Back

Plymouth v Bradninch

A DIVISION leaders Plymouth had their closest shave of the season so far before recovering to beat Bradninch by 20 runs and maintain their 100 per cent record at the top of the table.

   Plymouth have certainly had better days with the bat as they struggled to 150 for nine in 50 overs – and needed a battling rearguard action from their tail-enders to get that many on the board having been 76 for six at one stage.

   The boot was on the other foot though when Bradninch batted as Plymouth's Sri Lankan star Hansantha Fernando had them reeling at 32 for six in reply.

   Bradninch battled to the end, but were eventually bowled out for 130 with two overs to go.

   Victory keeps Plymouth three points clear at the top of the table from Sidmouth, who were four-wicket winners in a low-scoring game against South Devon.

   Plymouth started brightly enough with Chris Barr (30) and Luke Minnet (23) steering them towards 63 for two,

   It all went wrong for Plymouth once Joel Murphy (3-34) and Ross Acton (4-30) as wickets tumbled in quick succession as the running total slumped to 76 for six.

   Total collapse was staved of by Ryan Chitty and Terry Stevens, who made 115 each as 23 were added for the ninth wicket to get Plymouth up to 123.

   Last pair Martin Gill (13) and Chitty (15) put on 27 unbroken for the tenth wicket, which proved to be a priceless contribution.

   Hansantha sped into action to put Bradninch in the back foot almost immediately as they went from 26 without loss to 30 for five then 32 for six. The Sri Lankan pacer went on to finish with match-winning figures of six for 43.

   Bradninch skipper Murphy came in at six wickets down and started a fightback which got his side back in the game run at a time.

   Chris Acton made 21 and Simon Bailey 20 not out as Bradninch edged closer to the Plymouth total, And at 118 for eight the game was back in the balance, until Murphy went for 44.

   Barr and Martin Gill picked up a wicket each to make it five from five for Plymouth and only three dropped points from 100 available.

 

Sidmouth v South Devon

SIDMOUTH thought they had done the hard bit by bowling South Devon out for 90, but found there was still plenty of work to do after being reduced to 46 for four in reply.

   Mark Jasper (4-21) ripped into South Devon's early order with relish as they nosedived to 30 for six. Scott Barlow (2-20) posed problems of his own at the other end.

   Rizwan Saeed (24) and Phil Blackmore (17) kept Sidmouth at bay for a while as they put on 32 before the next breakthough came.

   Sidmouth skipper Will Murray brought himself on and ran through the bottom half of the order single handed to claim four for 19.

   Bowling South Devon out early meant Sidmouth had to bat before tea in conditions that clearly favoured the seamers – as Mike Smith (2-44) and Saeed (3-39) quickly proved.

   Sidmouth slipped from 39 without loss to 40 for two and three then 46 for four as the pressure mounted on them having lost Antony Griffiths (18) and Josh Bess (17) so close together.

   Murray had kept star batsman Neil Hancock back instead of exposing him to the new-ball threat from Smith and Saeed and it proved a wise move by the rookie captain.

   Hancock's 30 took Sidmouth in touching distance of victory – he was out going for big blow to win the game in one hit – and it was left to Jamie Wardrop (13no) to finish the task.

 

Cornwood v Shobrooke Park

CORNWOOD won in the league for the first time this season when they overturned visiting Shobrooke Park by 22 runs.

   Mohammed Salman top scored with 77 as Cornwood put a shaky start behind them to total 194 for seven in their 50 overs.

   Shobrooke's new pace bowler Tom O'Keefe, a recent signing from Exeter St James, was among the wickets (3-51) early on as Cornwood laboured to 20 for three.

   Salman and Jason Hall (44) stabilised the situation by putting on 97 for the fourth wicket, then the Pakistan A international carried on before holing out at 186 for seven.

   Shobrooke, still smarting from their 294-run drubbing by Plymouth seven days earlier, made poor start themselves as Chris Anderson (2-26) was largely to blame for leaving them at 32 for three.

   A skipper's knock of 59 by Andrew Codling, backed up to 46 from former captain Jon James, appeared to have put Shobrooke back on course as they recovered to 137 for four.

   The game changed during the four-ball spell in which in-form Andy Bees bagged three wickets and Shobrooke dipped to 137 for seven.

   O'Keefe made 18 down the order in a lost cause as Bees (4-31) and veteran Dave Petherbridge (2-42) shot the stragglers out for 172.

 

Bovey Tracey v Braunton

BOVEY Tracey are still searching for that elusive first league win of the season after Braunton beat them by 83 runs at the Recreation Ground.

   Early wickets from Bovey bowlers James Mason (2-36) and Chris Bradley (5-45) proved a false dawn as Braunton captain Mark Lathwell (80) and Andy Paddison (19) pushed the score along with stand of 62 for the third wicket.

   Lathwell, backed up by Mark Mitchell (32) and Ian Roberts (20) kept on going uuntil he was sixth out to Bradley with the score on 167.

   Bovey got just the start they didn't want as Lathwell (3-28) and Colin Hack (3-18) had them wobbling at 20 for four.

   Lance Ames (36) and skipper Bradley (34) put on 57 for the fifth wicket which appeared to give Bovey a fighting chance.

   When Lathwell snared Ames, followed quickly by luckless Andy Fairbairn being run out by a deflection on to the stumps, Bovey went into a steady decline. Paddison came on and picked up two for 25 as the home side were hustled out for 106.

 

Tavistock v Abbotskerswell

DAVE Manning with the bat and Lee Baker with the ball teed Tavistock up for a 72-run win over struggling Abbotskerswell.

   Manning flogged the Abbots attack for 102 off 82 balls, which included four sixes and nine fours, as Tavvy posted a hefty 264 for eight.

   Baker then claimed four for 31 as Abbots squandered a promising start – they were 157 for thee – as Tavvy bowled them out for 192.

   Ian Gray (32) and Dave Downham gave Tavvy a 49-run start then Manning came in and began hitting the ball around.

   Brynley Barros (43) assisted Manning in adding 98 for the third wicket then Steve Luffman hit a cameo knock of 25 in a further partnership worth 61.

   The only failure in the early order was Darren Chapple – out leg-before first ball.

   Manning reached his ton by hitting Marcus Green for six and got out next ball when he clipped a catch to Steve Short   at mid-wicket.

   Green (3-64) and Jon Aggett (3-60) bore the brunt of the bowling effort for Abbots.

   Abbots made a mockery of their lowly position in the table as they cruised to 92 for one in reply with Danny Full (26), Short and Alun Lewis (62) all chipping in.

   Brad Wright kept the momentum up with a chirpy 29 and at 157 for three it was game on. Then the wheels fell off as far as Abbots were concerned.

   Lewis got out and three more wickets tumbled as Abbots slumped to 159 for seven.

   Skipper Green (21no) tried to salvage a draw, but Baker was having none of it as Abbots were dismissed for 192. Barros (3-40) and Stuart Cleave (2-47) were the other Tavvy wicket takers.