18-06-2025
Taunton Deane get back to winning ways
West of England Premier Cricket League, Somerset Division: Taunton Deane 310-8 (20pts) defeated North Perrott 173 (6pts) by 137 runs
After the disappointment of the abandoned game at Yeovil last week, the Deane First XI were raring to go against a North Perrott side a couple of places ahead of them in the league table.
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Ed Mellor won the toss and Deane openers, Bertie Michael (39) and Harry Smith (60), provided the ideal platform. Their opening stand of 110 in 20 overs was the best of the season so far and gave the chance for the middle order to build a substantial score.
However, the Perrott slow bowlers frustrated the Deane attempts to push on until Ed Mellor (74) was joined by Sunil Lachit (38). Their partnership of 88 took just eight overs and had the Deane supporters hastily upgrading their predictions of the final total. When Dave Jones tucked his one and only ball away for 4, the Deane had reached 310.
George Rutter (38) and Archie Frost (43) provided the safe start that Perrott needed but Sunil Lachit was proving very difficult to get away and, little by little, the run rate required was creeping up. At the halfway point, North Perrott had only lost two wickets but were needing exactly 200 from the final 25 overs.
Four wickets fell for just five runs as the middle order collapsed and left a mountain to climb. North Perrott were all out for 173 in the 41st over giving the Deane a thoroughly satisfying victory.
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Clearly Ed Mellor's 74 from just 48 balls was major factor as was Sam Burgess' four wickets for just 25 but the satisfaction was the greater as it was a genuinely good team performance without one individual match winning performance. Good partnerships throughout the innings allied to bowlers operating to a plan and some sharp fielding will usually bring results.
Of the other Deane sides playing on Saturday, only the Fourth XI returned to the Convent Field victorious having bowled Yeovil Thirds out for just 81.
Deane Second XI, Third XI and Fifth XIs lost to North Petherton , Shaftesbury Road and Wellington respectively.
The league program takes the Firsts to Shapwick & Polden next Saturday but, before then, there is the small matter of Baker Cup matches and local bragging rights to be decided.
