UPHILL Castle entertained Cheddar with still a distant chance of promotion.

UPHILL Castle entertained Cheddar with still a distant chance of promotion.

Captain Sam Trego was away celebrating his 43rd birthday so John Davidson stepped up. Losing the toss, Uphill were asked to field first and Norris and Hunter raced away thanks to some wayward bowling.

Davidson made the breakthrough, bowling Norris as he played on, followed shortly after by Sims caught behind. Veal (40) looked to take the attack to Uphill as he hit early boundaries, but Hudson managed to remove the middle order around him, taking three wickets, and Sebastian Winn ran out Dowden with a direct hit from the boundary.

Steve Andrews (34) joined Veal and they made the significant partnership as 80-5 turned to a healthier 130-5 and when Veal was caught from a Hudson no ball it looked as though the luck was against the Castle bowlers. However, Davidson returned at the death, bowling seven overs and picking up 2-21. He was well supported by Bail and Winn with a wicket each.

Once Hudson removed Veal caught behind and Davidson trapped Andrews leg before, Cheddar struggled to get the ball away and the last 10 overs produced less than 30 runs and when Davidson bowled Finnigan with the final delivery of the innings Cheddar finished on 174 all out. Hudson was pick of the bowlers with 3-37 while Davidson took 4-55.

The Castle innings started well with John Davidson and Steve Cooke adding 35 for the first wicket until Cooke was caught behind off Tullett for 15. Lambert followed shortly after thanks to a good off-cutter from Tullett.

The Davidson brothers added 50 for the next wicket and looked to be taking the game away from Cheddar.

Both batsmen were looking to accumulate runs quickly and boundaries were coming regularly, but the last ball before drinks provided the wicket Cheddar needed as Chris Davidson chipped a leg-side ball straight to square leg. Moseling was bowled by Andrews shortly after, pulling at a ball that did not get up.

Seb Winn joined his captain and the pair took the score past the hundred with Davidson passing an excellent 50 before Winn was trapped leg before by Clark.

Grabham looked to back up Davidson but, pushing for a second run, Davidson was run out and with that the game looked dead and buried. Hudson smashed a quick-fire 18 at the end to give Uphill hope. Unfortunately he slipped and was run out with Uphill 23 runs short.

Cheddar captain Terry Clark was pick of the bowlers with 4-39. Uphill will be disappointed knowing that, on top at 85-2, another soft dismissal changed the momentum of the game.

The Forte Financial man of the match award went to John Davidson for his batting display.

On Saturday, Uphill entertain Street looking to win their penultimate game of the season.

n A young Castle 4ths side entertained Peasedown, the first game to be played on the newly-laid wicket on the second pitch.

Captain Mark Tanner lost the toss and Uphill were asked to bat, opening with Sam Frost and Tanner. It was not long before Frost fell to Swift for just six. The number three batsman, James Holt, did not fare any better, being bowled by Swift for two. Brett Powers (6), Adam Brown (1), Kyron Davidson (0) and Julian Froud (1) could not stay at the crease and it was Patrick Tanner, coming in at number eight, who stopped the flow of falling wickets.

Some accurate bowling from Wilcox and Joyce made runs hard to accumulate and Mark Tanner was next out, bowled trying to push the rate along. Steve Gough (0) was soon bowled to make way for British Airways man of the match Liam Wakefied (19) who patiently built a stubborn partnership with Patrick Tanner (6), which began to frustrate the opposition.

However, he was bowled in the 27th over and Conner Davidson (0) was caught in the following over, leaving Wakefield not out and Uphill with a meagre score of 79.

Ten overs were bowled by Uphill before tea and some incisive deliveries by Powers gave him three wickets, with Mark Tanner taking another in the 10th over.

After tea, Peasedown resumed on 27-4 and Mark Tanner trapped Spencer leg before in the first over.

Although Sam Frost went close with several deliveries, he was unable to keep the line he wanted and was made to suffer by Peasedown. Mark Tanner then bowled Lilley and, with six wickets down, it was a close contest.

Tanner was extremely unlucky when Lilley was trapped leg before when only on two but was not given out. He then went on to make 25 and score the winning runs.