The Somerset Seniors enjoyed another highly successful season, with silverware secured and plenty of strong individual performances across the age groups.

70s 2nd XI Retain West of England Title

The 70s 2nd XI retained their West of England Cricket Seniors League title on Monday after a pulsating tie against Wales in a rain-shortened match.

Batting first, Wales posted 167 from their 32 overs, with Martin Veal the pick of the Somerset bowlers, taking 3-22 from his seven overs.

All of the Somerset batters made useful contributions, but the side were indebted to Brian Hamer, who struck an excellent 66, including 10 fours and a six.

After the game, skipper Glyn “Polly” Flinders praised the entire squad for their contributions throughout the season.

Keith Milsom and Brian Hamer led the batting charts with 344 and 72 runs respectively, while Flinders himself spearheaded the bowling attack with 18 wickets.

50s 1st XI Reach National Final

The 50s 1st XI also enjoyed a magnificent campaign, winning every game until they came up against a very strong Yorkshire side in the national final.

Set 272 for victory, Somerset’s chase was undermined by an outstanding opening spell from Muhammad Shahnawaz, who claimed 4-22. Despite a battling 49 from Andrew Fear, Somerset ultimately fell well short of their target.

There were nevertheless plenty of positives from an excellent season. Mark Sage led the run-scoring with 329 runs at an average of 55, while Brian Stone finished as the leading wicket-taker with 16.

Semi-Final Heartbreak

The remaining sides all bowed out at the semi-final stage of their respective competitions.

For the 50s 2nd and 3rd XIs, there were some impressive individual batting performances, with Mike Fisher scoring 356 runs, Scott Wright 341 and Andrew Stevens also making a valuable contribution. Gary Howes led the bowling attack with 11 wickets.

The 60s sides suffered a similar fate, with both the 1st and 2nd XIs seeing their campaigns end in the semi-finals.

Both teams enjoyed encouraging seasons, with Andy Sapey leading the way with 494 runs, followed by David Noyes with 476 and Everton Griffiths with 412.

With the ball, 2nd XI skipper Chris Brewer enjoyed a particularly outstanding campaign, taking 24 wickets to finish as the leading wicket-taker nationally. Kevin Dornan also made a significant contribution with 15 wickets.

The 70s 1st XI also fell victim to the semi-final hoodoo following a season featuring several notable performances.

Derry West topped the batting charts with an impressive 518 runs, while Pete Rebera (362), Steve Pursey (326) and Neil Johnson also passed the 300-run mark.

Steve Sheppard and skipper Pursey led the bowling attack, both finishing the season with 13 wickets.

Looking Ahead

With another successful season behind them, the SSCA are already looking ahead to preparing for the next campaign.

Anyone interested in playing representative cricket next season should visit the SCF website for further details.