MAGICAL POTTER 130 SPELLS 2ND XI WIN

Batting first, Frome lost Josh Cantrell (7) early on when he was bowled by H Wilkes, but Frome then built a solid platform.

Richard Potter and Lee Dredge both looked assured at the crease, as they compiled a 130 second wicket partnership. Potter was playing some textbook shots, as he drove the ball beautifully through the covers on numerous occasions, whilst Dredge timed the ball well too.

With the score on 153 though, Dredge was caught by A Greasley off E Watson's (1-48) bowling. He scored 46 off 82 deliveries, of which included 4 fours.

A further 38 were added between Potter and James Unwin, with the latter looking to apply pressure on the visitors from the off. Unwin found back to back boundaries, but he offered a catch to L Davis off J Greasley (1-55) to depart for 15 (17 balls).

Mathew Bracher and Potter then saw Frome to the close of their 45 over allocation. Potter continued to play classy strokes even after he brought his ton up with an on-drive, and maximum batting bonus points were secured after Frome reached 200.

Off the last ball of the innings, Bracher was castled for 21 (24 balls) by H Wilkes (2-28), seeing the Showmen end on 249-4. Potter was unbeaten 130, of which came from 139 deliveries and included 15 fours and a six.

In response, Frome struggled to find early consistency to tie the visitors down. The first breakthrough came though when Aaron Woodruff (1-26) had H Wilkes (18 from 38 balls) caught by Arthur Harman in the covers, with the total on 46.

The introduction of Bracher (1-18) saw Dawkins (10) find the safe hands of Unwin to make the score 75-2, whilst Clive Hamblin added expert control from the Hospital End.

Arthur Harman then bowled really nicely to assert Frome's ascendancy. First, he bowled J Greasley for 9, before he removed the impressive skipper D Higginson (58 from 85, with 7 fours) with a superb caught and bowled.

The younger of the two Harman's then helped himself to two further scalps, with another bowled and the other well caught behind by Clive Copp. This saw Arthur yield classy figures of 4-42 from his nine overs.

Opening bowler Matt Knight (1-32) returned to earn a deserved wicket when he removed P Higginson (34 from 37, 4 fours and a six) with a stumping from Copp, before Hamblin (2-15) got the last two wickets with a bowled dismissal and another stumping from the experienced Copp.

This saw Curry Rivel all out on 161-9 (only fielded 10 players), and resultantly gave Frome and 88 run victory. It was a maximum bonus point victory (35 points) too with all the bowling points to accompany the batting points, of which only strengthens the 2nd's position at the top of the Somerset League Division 4.

Next week, the 2nd team travel to play Castle Cary.