Jehan Daniel <br>credit: Conrad Sutcliffe - no re-use without copyright owner's consent

By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

A JEHAN Daniel century helped Exeter bat their way into a commanding position against Budleigh Salterton before rain stopped play.

Exeter were a little wary going into the game as injuries and other forms of absenteeism left them a long way short of a full-strength side and glad of some old faces for helping out.

Opener Mike Wilkinson turned back the clock back a decade or more to play the anchorman role at the top with a carefully crafted 54 off 99 balls.

By the time Ed Doble spun him out Wilkinson had taken the score up to 138 for three with support from Felix Joseph (23) and Tom Richardson (34).

Then Daniel got going with six fours and seven sixes on the way to 111 off 70 balls as Exeter raced along to 284 for seven.

“Jehan exploded from the start by hitting his first two balls for six,” said Exeter chairman and former 1st XI skipper Julian Smith. “He was dropped on the boundary once, but gave nothing away after that.

“All in all we batted pretty well. Mike did a great job opening, Robin moved up the order and got a few and Billy Buckingham improvised for a quick 25 at the end.”

It was Daniel’s second century for Exeter. His first was a T20 ton against Paignton.

Smith said the team total showed Exeter’s batting is improving as the season unfolds.

“Consistency was a problem – good one week, a mess-up the next – but our last three scores of 270, 365 and 284 suggest we are getting better.”

Keeping the runs down was an issue for most of the Budleigh bowlers, although Lloyd Murrin, Ed Doble and Dylan Penberthy-Hutchings had the compensation of a couple of wickets each.

Budleigh were 50 for one after 10 overs when rain brought a terminal halt to affairs at the County Ground. As fewer than 20 overs had been bowled the game was classed as an abandonment.