CARHAMPTON chalked up their first victory of the season in the West Somerset Cricket League Division Two when they travelled to fellow strugglers Stoodleigh and won by an impressive 145 runs.

Paul Keel, who carried his bat for 117, set the tone of the innings after the visitors chose to bat first on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon. Keel and Matt Long put on 29 before the latter was out for seven after which Sam Price joined the opener and added 64 before he too perished for 43.

The fall of the second wicket brought James Snell to the crease to join Keel and the pair remained in place for the rest of the innings, by which time they had seen Carhampton onto 291 for two off 40 overs.

Keel remained unbeaten on 117 while Snell ended not out 81, the pair sharing an unbroken third wicket partnership of 198 runs, one of the highest in the history of the club.

When Stoodleigh batted they were all out for 146 in 27.3 overs, of which David Rendle made 56 before being run out by Jack Milton. For the visitors Nick Winzer, Chris Clements and Milton all claimed two wickets each.