MINEHEAD lst XI finally got their 2025 season underway with a trip to play against Taunton Deane Seconds in the Premier Division of the Somerset Cricket League.

After winning the toss The Pirates made a good start with Ian Buchanan and Jonah Hopkins racing to 35, before both were LBW 16 and 21 respectively.

Josh Hurley joined his skipper and steadied the ship. Bowditch was scoring freely and Hurley proved to be a reliable partner as they took the score past 100.

Bowditch was then caught for 43, butt Hurley batted on playing second fiddle to Chris James, the most fluent Minehead batsman who smashed his way to 50,

It took a pearler of a delivery from Smyth-Lees to remove Hurley for a solid 41, which allowed Darren Sherring and James to hammer the Deane bowlers in the last five overs of the innings. Sherring made a rapid 30, and James’ innings ended on 65 from 59 balls, as the Pirates finished 269 from their 45 overs.

Early wickets were needed but despite bowling good spells the Deane batsmen dominated and it wasn’t until Deane had reached 148 when Williams-Pritchard was smartly stumped by Hopkins from the bowling of Ellis Taylor in the 22nd over.

The score grew to over 200 in the 28th over, and with just 70 runs required in 17 overs and nine wickets remaining, the result was looking inevitable.

However, the bowlers didn’t give up, as Sherring removed wJayaraman for 31, and Chaffey for 18, before Bowditch claimed three quick wickets making it 238 for six.

Minehead threw everything at the Deane batters, but Joshua Cobb batted brilliantly under pressure to see his side over the line without further loss, finishing 46* in the process.

Though hugely disappointed in the result, many positives will be taken from their first game into Saturday’s home match against Wedmore.