WEPL Premier One 2nd XI

Bridgwater 2nd XI 253-6 beat Frocester 156 by 97 runs

BRIDGWATER 2nd XI kept the pressure on league leaders Bath with a comfortable 97-run victory at Frocester on Saturday.

Bridgwater skipper Todd Barrett won the toss and decided to bat on a flat looking wicket but Bridgwater lost Horler, Vickery and Witts before the score reached 50 in a shaky start.

However, with the runs coming with relative ease, Barrett (56) and John Hill (75no) rebuilt the innings with excellent half centuries, putting on 76 for the fourth wicket.

When the former was dismissed with the score at 121-4, Hill was joined by Kyran Devitt.

Devitt (67) and Hill played superbly, mixing careful defence with attack as Bridgwater’s score neared 200.

The pair scored 80 runs in the last ten overs as Bridgwater reached 253 in their 45 overs.

In reply, Frocester struggled to score freely against Bridgwater’s opening bowlers with Daniel Rossiter (1-25) picking up the visitors first wicket.

However, it was bowling changes that put the brakes on Frocester’s chase with both Kyran Devitt and Tim Hill (2-16) picking up wickets early in their spells.

The required run rate continued to rise and the introduction of spin effectively ending the Frocester chase.

Todd Barrett (2-35) and Andrew Skidmore (3-23) picked up the last five wickets between them as Bridgwater eased to victory, narrowing the gap with league leaders Bath to just three points.