Taunton CC 119 / 2 (14.0) def. Chard CC 122 / 4 (30.0)

CHARD Cricket Club were defeated at the weekend against Taunton CC away from home.

Taunton won the match by eight wickets in the end after a short rain delay gave them a revised target of 119 from 50 overs.

The result means that for Chard, their small hopes of winning the WEPL Somerset title slipped away.

Positively though, they finished the season in second place, an impressive feat in this highly competitive league.

In the match, Taunton won the toss and chose to field first, sending in Chard's openers in to bat.

Niall Crouch scored six runs before he was dismissed, but Reid Mawdsley carried his bat throughout the innings.

He finished on 59 runs from 78 balls and smashed seven fours in the process.

While he carried his bat, Jack Larcombe (5), Harvey Dening (2) and Josh Short (0) struggled to gather momentum beside Mawdsley.

However when Malcolm Cloete joined him at the crease, the pair got the run rate up quickly.

The pair scored a partnership of 92 runs and Cloete added 40 himself in what was an impressive knock.

Chard set the target at 122 runs before rain stopped play after 30 overs.

Liam Redrup was the star man for Taunton taking three wickets in his spell.

In reply, Taunton were spurred on by a spirited performance from William Abell opening the bat.

He scored 74 runs off just 35 balls and smashed 11 fours and 3 sixes on the way.

Perhaps even more impressively the batter had a strike rate of 211.43.

Alongside him the home side needed just three other batters to chase down the required runs.

Ed Howard scored 17 while opening the batting with Abell, while Dan Quick scored 8 and Solly Woodall hit 10, both of whome finished not out.

All in all a tough match for Chard but one that was heavily affected by the poor weather.

It means that from the 17 games this season, Chard have won 11 and lost four, while two have been abandoned.

The team have picked up 48 batting points and 74 bowling points this season for a total of 244 league points.

The Chard squad will be looking to add to that tally with the final game of the season this weekend ahead.

In the final game of the season Chard Cricket Club will host North Petherton on Saturday, September 2.