Devon Cricket Board - D West: Kerswell nine points from promotion

D West: Kerswell nine points from promotion

D DIVISON WEST

KINGSKERSWELL swept aside Torquay in the big game in the D Division West, winning by the emphatic margin of 99 runs.

Put into bat on a wet wicket making runs was never going to be easy and the loss of in form opener Mike Etherington for just two with only four on the board was a huge setback for Kingskerswell.

However the safe and increasingly assertive partnership between Steve Waters (26) and Mark Bryant (35) gave the innings the foundation it needed although at 56-2 off 15 overs with the game reduced to 40 overs a side, the game was still very much in the balance.

Two further decent partnerships between Mark Bryant and Aron Owen (31) and then Aron Owen and Chris Hurrell (45) ensured Kerswell made a decent fist of batting first.

Whilst their concluding score of 185-7 was not huge it was far better than it looked in the conditions.

The best wicket taker for Torquay was veteran Terry King who finished with 2-58 off his ten overs.

Kerswell knew that a winning draw would probably be good enough to knock Torquay out of the title race whilst Torquay knew they had to win. The start of the Torquay response was therefore crucial especially given the fact that the strength of the Torquay batting was at the top of their order.

Things could not have started more dramatically when, with the third ball of the Torquay innings, Pieter Douglas produced a fast seeming delivery which was met by the aggressive outside edge of Rob Jack’s bat and flew high above the head of first slip Paul Harding.

Incredibly the athletic Harding moved in a blur to pluck the ball out of the air a good ten feet off the ground.

The tone was set. Torquay rallied briefly through Josh Hunt (15) and Tim Western (48) who tried to put together an assertive partnership only for Josh Hunt to try one shot too many off Pieter Douglas and found himself caught by Antony Waters at mid-off. 25-2 became 52-3 when Chris Hurrell comfortably caught Torquay skipper Joe Crooks at second slip again off Douglas for just 1.

Mickey Noble chipped in with a wicket himself but with the score on 83-4 off 18 overs and with Tim Western looking threatening the game was still very much in the balance.

Kerswell knew they had to remove Tim Western to win and Torquay knew he had to bat through for their chase to be successful.

Antony Waters, former first team skipper, and playing only his third game of the season, was bought into the attack and took just three balls to knock back Western’s off stump.

Wild celebrations followed as Kerswell knew that his dismissal represented the end of the game as a contest.

The last six wickets fell for the addition of just 3 runs as Antony Waters (4-7) and Paul Harding (2-0) ripped through the remaining Torquay batsman to dismiss them for 86.

The winning margin of 99 runs extended Kerswell’s lead at the top of the table to 32 points with the game between Ashburton and Lewdown being rained off. Kerswell now need just 9 points from the last 2 games to be sure of winning the league and promotion with it.

After the game a relieved captain Nigel Butt said: “Today was a massive game for both clubs.

“We are the sort of side that can rise to the occasion for these big games and we did just that today.

“Everything about our performance was top quality from the batting, to the fielding, and of course the bowling. It was a great team performance and one more win will be enough.”

DCB Ltd, University of Exeter Sports Hall, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QN Company Registration Number: 7024773