D DIVISION 2 nd XI – WEEK FIVE
KINGSKERSWELL 2nd XI skipper Nigel Butt is pushing for a change in league rules after his promotion-chasing team ran into lowly Ashburton and lost.
Butt felt aggrieved about the result as Ashburton had no 1st XI game on the same day, which allowed them to bolster their 2nd XI with spare players.
Kerswell aren't up with the leading pack without good reason and battled right down to the wire. A snicked four through the slips gave Ashburton a one-wicket win
Solicitor Butt said he will be writing to the league about the issue of second teams fielding first team players in circumstances where their 1st XI do not have a corresponding fixture.
“I do not blame Ashburton in any way for playing 1st XI cricketers because there is nothing in the league rules to prevent it,” said Butt.
“My letter to the league will be suggesting that a rule be introduced immediately to prevent this from happening again. Situations like this clearly distort what would otherwise be a fair competition in this league.”
Ashburton chairman Graham Pascoe, whose son Chris was one of the players Butt was cheesed off about, said it was important to remember his club had done nothing against the rules.
“What we did was perfectly legitimate under the rules and something that has been done to us in the past,” said Pascoe senior.
“At Ashburton it is policy that you play for the club not a particular team.”
Out on the field, Kingskerswell were all out for 141 all out, a disappointing total after they had been 137 for five with nine overs to go.
Best batting contributions for Kerswell came from opener George Breyley (45) and Nathan Weedon, who struck a brisk 32.
Tom Durman, an Ashburton youngster attracting attention from bigger clubs in the area, mopped up the Kerswell tail when he returned for a second spell and took the last three wickets.
Best bowling was Bruce Broughton (4-19), Durman (3-17) and Ashley Harvey (2-26).
Ashburton got off to a absolute flyer with Chris Pascoe striking 14 fours in his 76.
The introduction of 14 year old Dan Elliott into the Kerswell attack saw the end of Pascoe and at that moment the game changed dramatically.
Ashburton slipped from 123 for three, to 139 for nine thanks to some amazing bowling from Mark Berry, whose figures went from one for 40 to six for 62 before the snick through the slips that won it.
Cockington's golden oldies were at it again in the D Division 2nd XI leaders' five-wicket eerby win over Babbacombe.
Terry King (4-28) and Brian Burrows (3-7), whose combined aged is touching 120, shot Babbacombe out for 121. Dave Williams made 27.
Sean Jarman hit 35 against his old club, and Gavin Colegate made 29, in a relatively routine run chase.
Second-in-the-table Torquay overwhelmed Roborough by 148 runs at the Recreation ground.
Richard Pastewski made an unbeaten 102 and chairman Steve Craig chipped in with 52 not out in Torquay's 227 for four. They put on 119 for fifth wicket.
David Lear snared five for 23, and there were two wickets each for George Fielding and Ollie Hunt as Roborough were removed for 79 in just 28 overs.
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