Devon Cricket Board - Searle too brisk for Bovey

Searle too brisk for Bovey

BOVEY Tracey are holding on to top spot by their fingernails after going down by six wickets at Exeter.

Exmouth won at Bradninch to draw level on points with Bovey, but are nominally second on games won.

Bovey were bowled out for 170 by the son of one of their former players – Billy Searle.

Searle is the 17-year-old son of Arnie Searle, who was a member of the Bovey team who won the Premiership for the first and only time in 2002.

Billy is looking like a chip off the old bloke as he took six for 32 to put the skids under Bovey.

There was no fluke about it either. Searle ripped out the first four batters by bowling in good areas – two caught behind and one lbw. He came back at the end to knock over the last of the batting.

Adam Gribble, who played with Searle senior in that title-winning team, sent down 10 misery overs for 22 runs as Exeter kept it tight.

Merryck Steward’s none for 29 off 10 maintained the pressure on Bovey, whose leading run getters were Ben Ayres (38), Sam Wyatt-Haines and Lewis Hammett (27).

Exeter had the runs knocked off with 11 overs to spare and were always on the front foot after Andy Curtis (42) and Blake Reed (26) have them a 64-run start.

A double strike by Ryan Bougourd (2-32) slowed Exeter briefly, but they had time on their side and skipper Rob Holman used plenty of it chipping an unbeaten 49 to put the result beyond doubt.

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