BRIDGETOWN beat Winsford at home in the first division of the West Somerset League on a sunny afternoon.

Winsford elected to make first use of a dry and firm pitch. James McDermott bowled well to remove J Bingham’s off stump with the score on 10. R Dean hit three boundaries before skying a catch to mid off with the score on 23, and McDermott trapped H Dunn lbw to reduce Winsford to 31-3. A useful partnership between Chris Turner and Fred Batt took Winsford to 72 in the 14th over before Simon Costello bowled Turner for 30.

Dan Bowley and Batt put on 38 runs until Costello bowled Batt for 32. Duncan Westcott joined Bowley and took the score on to 139, but McDermott returned to the attack and had Bowley caught behind for 34. From that point the innings quickly subsided as Dan Cross (3-6 in one over) and Henry Bond mopped up the tail, Winsford all out for 155 in under 30 overs.

Winsford opening bowlers Andrew Blackmore and Dunn kept very tight lines and Bridgetown opening bats Ken Cross and Dan Sizer went about their task in circumspect fashion, until Blackmore trapped Sizer leg before for 22, the score 34-1. Blackmore then induced a false shot from Charlie Gliddon to leave Bridgetown 51-2.

When change bowler Duncan Westcott removed Cross (22) caught and bowled in the 19th over with the score 65-3, the match was definitely in the balance.

However, Pete Matravers (51*) and Rob Stevens (41*) both batted serenely and rode their luck as a couple of catches were spilled and saw Bridgetown home with seven wickets and six overs in hand. Bridgetown (156-3, P Matravers 51*, R Stevens 41*, A Blackmore 2-43) beat Winsford (155, D Bowley 34, F Batt 32, C Turner 30, D Cross 3-6, J McDermott 3-28, S Costello 2-33)Tom Gliddon