Taunton Deane 312-7 beat 
Ilminster 292-7 by 20 runs

DEANE and Ilminster traded centuries at the Convent Field on Saturday but the home side came out with the win after more than 600 were scored and the tennis courts and a car windscreen both came in for a peppering writes Kerry Miller.

Deane skipper Phil Saxby won the toss and batted and Sam Underdown and Jack Fraser took less than five overs to get rid of the slip cordon before Underdown ran himself out on 36. 

Rob Woodman joined the fun and after 15 overs Deane were on 87-1 before drinks came at the half way point on 138-1. 

The two posted a 100 partnership in the 28th over before Louis Kraucamp held a catch from Fraser off Matt Davis on 160-2. Woodman continued on his merry way although he was dropped on 97 before reaching his ton with 11 overs left. 

He went four runs later, caught by Sam Spurway but the innings was not over as Harry Thomas hit 23, Calvin Harrison 39 and Sam Shaikh 20, Deane ending on 312-7. 

In reply Jason Squire bowled George Hayward in the second over but Spurway was soon finding the boundary and although they began slowly, at 98-1 in 20 overs Ilminster were in the game. 

Charlie Vickery was slowly compiling a big score while Spurway was unlucky when a delivery from Harrison stopped on him and he was caught for an excellent 70 but at drinks the side were 138-2 compared to Deane’s 138-1. 

Kraucamp was lbw ten runs later to Matt Derham whose fine spell effectively tied up the batting enough to take the asking rate to eight and over and when Josh Warry was superbly run out with a direct hit from the boundary by Jones, it was almost the end.

Vickery was joined by Davis who was stumped by Thomas off Woodman and Josh Lee was run out for 25 and although Vickery reached his excellent unbeaten 108, Ilminster ended on 292-7 to lose by 20 runs.

Woodman ended with 2-42 and wickets went to Matt Derham, Squire and Harrison.