Weston were defeated at Goatacre where 16 wickets fell in just 30 overs.

WESTON’S trip to Goatacre was a strange day’s cricket to say the least, as they returned on the wrong side of game where 16 wickets fell in just 30 overs.

With the scheduled wicket getting wet on Thursday night, the opposition took the interesting decision to play on a new wicket only prepared on the Friday, which had no cover from the elements throughout the week.

Losing the toss, Weston were unsurprisingly inserted. Batting conditions were difficult with vertical and sideways movement on a spongy pitch. Goatacre’s Rigalli accounted for Davidson and Ahmed early, while Gibbens removed Fear, before King and Chris Davidson edged behind off loose deliveries.

Howson and Stringer were then both removed lbw and caught behind respectively by balls that seamed off the pitch. Tom Ford dug in and remained not out as Zimbabwean overseas Maruma picked up the three final wickets with his off spin.

Weston were all out for 69, although other than a couple of cheap wickets, it was hard to place much criticism on the batsman.

Goatacre’s innings started straight away and the dangerous opening pair were clearly going to chance their arm as the explosive Jack Haines swung hard to slice Stringer to the boundary in the first over.

Wiltshire’s Ed Kilbee took a quick single first ball only for Stringer to throw down the stumps from 30 yards. Haines then hit Allen for six, before the bowler had to be carried from the pitch with a back injury, leaving Weston a man down.

Haines hit the two remaining balls from Ahmed over the short straight boundary. Fear and Davidson came on Fear removed Haines lbw for a brutal 38 from 20 balls, the highest score of the day ahead of extras.

Davidson clean bowled Maruma before Ed Wilkins chopped on for his second wicket. Davidson (3.2-1-9-3) struck a third time, trapping Murphy in front before Court (1-0-5-1) clean bowled Jon Wilkins.

With seven runs still remaining with four wickets left, Weston were still in the game, but Rigalli and Horton saw them home.

It was a frustrating day for Weston on a day where nothing seemed to go their way. The game was effectively lost at the toss on a pitch that was reported for the poor condition by the umpires.

Weston showed some real guts to ensure they walked away with six wickets and three points and will take that momentum into this week’s home fixture against Taunton.