.jpeg "Sidmouth captain Luke Bess")
BOVEY Tracey proved they are top of the Premier Division by right after beating defending champions Sidmouth by three wickets.
That’s three wins on the spin for Peter Bradley’s team, who top the shop by a couple of points from Exmouth going into this Saturday’s game against Plymouth at Ashburton Road.
Sidmouth, tipped by all and sundry before the season started to retain the title without too much trouble, have now lost two from three.
Sidmouth are one of three teams sharing the second relegation place at the moment – North Devon and Torquay are the others – on 27 points.
Although it is early days yet, the longer a team stays in the basement the harder it seems to be to clamber clear.
Sidmouth were all out for 164 in the 41st over of a rain-affected game that was ultimately settled using the Duckworth-Lewis system.
The only partnership of note was one worth 80 for the third wicket between skipper Luke Bess (25) and brother Zak Bess (49).
Will Murray chipped in with 22 not out off 31 balls, going in at 122 for six and batting through.
Hugo Whitlock and Matt Golding were cheap to operate with the new ball, Zimbabwean Luke Jongwe had a wicket on his belated Bovey debut and there were three wickets each for spinner Toby Codd (3-33) and Ryan Bougourd (3-30).
Bovey recovered from 16 for three after a roughing up from Scott Barlow (3-25) and Josh Bess (2-26) to reach 103 for four with Jongwe (37) and Golding (55) in the runs.
A rain-break meant an adjustment to the target, which became 52 to win with six wickets intact.
Charlie Sheen (15) made a dent in the deficit, then Bougourd swished 20 not out of 19 balls to see Bovey over the line.
Bovey skipper Bradley said it was a day to remember for one particular reason.
“Bougourd, Andy Fairbairn and myself have played 15 years of 1st XI cricket and never won at Sidmouth,” said Bradley.
“I was chuffed for Ryan, who put in a great performance with bat and ball.
“Ryan and Toby Codd brought us back in the game, by squeezing, drying up the runs, building pressure, then reaping the rewards with some release shots from the Sidmouth batsman.
“Then Ryan got us over the line with the bat – brilliant!”
Bradley said he dared not hope to be top after three games and stressed the need to stay focused for the longer haul.
“We need to keep improving and maintain the commitment not just on match days but also at training,” he said.
Bradley said the strength in depth at Bovey is showing through as they won at Sidmouth without his brother Chris, the former Devon captain, and opener Josh Mailling, who has played a couple of games for the county too.
That depth has only been improved by the arrival of Jongwe, described by Bradley as: “A very useful addition with bat and ball.”
Bovey are at home to Plymouth this Saturday.
Luke Bess, the Sidmouth captain, was a man of few words after the match.
“Not for the first time this season, we bowled well but ultimately with not enough runs on the board and chances going down we are not winning games,” said Bess.
“Vast improvements are needed with our batting.”
Sidmouth are away to Exeter this Saturday.
