CONRAD SUTCLIFFE REPORTING

FORMER England all-rounder Dom Bess returned to his cricketing roots to help Sidmouth to a 111-run win over North Devon in the Tolchards DCL Premier Division.

Bess – 14 Tests between 2018-2021 – played almost all his formative cricket on the Fortfield, other than one summer season at Exeter.

As Bess had a blank day in the diary, following his loan move from Yorkshire to Somerset, he linked up with cousins Luke and Josh in a Sidmouth side for the first time since 2019. That one-off outing was also against North Devon.

Bess went in at 20 for two, following the demise of South African run getter Bryce Parsons for a modest 12, and by the time he was fourth out on 156 for 79 Sidmouth were well on the way to a total of 191 for nine in 31 rain-reduced overs.

Matt Cooke (25) put on 52 with Bess, who added a further 84 with Taylor Ingham-Hill (39).

North Devon’s stand-out bowler was spinner Ben Howe, who six-for-23 haul began when he bowled Bess and included Ingham-Hill, Luke and Josh Bess, Tom Simmons and Will Murray.

North Devon lost Jay Rothery and Abishek Batra cheaply and from then on it was downhill all the way to 78 all out.

Howe, who opened-up, made a stoic 26 off 45 balls before he was ninth man out on 70. James Tyson (19) and Josh Atkinson (14) made the only other scores of note.

There were two wickets each for Bess, Tom Simmons, Charlie Miles and Will Murray in the 20 overs Sidmouth needed to bowl-out North Devon.

Luke Bess, the Sidmouth captain, said batting first on a wet day could have been a risk but it paid off.

“Putting 191 on the board in 31 overs meant was always going to be a tough chase for North Devon on a tricky wicket with the bowling attack we had,” said Bess.

“North Devon bowled quite well – and definitely had the momentum going into the second half – but Dom and Taylor were up to the task and their partnership did the damage really. 

“Our bowlers shared the wickets around in what was probably our most clinical performance so far this season.”

It was a performance that lifted Sidmouth from fifth to third in the table.

North Devon are now 17 points shy of safety at the wrong end of the table and with plenty to do to get out of trouble.

Tom Popham, the North Devon captain, said while Bess ‘showed his class with the bat’ his own team let themselves down in that department.

“Again, we threw too many wickets away, two run-outs did not help – and therefore couldn't build any partnerships to get into the chase,” said Popham.

“Jack Popham and Josh King bowled fairly well up front, and took a couple of early wickets, but we were too loose in the middle, with a wet ball mind.

“We brought it back really well at the end through Ben Howe and Jack.”