Chris James (4) both looked threatening, but fell in quick succession, looking to kick on. Bowditch found a reliable partner in Gary Bennett, as the Minehead captain launched his 5th towering six of the innings, to take him to 99.

Bowditch survived a run out before reaching a well deserved and entertaining century and finally fell when caught for 118 from just 97 balls, handing the reigns over to Bennett (22*) and Oliver Groves (15*) who added 26 together, taking Minehead to 280-6 from their 45 overs.

The strength within Bridgwater CC is not to be underestimated, with Minehead fully aware of some dangerous batters in the opposition lineup - and even with an imposing total on the board, they knew early wickets would be imperative in maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.

Harry Tudball gave Minehead the dream start when he had Harris superbly caught at ‘fly-slip’ by Alfie Rucklidge in the second over.

Bridgwater did not lie down though, as Skidmore and Venning tucked into some wayward bowling, passing 50 in just the ninth over. However Tudball hauled the scoreboard back into Minehead’s favour when the diving Ellis Taylor took a superb catch from Skidmore’s leading edge, and in the next over, the safe hands of Gary Bennett pouched the dangerous looking Venning at mid-off, to reduce Bridgy to 69-3. Bennett was introduced and wasted no time in taking a wicket himself, clean bowling Davis in his third over, before the match was as good as settled when young Harry Swann clean bowled the hard-hitting Devitt with an away-swinger, clipping the top of off-stump, as Bridgwater slumped to 102-5.

Swann was not done yet, as he clean bowled his next two victims in similar fashion to record impressive figures of 3 for 33.

Bowditch brought himself on and struck early, thanks to a spectacular one-handed catch by Ellis Taylor at mid-off, which entertained a now sizeable crowd at the MCC, before Buchanan finished off an impressive win for The Pirates by picking up the final two wickets, to see Bridgwater all out for 169. Tudball ended with 3 for 32 while Buchanan claimed 2 for 9 ,

This 111 run win lifted Minehead to second in the Somerset Premier Division. This weekend (May 30) they travel to league leaders Taunton Deane.