By STEVE BIRLEY & CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

SEATON skipper Ben Morgan was left feeling that his team had ‘taken their eye off the ball’ in their defeat at home to Budleigh Salterton.

Morgan was perplexed that his side put down at least 10 catches – two by the skipper himself! 

He said: “Honestly, our catching was woeful. Some of them I’d have expected my three-year-old to hold on to! 

 “I was left feeling so down at stumps as I don’t think anyone who saw the game would argue that we out-batted and out-bowled Budleigh, yet they left with the spoils from the game.” 

Speaking about his side’s shift with the bat, Morgan said: “Given that we had little or no runs from Matt Hewer or Joel Seward, to get to 239-8 speaks volumes for the strength in our batting these days. 

“Josh [Cann] batted very well for his half-century and I was happy with our score at the end of our innings.” 

Joe Berry (44), Wesley Holmes (37) and Rhys Davies (25) all chipped in to support Cann’s efforts.

Seaton then had Budleigh in all sorts of bother when the Ottermouth men batted. 

 “Ben Libby and I opened things up and, 20 overs in, they were 30 for two,” said Morgan.

“We then had them five down with 50 on the board (Joe Berry 3-39), but those missed catches came back to haunt us. 

“We put down Tom Oxland three times before he had 30 and he went on to get 74 and I put down my opposite number (Lloyd Murrin) when he was on 20. He was still there at the end on 52 not out. 

Speaking about the overall performance, Morgan said: “A huge plus for me is that we have come out of a meeting with a side we’ll play in the A Division next season knowing that it’s certainly ‘one that got away’.”

Click here to read report and reaction from Exmouth v Sidmouth