Frome First XI were victorious by 51 runs away at Winscombe on Saturday 5th July.
After winning the toss Winscombe asked Frome to bat first, and with the score on 15 made their first breakthrough when Paul Sanger (10) was unlucky to be bowled off a ball with cannoned off his body onto the stumps. Just nine runs later Frome found themselves two-down as David Dredge presented a catch to extra cover for the same score.
Smith and Bleakley set about rebuilding the Frome innings, keeping the score moving and took the total to 50. With a wicket proving testing both were watchful as the change bowling didn’t make things easy, and Winscombe were clearly going to prove a tougher test than they did in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. With the score at 90 the dangerous Bleakley (33) lofted a catch to square leg, and not long after Smith departed for a well-constructed 45.
Dan Dredge and Stonell then began to form a partnership. With short boundaries straight, the big-hitting of Dredge was proving difficult to contain as he mixed sensible stroke-play with some boundaries when the opportunity presented.
The pair moved the score towards 200 before Stonell (14) was bowled, and as Frome then approached maximum batting points Dredge was bowled for an excellent 71. It was left to Unwin and Mark Sanger to see Frome to a very competitive 233-6 with 10 not out each.
In reply Shephard (0) was caught by 15-year-old debutant Aaron Woodruff off Wheeler. Frome there Winscombe didn’t lose a further wicket before drinks, however tidy opening spells from Bleakley and Wheeler, before the usual excellent spin of Hamblin and Mark Sanger saw Winscombe reach only 52-1 from their first 25 overs.
With a lot of work to do Winscombe continued to play steadily, and lost a second wicket when Liam Cureton was smartly caught by David Dredge off Sanger for 31. Jory Cureton joined Australian Wright and together the pair showed some urgency, before Cureton (20) was trapped LBW by Sanger.
Soon after Bradley was caught for 11, this time by Mark Sanger off David Dredge, and with 12 overs remaining the home side still required 120 runs to win. With Frome’s Hamblin (10-2-15-0) and Sanger (2-39) now bowled out Wright saw Winscombe’s last change and began to up the rate. A couple of big overs gave them hope and, following two debut overs from Woodruff, David Dredge has Lund (11) smartly stumped by Smith the returning Bleakley bowled Rutherford (1) and Kennedy first ball for a duck.
Just as the game looked to be over, another over of 15 from Wright kept Frome honest. But with 53 needed from the final three overs, David Dredge held his nerve bowling Clough and the dangerous Wright for a well-made 85. Then in the same over the game was wrapped up and Dredge completed his five-wicket haul by bowling Warren for 1 to give Frome victory by 52 runs.
