Chippenham 225-8, Ilminster 312-3 (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Chippenham 225-8, Ilminster 312-3

DESPITE producing their highest total of the season, Chippenham could not combat the batting prowess of table-topping Ilminster in Saturday's 87-run loss.

With both teams at opposite ends of the table it was always likely to be a tough match for Chippenham and Ilminster's total of 312-3 left them under no illusions about the difficulty of the task ahead of them.

Chippenham's bowlers started in good form, taking the wickets of Kieron Boucher (8) and Paul Rideout (18).

But the damage was done by Emlyn Kuhn's unbeaten 180 and Samuel Spurway's 78 that gave the Chippenham attack little respite.

Given Chippenham's problems at scoring runs so far this season, their response of 225-8 was encouraging, even though it ultimately meant defeat for the home side.

Captain Trevor Lloyd (68) and Tim Hancock (40) both put in good performances at the crease, but the bowling of Boucher (5-35) made progress difficult.

"Their two batsmen batted really well and the one that got 180 couldn't do anything wrong. There wasn't really anything that we could do," said Lloyd.

"But it was nice to get a respectable score because we could easily have folded."

Lloyd admitted that he will wait until the midway point of the season before setting any kind of win target.

He said: "All I'm sort of doing is just trying to take it week by week and when it comes to the halfway point, which is in about four weeks time, we'll sit down and look at how many we think we need to win.

"We haven't really performed yet as a side.

"We've had good individual performances but we haven't really come together all at once.

"It was nice that Tim Hancock got some runs because he's an important part and he bowled well too and I was pleased to get some runs as well to hopefully get the confidence back up."

Lloyd is also hoping that fielding an unchanged team this Saturday at second-placed side Taunton Deane will help Chippenham's form.

He said: "Fingers crossed, I think we've got the same side out, which would be the first time we have been able to do that this season.

"It makes a big difference when you can field a consistent line-up each week."