Cornwood 3rd XI make it through to finals day | Ten-wicket win secured within five overs | Heathcoat win nail-biter | Clyst St George through comfortably
By Ollie Smith
CORNWOOD 3rd XI swept aside their Plymouth equivalents as they booked their place in the Tidball Insurance Cup semi-finals at Cullompton on Sunday.
The ‘Wood’s 3rd XI chose to bowl first and were quickly on top. Three wickets for opening bowler Charlie Carwadine (3-19) set the tone for the innings.
Three Plymouth batters made it past 10, but none score more than George Atkinson’s 14, and all three struggled to strike at more than 100.
The Plymouth wickets kept falling at regular intervals, Mike Hodge (3-7) and Andy Bees (2-13) made sure of that.
There was one wicket apiece for Joe Davies and Charlie Martyn, but it was Bees (pictured, right) who wrapped up the innings, bowling Piper Haffenden, meaning Cornwood had a target of 71 to chase.
Ewan Grewal (47no) made sure the run chase was a quick one, he belted five sixes and four fours in his 17 ball knock. His opening partner Rocky Travers hit three fours for his 15 not out.
The pair were in a hurry to get things done, and they took one Plymouth over for 27 runs. The game was over two balls later, as Travers hit the second ball of Theo Pennington’s spell for four. It took Cornwood just 26 legal balls to chase the target.
Cornwood captain Adam Whiting was pleased with his side’s urgency and professionalism, “It was more than a routine win. There were wickets all round for the bowlers, with [Mike] Hodge and [Charlie] Carwadine taking three each.”
“The opening partnership saw the run chase be completed with ease in under five overs, Ewan Grewal scoring a fantastic 47 from just 17 balls.”
Heathcoat’s 3rd XI defeated last year’s finalists, Sidbury, by just three runs at The Millfield Ground.
Harry Pryce, who top-scored in the second-round victory, also top-scored here. He hit 55 from just 28 deliveries to help his side to 149 from 20 overs.
Damien Armes (39) did his best to disrupt the Heathcoat bowlers; however, once he was out with 11 runs to win from the final over, there was too much for Sidbury to do, despite Ed Chester’s (33no) best efforts.
Clyst St George 2nd XI followed in the footsteps of their 1st XI as they also made finals day, defeating Teignmouth & Shaldon 2nd XI to get there.
T&S’s Daniel O’Connell led the way, as he scored 86, but only one of his teammates made it to double figures, and that was Adam Smith with 17.
Clyst St George and Devon’s Katie Donovan was the pick of the bowlers, as her four overs cost only 16 runs, she also picked up four T&S wickets. Tiaan Van Der Walt was next best with 3-25 as T&S posted 143 from their 20 overs.
Van Der Walt was first man out for CSG, he was bowled by Ross Abraham (1-24) for 5. The wickets were hard to come by for Teignmouth from then on, as Sam Corney (52) and Stephen Bourke (47no) helped see Clyst St George home, for the loss of just three wickets.
Filliegh are through to the semi-finals thanks to the forfeiture by Seaton 2nd XI.
