PLYMOUTH v SHOBROOKE PARK
PLYMOUTH captain Dave Burke came close to bowling Shobrooke Park out on his own as the city side stormed to a massive 294-run win to stay out in front at the top of the A Division table.
Chris Barr and Hansantha Fernando had already helped themselves to centuries as Plymouth raced to a new divisional record score of 354 for four in 50 overs. The previous best was Tavistock's 349 for three against North Devon two years ago.
In less than 13 overs Shobrooke Park were all out for a measly 60 – Burke taking nine of their 10 wickets for just 27 runs. The one that got away was Chris Ford, who was caught at slip off Fernando for one.
Burke's 9-27 return was a new personal best. He has taken six wickets in an innings four times previously for Plymouth, but never any more. You have to go back to the 1988 season for a better return in a first team match by a Plymouth bowler – Paul Harding's seven for 39 against Torquay.
In the all-time list of nine-wicket hauls in the A Division, only Plymouth Civil Service's Danny Webster (9-12 v Exeter SJ in 1985) has done it for less.
“It felt a bit surreal at times,” said Burke. “I would take a wicket and then another one and normally when that happens someone comes in and shuts up shop for a while.
“Instead they kept getting out to me and before you know it they were all out.
“I've never taken so many wickets in one go in all the years I have been playing. How do I feel? I don't know, it hasn't sunk in yet.”
Fernando belted an unbeaten 119 off only 94 balls as he and opener Barr put in 189 for Plymouth's third wicket. Fernando hit 16 fours and a six during his stay while Barr collected 17 fours and a six in his 118.
Shobrooke's bowlers took a fair degree of punishment while the two centurions were carting them around. Jon Sweeney went for 56 in six overs and Brian Randall was smacked for 59 in seven.
While Barr and Fernando were batting together the landmarks came and went with unseemly rapidity. Plymouth went from 50-100 in 5.4 overs. 150-200 in exactly the same time and needed all of six overs to go from 200-250.
When Shobrooke batted they never recovered from being 29 for six and crumbled to defeat. Burke took the last two wickets to fall in successive balls.
It's fast developing into a two-horse race at the top of the A Division table with Plymouth, who have only dropped one point out of 80 so far, and Sidmouth (77) starting to pull away.
Burke has maintained from the start of the season he wasn't aiming for promotion this season, not that he will turn it down should the chance to return to the Premier Division come around 12 long years since Plymouth were relegated out of it.
“It is still early days yet and while I can't fault our start we only have to lose a couple of times and that lets Bradninch and Tavistock catch up with us,” said Burke.
“We've got Bradninch and Tavistock in the next couple of matches and how we do against them will tell us where we are likely to be heading.”
SOUTH DEVON v CORNWOOD
SOUTH Devon had Cornwood on the rack at Marsh Road, but couldn't' finish them off and had to be content with a draw from a game they really should have won.
The Newton Abbot side had accumulated 238 for seven in their 50 overs – not an unbeatable total on their quick scoring ground – then had Cornwood on the ropes at 20 for five following a roughing up from pace pair Mike Smith and Riswan Saeed.
The rot stopped when Jason Hall and Matt Butterworth came together in a stand worth 102 for the sixth wicket which left South Devon hugely frustrated as the breakthrough just would not come.
Hall, a new recruit this season, comes with an impressive pedigree in Cornwall Schools cricket – 2,265 runs in 85 games through the age groups – and a handful of games with Somerset IIs under his belt.
His vital 65 helped save the game and hinted at bigger scores in a winning cause on better wickets later in the season.
The game wasn't saved yet though as Hall (67), Butterworth (37) and skipper Dave Tall (3) all went close together to put South Devon back in the match.
Last-wicket pair Chris Harris (25no) and Steve Tall, son of the captain, batted out the final five overs to secure a losing draw at 185 for nine.
Riswan ended with figures or three for 34, Smith had two for 32 and spinner Danny Johnson two for 46.
Earlier, South Devon had recovered from their own middle-order collapse that threatened to waste the 87-run start they had been given by openers Dax Oliver (37) and Matt Blackmore (37).
Only Johnson (36) made an runs until James Blood (38no) and David Knowles (30no) upped the tempo by adding 70 unbroken in the final 10 overs.
Salman Mohammed (4-64) and Andy Bees (2-62) took the bowling plaudits for Cornwood.
