Barriball brothers engineer Tavistock win over Cullompton | 'The lads were excellent and showing real character to post a competitive score after a shaky start' – Sean Cleave

SIX wickets for the Barriball brothers – four for Charlie, two more for Billy – helped propel Tavistock to a 51-run win at Cullompton.

Rodney Mupfudza top scored for Tavistock with 79 in their all-out total of 214, which was quite a turnround after they had struggled to 19 for four in the first eight overs.

Cullompton shared the wickets around, mostly between Sukhdeep Singh (3-27), Jason Parr (3-36) and Chris McKee (2-48)

A stand of 72 between Mupfudza and Will Scott Munden (41) was topped-up by Charlie Barriball (24) and skipper Sean Cleave (28) down the order.

Once the Barriball brothers got into Cullompton middle order, Tavistock’s total always looked more than enough.

Cullompton lost four wickets for 30 runs declining from 108 for four to 138 for eight with top scorer Deshan Dias the last of the casualties for 72.

Sean Cleave, now two out of two in his new role as captain, said: “The lads were excellent and showing real character to post a competitive score after a shaky start.

“Rodney batted superbly, managing his innings to perfection. Alongside Will Scott-Munden (41), they steadied the ship with a crucial partnership that laid the foundation for our total.

“The team remained fully committed in the field, taking some really tough catches that made a big difference. 

“Charlie (4-20) was clinical with the ball, picking up key wickets at vital moments. Billy (2-22) also made a huge impact in the bowling department, claiming the two crucial dismissals of Dias and Brendon Parr.”

That’s two wins on the spin for Tavistock, who are second in the early league table behind Hatherleigh.

It’s a start, but no more than that from where Cleave is sitting.

“We need to carry this same level of commitment and confidence into the matches ahead,” said Cleave.

Dan King, commenting post-match on behalf of Cullompton skipper Brendan Parr, said: “It was disappointing from our perspective to leave so many overs unused.

“Our opening bowlers bowled really well early on, especially Sukhdeep Singh on debut.

“Jason Parr bowled really tightly in the middle. It was pleasing to see him pick up three wickets on his return after a long time out through injury.”

“Dias was a standout for us with the bat but, unfortunately, 214 was just a bit too much.

“Charlie Barriball bowled really well with a slightly older ball. He had great control of line and length through his spell, as shown by the way he got his four wickets.”