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The Cornwood team that retained the Devon Indoor Cup back row l-r Matt Butterworth, Jason Hall, Andy Bees, Leigh Smith;
front from l-r Craig Harris, Ben Warren (captain), Scott Mansfield. |
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The Cricket Centre was the venue for the 2012 Devon Indoor Finals. Following the late withdrawal of Shobrooke Park it was a three horse race with Cornwood given a bye into the final. The semi-final between Sidmouth and Bovey Tracey was a very close affair with both sides in, at some stage, a winning position. Bovey won the toss and invited Sidmouth to bat. Myles Dalton and Anthony Griffiths batted for virtually four overs when Bovey’s Matt Kidd bowled Dalton with the last ball of his second over. Josh Bess contributed three when the Bradley brothers sent him back for three caught Chris bowled Peter. Sidmouth’s skipper Griffiths top scored with twenty-four before being caught behind by Ben Ayres to give Kidd his second wicket. John Goodwin was smartly run out without troubling the scorers, Charlie Miles got into double figures before he became Peter Bradley’s second victim and Ayres second catch for 14. It was the identical brother combination that sent Nick Mansfield to prepare for his bowling with four balls not utilised. Kidd took 2-10 off his three overs, Peter Bradley 3-3 off 2.2 overs. Bovey would be required to score at just under 6 to reach their target of 70.
Bovey opened with Ben Ayers and Man of the Match Peter Bradley. Dalton caught Ayes off the speedy and bouncy Bess in the third over then the Sidmouth’s fielders took over. They ran out Chris Bradley, Matt Kidd and Ryan Bougourd for a combined score of 5. In the meantime Peter Bradley had been making hay and had to retire on 29 with his last scoring shot a straight six. His return to the crease reignited the momentum. Myles Dalton took a second catch, this time off Miles to remove Bovey’s captain Mason for one Peter Bradley took his side over the line, undefeated on 40, with an over to spare.
The final was not so close an affair as Ben Warren won the toss for Cornwood and they batted. The captain along with Jason Hall both batted with common sense and laid the foundations for their final total. Both had to retire but were at the crease at the end of the twelfth and final over, with their side in a very strong position, both undeafeated on 31. Scott Mansfield was caught Chris Bradley bowled Kidd for 9, Craig Harris was caught by old boy, Matt Kidd, bowled Bougard 6, Matt Butterworth was run out for 10 and the last wicket to fall was Andy Bees being Bougard’s second wicket clean bowled. There were twenty-one extras in the final total of 108. Bougard took 2-22 off three, his wickets came off successive balls in his final over. Bovey now needed 109 to take the title
Andy Bees took the vital wicket of Peter Bradley with the penultimate ball of his first over, caught Matt Butterworth for a straight six; Ben Ayes took an initial liking to Matt Butterworth hitting his first over for thirteen. From the third over onwards Bovey were never up to the required rate of just over nines. To his obvious annoyance Ayes was run out one run later, Chris Bradley became Butterworth’s second catch off Craig Harris. Butterworth had recovered well from the initial onslaught to have Kidd caught by Jason Hall and after a straight six. Bougard was caught and bowled, off the ceiling netting, by Harris. Bovey’s captain, James Mason’s undefeated twenty-two gave the score some respectability but his side were 46 short when the overs ran out. Ben Warren picked up the Plymouth Nondescripts Cup for the second successive year and for the fourth time in the last seven years. Our thanks to the very efficient officials, umpires Jim Anning and Andy Forward and scorers Geoff Coish and Leigh Smith.
In the regional play off with Cornish champions St Austell, Ben Warren won the toss and again batted. Cornwood lost their first and second wickets in Scott Barrott’s second over and Cornwood’s fourth. He had Jason Hall caught square on the off side by Mike Bone, and two balls later Scott Mansfield was trapped leg before. Cornwood were now 24-2 a third of the way through their innings. Craig Harris and the captain took up the initiative with Warren retiring on 26. Craig Harris also retired on 26 and Cornwood reached the tenth over with 74 on the board. Butterworth was run out resulting in the return of the captain who with Mike Wood took Cornwood up to 101 with Warren unbeaten on 33 and Wood not out 13. The penultimate over bowled by Mike Bone was a pivotal one with only a single achieved. St Austell would now have to score at a par, eight and a half an over. Barrott’s figures were 2-23
Seventeen came off the Devon champions first over and the visitors were ahead of the rate from then on. Mike Bone was the only dismissal in the innings run out in the third over with his side on 38. Matt Ellison retired on 25 and the target was passed in the ninth over with Gary Bone unbeaten on 27 and Simon Ellison not out 25. This was an impressive performance of indoor batting by the Cornish champions and they are wished success in the regional finals. Once again Jim Anning and Andy Forward were their competent selves and the single scorer Leigh Smith as efficient as always. |
