Somerset Over 50s travelled to Ryde Cricket Club on Sunday to take on their Isle of Wight counterparts in the next round of the ECB 50+ national competition.

The home skipper Mike Watson won the toss and chose to bat in humid conditions with threatening drizzle in the air. Both Somerset opening bowlers Dave Counsell   and Graham Poulton bowled a miserly line and length to the opening batsmen Watson and Habens, Poulton being rewarded with the wicket of the latter.

Somerset skipper Paul Ashton then directed the varied four pronged spin attack through 34 overs to keep the pressure on the home batsmen with Brian Brogden (3 for 33 off 8) and Tony Scott (3 for 32 off 9) the major wicket takers. 

Watson with an innings of 73 not out and Ralph Abbott with 33 were the oly two home batsmen to offer resistance to the Somerset attack as the Island innings closed on 151 for 8 off 45 overs, with contained just nine boundaries.

After tea the Somerset batsmen set about chasing their target with gusto, skipper Paul Ashton providing the backbone innings of 59 off 57 balls with 10 fours, vice captain Dave Stephenson 19 of  21 balls with 4 fours and Simon Reeves making 20 runs off 13 balls with 5 fours.

The winning partnership was forged by Ashton and Andy Ashfold who added 95 runs for the third wicket to take Somerset to the brink but with the score at 148 Ashton departed.

This left Poulton to deliver a winning boundary in his 5 not out and with Ashfold 34 not out off 51 balls with 3 fours Somerset  secured a comfortable seven wicket win in 24.2 overs with 23 fours in total.

The Somerset Over 50s would like to extend their thanks to those involved at Ryde CC for the transportation and hospitality.

Somerset now have four wins in as many group games and proceed to Taunton Deane CC for the next match against Hampshire Sunday the 5th July.

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