WIVELISCOMBE‘S hopes of staying up with the leaders in the third division of the Somerset Cricket League suffered a blow when they lost by four wickets at home to Chard 2nd XI.

It means Wiveliscombe are now lying in fifth place, 83 points behind the leaders North Curry, both sides having played the same number of matches.

Put into bat, Wiveliscombe scored 174-7 in their 40 overs with opener Richard Morrison top scoring with 69 off 94 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. Jake Woodward was the only other batter to make decent runs, scoring a run-a-ball 31, which included three sixes.

Dominic Williams (2-30), Benjamin Riley (2-40) and Joseph Barrows (2-46) all bowled tidily for Chard who are now up to third in the table but some way behind the top two sides - North Curry and Shaftsbury Road.

Chard made a steady start to their innings with openers Riley (20) and Dan Parsons (27) putting on 49 for the first wicket. Liam Cleal proved to be the South Somerset side’s match-winner with an unbeaten 53 while Yousiah Shazad made 40, the pair putting on 74 for the fourth wicket. Sam Milsom was in good form with the ball for Wiveliscombe, taking 4-29 in his eight overs.

Meanwhile, Wiveliscombe will be looking to bounce back this coming weekend (July 4) when they play away to Minehead 2nd XI who have won only one game this season and are bottom of the table.

Leaders North Curry will be chasing their eighth victory of the season when they play at home to Street while title-rivals Shaftsbury Road are also home - to Chard’s second string.

Fixtures: Bishops Hull v Frome 2nd XI, Minehead 2nd XI v Wiveliscombe, North Curry v Street, Shaftsbury Road v Chard 2nd XI, Taunton Deane 3rd XI v Middlezoy.