Uphill Castle moved back to second spot with a comprehensive victory over Butleigh.

UPHILL Castle returned to second spot in the Somerset Division of the West of England Premier League with an emphatic 149-run victory over Butleigh.

Winning the toss, Uphill decided to bat. Andre Belcher and Dave Millard got Uphill off to a good start, before Millard was caught at slip. Ty Watson, hoping to continue with his prolific form, soon followed with one that kept low.

Rob Tasker (27) made a welcome return and got through his shaky start and together with Belcher (73) rebuilt the Uphill innings, with Belcher being particularly brutal with anything over pitched.

His innings contained 12 fours and one six and put Uphill into a winning position. Luke Bliss blasted a quick 43 and the innings was finished off with a flourish by Markus Bail (16) and Chris Disney (14), leaving Butleigh to get 243 for victory on a deteriorating wicket.

Uphill got off to an excellent start when Bliss hung onto an excellent catch at midwicket to remove Seal. The Uphill bowlers then went through the Butleigh innings with Lewis Degelas being the pick of the bowlers with an excellent 4-35 off his 10 overs.

Krish Kumar picked up 1-21, Cattermole (2-25), Bail (2-7) and Bliss (1-5), as the Butleigh innings offered no resistance, apart from Chinnock (29) and they were all out in 21.5 overs for 94. Uphill managed to provide the second highest score with 18 wides.

The Autosmart man of the match went to Andre Belcher.

UPHILL CASTLE

D Millard c Durston b Seal 18

A Belcher c Durston b Bilsborough 73

T Watson b Seal 3

R Tasker lbw Brearey 27

K Kumar lbw Brearey 17

S Cattermole lbw Bilsborough 3

L Bliss c Pope b Parnell 43

G Williams c Durston b Bilsborough 7

C Disney not out 14

M Bail not out 16

Extras 22

Total (8 wkts) 243

BUTLEIGH

T Parnell b Kumar 13

C Seal c Bliss b Degales 2

H Hicks b Degales 1

M Pope lbw Cattermole 14

M Brearey lbw Degales 0

A Chinnock lbw Bliss 2

A Drew lbw Cattermole 0

D Durston c Watson b Degales 2

R Growdon not out 7

S Bilsborough b Bail 4

S Edmondson c Kumar b Bail 0

Extras 22

Total 94

Bowling: L Degales 10-035-4; K Kumar 4-0-21-1; S Cattermole 5-0-25-2; M Bail 1.5-0-7-2; L Bliss 1-0-5-1.

THE 2nd XI’s faint promotion hopes disappeared with a poor home defeat to table topping East Coker.

Batting first, Uphill were skittled out for just 85. Only Steve Worrall and Andy Leech batted well.

Uphill’s bowling effort was much better, if not their catching and the visitors stuttered past the target, losing six wickets. Jobling bowled his usual miserly spell and was ably supported with wickets taken by Sam Matthews and Autosmart man of the match Leech.