GOATACRE captain Brad Dawson was relieved his side’s efforts to stave off the elements weren’t in vain as they bounced back to winning ways against Ilminster.

Goatacre put the work in to ensure that their Premier Two clash was the only local game in the West of England Premier League to go ahead on Saturday.

And Dawson’s men banished the memory of the previous week’s humiliating defeat to local rivals Potterne with a a tense six-run victory.

“I got down to the ground pretty early and it looked like there was going to be a lot of rain. We eventually got an umpire down there, who said he was happy to go ahead if we were prepared to play, and there was barely a drop of rain after we got going at 4pm,” said Dawson.

“It would have been a real stinker if we’d lost the game after all that, so I’m happy that we got the win in the end.

“At Goatacre, you don’t do well if you go out there chasing singles and it’s a lot easier to get it over the boundary, which is what Jack Haines and their overseas guy (Louis Kraucamp) did.

“They needed 20 off three overs at one point and usually that’s not very difficult to get at our place but Matt House bowled a great over to leave them needing 17 from 12 and we finally got their overseas player to get there.”

Goatacre were put in to bat and opener Haines smacked 81 off just 36 deliveries. Ed Wilkins added 50 off 45 balls as his side were out for 188 in the last of a 25-over innings.

Kraucamp hit a storming 120 off 81 deliveries before he finally fell to House (3-33) as Ilminster fell short on 182-7 after their 25 overs.

House said: “Jack was the main one. He set the platform with his 81. It lifts the spirit of the team.’’ Great Bedwyn’s Wiltshire Division trip to Winsley was abandoned after just four overs, with them on 19-1.

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