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BIG HITTERS: The Newton Tracey team that ran riot against Ilfracombe. Back (left to right): Steve Barter, Rob Gear, Andy Chatham, Jon Whormsley, Gary Chatham, Tom Williams. Front: Ian Gear, Jon Turner, Simon Gear (captain), Richard Screech, Julian Moore.

NEWTON Tracey completed a fabulous season in sensational style when they duly won their final game against all ready relegated Ilfracombe and they set a couple of impressive new league records too.

   The team total of 510-7 was comfortably a new ‘league best' as was the 7th wicket partnership between Simon Gear (129) and John Turner (32no), the pair adding 170 for the final wicket in their sides mammoth total.

   It was Gear who led the way though, his 129 came off just 43 balls faced, indeed his half century arrived off the 19th ball he faced and to get from 50 to the three figure mark took him three balls fewer! Cousin Ian Gear was another centurion, he hit 108, John Walmsely struck 66 and Richard Screech 53.

   The Ilfracombe reply closed on 175, three wickets for another Gear – Robert, and two for Steve Barter.

   For Barnstaple & Pilton Cricket Club it has been a miserable campaign, their three XI's, who to their ultimate credit did not fail to fulfill a single fixture, unlike a growing number of Clubs this season, gained an unwanted title as all being relegated from their respective Divisions.

   The 2nd XI played twice on the final weekend of the campaign.

   Losing their Saturday game with promoted Lynton & Lynmouth by 108 runs.

   The visitors scored 206-8 with Sam Shaikh hitting 84 and then Graham Fitt claimed four wickets for just two runs as he and Dan Hawkins (3-23) accounted for most of the Barum batsmen, their side bowled out for 98.

   The following day it was Bratton Fleming departing Barum with the win.

   The home side's Peter Wright top scored with an unbeaten 61 in a total of 165-8, four wickets for Peter Symons and then Steve Brasier (48no), Adam Payne 44 and Ted Cumming 34, took their side to a seven-wicket success.

 

BRADNINCH duly claimed the Second Division title. With Lynton & Lynmouth winning their Saturday game at Barnstaple & Pilton Bradninch knew that only a win over visiting Victoria Park would secure the title to go with their successive promotions that has seen them climb from Division Five to top flight in successive seasons.

   The Bradninch victory was very much down to a splendid partnership for the second wicket between a senior member of the Club and one of the younger players.

   Simon Bailey started playing for the Mid Devon side long before Nick Dean was even born and the long serving all rounder hit 91 whilst teenager Dean struck his maiden half century and his innings of any kind in Senior Cricket, 62.

   Bailey's first 50 came up in 62 balls whilst young Dean was even swifter, his half century arrived in 55 deliveries.

   The pair added 130 for the 2nd wicket and that helped guide their side to a close of 276-7.

   Paul Tuson and Dave Branch both bagged braces for Victoria Park who replied with 201, losing their final wicket off the last ball of the 40 over a side game.

   Will Anderson (45) and John Glass (45) made the biggest visiting contributions, Dan Hardy claimed a four wicket haul for Bradninch and the Keynsham Park outfit will, play Divison One cricket next season with Division Tw0 runners up Lynton & Lynmouth.

   Shobrooke Park lost their final game, beaten at Kelsey by Braunton, the margin being 74 runs.

   Ian Roberts hit 70 in the home sides offering of 205, then Johnny Higgs took centre stage and whipped out six of the visiting batsmen to return figures of 6-17 leaving the Mid Devon side all out for 131 and they go down with Barnstaple & Pilton II.

 

BUDE beat Sandford by three wickets in the final Division Three game of the season but it wasn't enough to save them from a swift return to Division Four, they go down with Tiverton & Bickleigh.

   The final game of the Division Five campaign produced a real ‘run fest' with North Devon III scoring 286-7 and seeing that passed by visiting Newton Tracey II for the loss of just four wickets!

   Dan Pickard clubbed an whopping 170, the next best home score was Dan Payne's 37, Gary Chatham claimed three wickets for Newton Tracey II who made sure it was not just the Clubs 1st XI celebrating on the final day of the season as they booked a promotion berth with 289-4 led by a magnificent 135 from Graham Moore, ably assisted by John Walmsley who hit 80.

   That Moore ton was his second highest innings of his cricketing career and on the wide open spaces of the Instow ground he also hit four towering 6's.

 

FOOTNOTE: Spare a though for the Sunday Cricketers at Barnstaple & Pilton in what has been a soggy season for players the length and breadth of the county.

   The three Barum sides playing in the North Devon Cricket League suffered a raw deal in the summer rains as they had no fewer than 20 of their combined 44 fixtures washed out.