Timberscombe Cricket Club

Timberscombe entertained Minehead at Cowbridge and chased down a modest total of 139 runs with four overs to spare.  Minehead started brightly with opener Buchanan retiring on 50 and Matt Drakely’s 40 no, but no else managed to get into double figures, apart from S Tudball (12 no).

Timberscombe opened with Rob Goulding and Bruce Lang and the former scored a quick 20 off only 19 balls including a six before being caught and bowled next ball by Drakely.  Lang continued and retired on 50 ( 4 six’s),  these being much needed runs as in his previous two innings he’d failed to score.   Jason Abbott blasted 38 before being caught off the bowling of S Tudball and it was left to Nick Hill and Matt Stonier to see the game home in the sixteenth over.

Minehead 139 (I Buchanan 50 retired, M Drakely 40 no)

Timberscombe 140 ( B Lang 50 retired, J Abbott 38)

Timberscombe completed the double over Dulverton in an impressive 70 run victory.  After being sent to Coventry the returning Nick Hill showed just how much he was missed as opener as he got Timberscombe off to a flyer with 26 runs off just 20 balls.  Matt Stonier and Jason Abbott had the best partnership of the game before Stonier was bowled by Cottrell for 28.  Abbott went on his usaul aggressive manner retiring on 52 after hitting 3 maximums and 6 boundaries.  Paul Sparks came in late on and bludgeoned a quick fire 22 no to set Dulverton and imppressive target of 181 to win.  Ali Lang scored another duck and looks an early contender for the much coveted Duck Cup along with Russell Summersgill.

Dulverton struggled from the start and the demon bowling of Ali Lang removed both openers.  J Williams was Dulverton’s mainstay scoring 42 before being caught by Bowditch off the bowling of Nick Hill.  Bowditch then ripped through the lower order with 3 wickets as Dulverton limped to 111 all out.

Timberscombe 181 (J Abbott 52 no)

Dulverton 111 ( J Williams 42, D Bowditch 3-5, A Lang 2-30)

Timberscombe loss the toss and were invited to bat on a wicket that appeared to offer something to the bowlers.  A steady opening for the opening wicket between Brandon Rawle and Nick Hill was broken in the 9th Over with the score on 20.  Hill and skipper Paul Sparks then put together a useful partnership that set up the innings.  Hill’s departure for 45 led to a flurry of wickets in the middle order.  When Sparks departed on 48 at the fall of the 5th wicket, a challenging total was not guaranteed.  Paul Keal then took control of the innings and carried the score with some clever running and improvised strokeplay. When the innings closed on 204 for 7, Keal had carried his bat for 53 off only 29 balls.

West Monkton were in trouble when opener Reeves was run out off the first ball by a direct hit from Tom Sparkes in the field.  Early tight bowwling from Rob Goulding and Will Giblet reduced the home side to 24 for 7 in pretty quick time.  Only R Buckley (32no) showed resistance when he and number 10 D Baverstock put together the partnership of the innings.  When Dibble finally wrapped up the tail, West Monkton were left well short on 99 all out.

Scores

Timberscombe 204 for 7

Nick Hill 45

Paul Sparks 48

Paul Keal 53 no

A Coles 4 for 68

West Monkton 99 All out

R Buckley 34

Rob Goulding 4 for 8

West Monkton 5 points Timberscombe 26 points

Timberscombe were left to reflect on a string of dropped catches as Holford won the toss and elected to bat.  The main beneficiary of the Home sides charity was C Mckegney who rode his luck and developed and innings that formed the backbone of Holford’s 159.  Thanks to hard hitting, and an array of shots shown, Mckegney punished the home bowling to all parts of the ground in between apparently giving catching practice to the home fileders.  The Holfod score was looking ominous on a a really true and good cricket wicket, until a flurry of wickets saw the hard worked bowlers get some return for their efforts.    Rob Goulding was justly rewarded in  his two spells finishing with 4 for 25.   Holford were finally bowled out for 159 in the 28th over.

The loss of a wicket from the first ball immediately put Timberscombe on the back foot. Paul Sparks and Nick Hill appeared to be steadying things until first Hill and then Sparkes departed in quick succession.  Chris Hill and Paul Keal then carried the innings forward before a flurry of wickets put the home side under the pressure.  Batsman all the way down the order got in, got a start, and then got out.  Only Keal developed his innings before departing on 33.  J Hawkins caused most of the problems with the ball finishing on 4 for 31.  Timberscombe’s Innings finally petered out leaving them 23 short of their target.

Scores

Holford 159 All Out

C Mckegney 97

Rob Goulding 4 for 25

Paul Keal 3 for 44

Timberscombe 136 All Out

Paul Keal 33

J Hawkins 4 for 31