MINEHEAD set off on their shortest away trip of the season - to Taunton - but could not avoid a nine-wicket defeat in the Somerset Division of the West of England League.

The returning Elliott Rice, playing in just his second game for the Pirates since 2016, opened the batting with Darren Sherring, and both looked solid against some accurate swing bowling from Abell and Braithwaite.

Rice was the more watchful of the pair, as Sherring played in his typical aggressive style which resulted in regular boundaries, including a towering six down the ground from the bowling of Abell. Rice (10) was the first to go with the score on 35. Ian Buchanan (5) joined Sherring (34),, but within 6 balls both batters were clean bowled.

The scoreboard read 52-3, which soon became 55-4 when new man Braden Taylor found the safe hands of Redrup at backward point without scoring. The wickets continued to tumble, as Bowditch (2) skied to mid-off, and after a couple of well hit early boundaries, Charlie Payne became Weatherill’s 3rd victim for 9.

Weatherill was not done yet, and forced Ellis Taylor to chop on to his stumps second ball to pick up his fourth, and just two overs later he completed the feat when Chris James (6) feathered behind to leave Minehead 88-8.

Gregg Howard had shown stubborn resistance while the wickets fell around him, and he found support in Rob Spiers – who once again impressed with the bat from the number 10 position.

The pair batted sensibly to take the score past a respectable 100. Braithwaite returned to take a deserved wicket after a miserly 10 over spell conceding just 13 runs, when he bowled Howard for 16, and the innings was wrapped up in the 41st over with the score on 119 when Spiers was run out for a well put together 20, supported by Jack Richards who saw out 17 balls at the other end. 

Minehead were under par once again. The Taylors opened up for Minehead, but struggled to find any breakthrough in the early exchanges as Taunton’s opening pair Abell and O’Dea looked comfortable.

Both batters played expansive shots, as Bowditch rotated his bowlers. Abell (30) looked particularly dangerous, but he was dismissed with the score on 51 as Charlie Payne took a steepling catch in the covers from the bowling of Rob Spiers.

Minehead saw a door opening at this point, but Taunton skipper Dan Quick ensured it remained firmly closed as he grinded out a solid innings, giving Minehead little to no chance of breaking through his defences.

O’Dea launched a series of lofted drives over the cover and mid-off region, reaching a deserved half-century as Taunton proved too strong on the day, getting home by nine wickets.