Devon Cricket Board - Bovey surrender unbeaten record

Bovey surrender unbeaten record

BOVEY Tracey’s unbeaten record finally went when they lost a rain-affected game away to defending champions Sidmouth by three wickets.

But as chasers Exmouth lost again – North Devon turned them over – the damage wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Bovey remain top the table with Sidmouth up second, but eight points behind. Exmouth have dropped back to third, 15 points off the pace.

A late start due to wet weather meant the Bovey Tracey innings was reduced to 43 over – and at the end of them they were 200 for nine.

Opener Peter Bradley top scored on 55 – he saw Bovey to 109 for three thanks to a stand of 66 with Damian Bourke (35) – then Neil Hancock kept the board ticking over with 30 from 34 balls against his former club.

There were three wickets each for Somerset’s Adam Dibble, having a run-out for his home-town club, and Harrison Jones.

Sidmouth lost Matt Cooke and Anthony Griffiths by the time they had 32 on the board and when Liam Lewis was lbw to Ryan Bougourd for 31 off 33 balls the champs were 41 for three.

The key innings was one of 75 not out by Josh Bess, which held the Sidmouth middle order together.

Luke Bess, Peter Randerson and Dibble all supported Bess for a while, but when Scott Barlow was dismissed for one Sidmouth were on the back foot at 136 for seven.

Harrison Jones came in to join Bess and when it started to rain again Sidmouth needed 37 to win off 31 balls – tough without wickets in hand.

When the rain stopped the revised target was 22 off 13 balls, which proved no problem at all for Jones, who hit the winning runs off Hancock.

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