SOMERSET defeated Bovey Tracey by one run on Tuesday night in the Arul Suppiah Benefit game on the Recreation Ground.Jamie Hildreth top scored for Somerset with 41 off 29 balls in a 20-over total of 168 for eight.
Suppiah (35) and England star Nick Compton (19) put on 44 in the first three overs at the top of the order then, after Marcus Trescothick went cheaply, Lewis Gregory (15) helped Hildreth keep the score ticking over.
Alex Barrow weighed in with 23 off 19 balls towards the end.
Bowlers almost always suffer in T20 cricket, however Bovey’s Devon seamer Ryan Bougourd did his reputation no harm with figure of three for 20 – the three being Suppiah, Hildreth and Craig Overton second ball.
Bovey made a decent effort in reply, led by half centuries from openers Peter Bradley and Ben Ayres, who took the tally 96 inside 12 overs.
Damian Bourke (25) and Neil Hancock (21) kept the momentum going, but needing 13 to win off the final over, Bovey came up two short.
Somerset 168-8 (A Suppiah 35, J Hildreth 41, A Barrow 23; R Bougourd 3-20), Bovey Tracey 167-5 (B Ayres 56, P Bradley 51, D Bourke 25, N Hancock 21; J Regan 2-16). Somerset bt Bovey Tracey by 1 run.