DAN Hardy turned in a man-of-the-match performance to get Bradninch up and running with an eight-wicket w in over North Devon at Instow.
The Premier Division new boys had not got off to a great start following promotion, slipping to successive defeats against Torquay and Sidmouth.
It was a different story in the Sandhills where North Devon were skittled out for 113, a target the Ninch knocked off with more than 28 of their 50 overs to bowl.
Hardy’s contribution? He took four wickets for 26 runs to hasten North Devon’s early exit, then made an unbeaten 59 as the runs were wiped off.
Victory moves Bradninch away from the bottom two ahead of Saturday’s home game against Exmouth.
North Devon had a patchy start – Ross Acton and Matt Parker took a wicket each to remove Dan Bowser and Tom Ansell – but recovered to reach 90 for three with Tom Popham (50), Ed Yeo (13) and Callum Hotham (15) putting on stands of 43 and 32.
The turning point from Bradninch ca me in Hardy’s first over when he bowled Hotham.
Popham was spun out by Chappell – Hardy the catcher - and Hardy trapped Josh King lbw in his next over the slide was on.
Seven North Devon wickets clattered as they tumbled from 90 for three to 113 all out.
Chappell picked up a cheeky two for 15 to assist the mopping up.
Two wickets for Devon paceman Jack Popham – Chappell and MarkAshplant – left Bradninch 37 for two in the 12th.
Matt Foster arrived to join Hardy at that point and their unbroken stand of 93 took Bradninch to victory.
Popham (2-21) was the only North Devon bowler to stay below four an over. Bowser and Alfie Huxtable were both in seven-plus territory.
Hardy won’t be available against Exmouth this Saturday, one of a number of games he will miss this season due to other commitments.
That’s a frustration for skipper Chappell, who said: “Dan Hardy was exceptional with bat, ball and in the field.
“This result shows what we can do with our full side and it's frustrating that this season is the one where there's so much unavailability.
“Dan misses a few from here on in, and we're without him and Ross Acton this week.”
Chappell hopes Aussie all-rounder Matt Foster will be over the back problems that has stopped him bowling for two matches.
“Hopefully, Matt will be fit to bowl in the next week or two, but we won't be pushing him too soon,” said Chappell.
Ed Yeo, the North Devon captain, has written the game off as ‘a bad day at the office’.
“Nothing went well,” said Yeo,
“We lost the toss on a wicket that had been covered for three days and lost two early wickets.
“We were starting to rebuild when we came off for rain.
“Wickets fell at important times, although full credit to Bradninch for fielding and bowling in good areas.
“When Bradninch to batted the wicket had become a lot better.
“Just a bad day at the office in a game probably won on the toss.”
