NEW champions Ashbrittle chalked up their 14th win of the season when they beat Stoke St Mary away by eight wickets in the first division of the West Somerset Cricket League.

Batting first Stoke scored 150 all out in 37.4 overs with George Johnson top scoring with 42 while Ben Gray (36) added more useful runs down the order. Callum White was Ashbrittle’s most successful bowler with 4-41 in nine overs, while Wilf Burns-Cox took 2-10 and Mark Lovell 2-40.

Ashbrittle knocked off the runs in 23.5 overs with opener Mark White making 32, Luke Williams 56 not out and Sam Shaih 19 not out.

Victory enabled Ashbrittle to remain 77 points clear of second-placed Bagborough who won by six wickets at home to Morebath who batted first and scored 145 all out in 32.2 overs. Chris Gale, batting at No 8, top scored with 37 while Carl Hooper hit 28. Matt Rafill took 5-30, Henry Stiraker 2-31 and Paul York-Smith 2-29.

Bagborough achieved their target in 27.3 overs with runs coming from J Clanvill (30), Craig Swiburne (39) and Harry Stirzaker (23 not out).

Bridgetown gained a crushing nine-wicket home win over Brompton Ralph who batted first and were bowled out for a paltry 97.

Opener Will Ruell, who made 24, and Ben Davies, 35, were two of only three batters to manage double figures against the bowling attack of Henry Bond (5-26), Tom Gliddon (2-30) and Simon Costello (2-27).

Second highest scorer for Bridgwater was Extras with 34 as the visitors won comfortably in 21.2 overs with Matt Richards 45 not out and Kenny Cross 14 not out. Zak Whitaker took the only Bridgetown wicket to fall, bowling nine overs at a cost of 31 runs.

Over Stowey, in third spot, won their ninth game of the season when they beat mid-table East Huntspill away by five wickets.

The home side scored 169 for eight in their 40 overs with Giles Andibert scoring 24, Pat Chisholm 55, with ten coming from boundaries, Matthew Edwards 23 and Andrew Chedzoy 17.

Kieran Barrow led Stowey’s bowling attack with 4-20 in nine overs, while Indika Weerawarna snapped up 2-43 with Hayden Langlois and Liam Barrow picking up a wicket apiece.

Stowey were 29-2 at one stage but successfully reached their target in 27.2 overs with Kieran Barrow being the Man of the Match with an unbeaten 66. Langlois scored 21 and Simon Burland 23.

The game between Churchinford and last season’s winners Kilve was cancelled because of the bad weather with both sides sharing 12 points. It left Kilve in fifth place with two matches to play, while Churchinford are still without a victory this season and are already relegated.