BRADNINCH bowed out of the Servicemaster Devon T20 at the semi-final stage to Exmouth.

It was a close-run thing though as Exmouth made 141 for nine and Bradninch were 138 for four when the overs ran out.

Bradninch needed 25 to win from the last two overs, the first of which was bowled by Husnan Kazmi.

Opener and captain Gary Chappell was set at one end and Andrew Buzza was 24 not out at the other having put on 57 with his captain.

Kazmi struck early to dismiss Chappell for 64 off 60 balls and only conceded six runs from the over.

Bradninch needed 19 to win from George Greenway’s final set of six. Despite Buzza (34no) and Rory Thomas (10no) swinging the bat they came up short.

“We messed it up,” confessed Bradninch captain Chappell.

“Exmouth bowled well but it came down to the fact they ran better between the wickets than we did and that was the difference.”

Exmouth’s total was built round knocks of 32 by Dan Pyle and 24 from Chris Metters against his former club.

Finlay Marks topped up the final tally with 35 of 28 balls.

Chappell had three wickets and there were two each for Dan Hardy and Eliot Acton.

Torquay, conquerors of North Devon in the morning semi-final, went on to beat Exmouth by four wickets with two balls to spare in a nail-gnawing final.

Exmouth 141-9 (D Pyle 32, F Marks 35, C Metters 24; G Chappell 3-23, D Hardy 2-36, E Acton 2-23), Bradninch 138-4 (G Chappell 64, A Buzza 35no; D Lye 2-6). Exmouth bt Bradninch by 3 runs.