Frome Bounce Back At Lydeard

Frome 1st XI put the disappointment of last week’s defeat emphatically behind them with a seven-wicket demolition of Bishops Lydeard on Saturday.

Lydeard skipper Burke won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like a decent wicket but, despite the hot conditions, Frome’s bowlers had other ideas and ripped through the top order for the second week running.

Wheeler removed Stone lbw before inducing Sapey into an edge behind. Both Wheeler and Neal were causing problems as the ball swung around and Neal made it 30-3 by having Clark smartly caught by Bleakley at cover.

It was soon 37-4 as Wheeler again found the edge to provide stand-in keeper Dan Dredge with a second catch.

The biggest partnership of the Lydeard innings then developed as Taylor and Hayward were circumspect in seeing off the opening bowlers and then watchful against the spin of Mark Sanger and Hamblin.

The partnership was broken by Hamblin, who typically gave nothing away and trapped Taylor (26) lbw before 12 runs later having Burke (3) brilliantly caught one-handed by Neal at slip. The home side were now reeling at 73-6 but, with the dangerous Hayward still around, Frome were taking nothing for granted.

Hamblin finished his ten overs with superb figures of 2-10 and the introduction of Bleakley delivered the key wicket as Hayward edged behind for 18.

The Lydeard tail was now exposed and Frome smelt blood as Bleakley trapped Thomas lbw and bowled Parkman in consecutive balls, both for a duck.

At 98-9, two extra bonus points were on offer for Frome if they could bowl Lydeard out for under 120 and, despite a 19-run last-wicket partnership, Bleakley delivered by bowling Breakwell (15) to cap another fine performance by the bowling attack.

With the wicket not looking as easy as it first appeared, Frome knew there was still work to be done and suffered an early setback when Sanger (2) was caught and bowled after mistiming a bouncer from Parkman.

Stonell and Bleakley looked to settled Frome nerves and, just as they were beginning to do so, Bleakley drove a full toss straight back to the bowler Hayward for 18.

David Dredge joined the dependable Stonell and together they battled against some good Lydeard bowling.

They moved the score past 50 and, as the home skipper rang the bowling changes, neither were prepared to budge. When Dredge took a Hayward over for 12, the fielding side began to fall flat.

They were given a brief lift when Stonell was adjudged lbw to Burke at 77-3 but Dan Dredge joined his cousin intent on taking Frome over the line.

Together they took the score past 100, each finding the boundary with smart drives, and eventually took Frome to a deserved seven-wicket victory and 20 points, taking them clear again at the top of the Somerset Division.

On Saturday, Frome host third-placed Butleigh