Raheja's hand-crafted 87 points Cullompton towards win against Thorverton | 'Chasing 300 was always on with our batting line up, and two big partnerships made it difficult for them' – Dan King

THORVERTON’S promotion prospects in the A Division suffered a setback with they were seven-wicket losers at Cullompton.

Cullompton chased a target of 300 to win and got over the line with exactly one over to go.

Thorverton are still third in the A Division table, but the gap between them and second-placed Hatherleigh has opened-up to 28 points. It was 14.

Hatherleigh are not up yet, but if they beat Bridestowe & Belstone this Saturday it is probably all over bar the celebrating.

George Daldorph, who went in at 141 for four, claimed a maiden Devon League century for Thorverton with 107 off just 79 balls – 10 fours, seven sixes – in their total of 299 for seven.

Dan Robbins (25), Andy Kingdon (53) and Shane Yelverton (28) all made runs before Daldorph got going.

Bobby Heard made 28 and Sam Jefferson (36no) was at the other end during a stand of 91 for the sixth wicket.

Akshay Bharadwaj’s 10-over bowling figures of two for 35 stood out on a day when five or more an over was the modal expectation.

Three-hundred to win is always a tall order, even on a high-scoring ground such as Cullompton’s.

Opener Dinesh Raheja’s hand-crafted 87 off 109 balls, partly complied during a second-wicket stand of 120 with Dan King (56) pointed Cully in the right direction.

Raheja was third out on 197 which left 103 to win and exactly 15 overs to get them. Deshan Dias (56no) and skipper Brendon Parr (61no) ensured it was mission accomplished.

King, the Cullompton vice-captain, said: “It was an amazing win after a great game of hard-fought and competitive cricket

“Paul Rendall and Akshay Bhadawaj bowled really well for us – especially Rendall, who didn't have a lot of luck. 

“Chasing 300 was always on with our batting line up, and two big partnerships made it difficult for them.

“Raheja, Parr and Dias all continued where they left off from their last outings.”

Here is what Thorverton’s acting captain Andy Pitt had to say about the game.

“When you score 299 you think you've got a pretty decent chance of winning the game, but we did say it was only half a job done at tea.

“Our  top order set a really good base and it was fantastic to see George Daldorph go to his first league 100, with some incredible ball striking with sixes that would have cleared any boundary.

“Cully is a tough place to defend a total and we probably made it too easy for them in the middle overs as they rotated the strike well, while we were probably not being at our best with the ball or in the field.

“It was an innings of few chances – and fair play to them chasing it down.”