TAVISTOCK v BRAUNTON
DASHING half centuries from David Manning and Steve Luffman were not enough to give Tavistock victory in their meeting with Braunton at the Ring.
Former England batsman Mark Lathwell might have gone cheaply, Brynlee Barros (2-62) had him caught at mid-wicket for 11, but with Dan Bowser making 102 not out and Ian Roberts hitting 65, Braunton weren't short of runs.
Bowser and Roberts put on 147 for the third wicket and when Roberts went Mark Mitchell hit a brisk 40 as he and Bowser added 68 unbroken towards an eventual total of 256 for three.
Bowser had 10 fours and three sixes in his ton, Roberts dealt only in fours (10) and Roberts pinged of three fours and the same number of sixes.
Tavistock didn't get the start they wanted – they were 21 for three when Luffman ambled out to join Mannning – but made up for lost time as the two big hitters put on 129 for the fourth wicket.
Luffman was finally caught on the boundary for 65 and 17 runs later Manning fell for 66. Inevitably, the innings slowed after that and Tavvy took no chance taking the score to 214 for eight at the close.
Andy Paddison had four Tavvy wickets for 59 runs. Marcus Wildgoose claimed two more for 34.
“They batted better than we did and that's why they had the best of it,” said Tavvy skipper Andy Gauler.
“We were struggling to catch up with the rate after the start we had and once Dave (Manning) got out my main concern was reaching 200 for the extra bonus points and not losing the game.”
ABBOTSKERSWELL v SIDMOUTH
SIDMOUTH stay hard on the heels of Plymouth at the top of the A Division table after routing Abbotskerswell by 187 runs.
With Antony Griffiths and Neil Hancock both making unbeaten centuries, Sidmouth were able to declare three overs early at 303 for two.
The extra overs weren't needed though as Abbots were skittled out for 116 in reply – an outcome that always looked inevitable after the home side had struggled to 26 for four early on.
Griffiths, who opened the innings and carried his bat, lost Josh Bess (18) at 47 for one and parted company with Nick Gingell at 117 after hammered 10 fours and two sixes in a brisk 56.
A stand of 186 followed between Griffiths and Hancock which left the Abbotskeswell fielders demoralised as they chased leather all round the park.
Hancock, who reached 50 in 48 balls and only faced 76 for his 108, smashed seven fours and five sixes.
Griffiths was a little more sedate – he faced 106 balls for his 102 – and finished with seven fours and two sixes.
For some of Abbots' bowlers the early declaration saved them from further punishment. Marcus Green went wicketless for 95 in 14 overs while James Brown (0-36) and Andy Lock (0-60 off five overs) both got stick as well.
Abbots priority was survival if possible, but an initial going over from Scott Barlow (3-29) and Mark Jasper (3-40) ended that possibility.
Steve Short came in when Barlow was on a hat-trick and halted the slide for a while. It's a sad day for a side though when Extras (37) make more than any batsman did. Hancock came on at the end to take three for 10 as Abbots were put out of their misery.
BRADNINCH v BOVEY TRACEY
THERE was a thrilling finish in a high-scoring game at Bradninch where the home side defeated Bovey Tracey by four wickets with just three balls to spare.
Matt Makepeace blazed away to make a top score of 97 for Bovey Tracey, who must have thought their total of 285 for was adequate enough for a winning draw at least.
Peter Bradley (74) and Ben Ayres (32) got Bovey off to a 92-run start then Makepeace and Bradley added 61 more for the second wicket.
When Bradey went in came in-form Andy Kingdon, who thumped a brisk 49 as he and Makepeace totted up 108 for the third wicket.
Bradninch gave as good as they got on the chase with Ross Acton (350 and Tim Piper (63) setting the ball rolling with a stand of 61. Ryan Butterworth (85) and Piper racked up another 124 and at that stage it was getting interesting.
Gary Chapple (33) and Joel Murphy (39no) kept the board ticking over as Bradninch got down to the last over, bowled by Charlie Carter, needing seven to win.
Having got the scores level midway through the over it was something of an anti-climax when Carter bowled a wide to give Bradninch victory. Joe Webb (7no) was the other batsman in at the end.
Bradninch sit third in the table on 55 points with leaders Plymouth waiting for them at Peverell Park this Saturday.