Devon Cricket Board - D Division: Tucker still confident Feniton will survive

FENITON suffered further grief in their difficult D Division season when the weather intervened to wreck what looked a very handy maximum point’s victory opportunity against Countess Wear.

The Exeter side batted first and found the Feniton bowlers in great form.

Jon French served up a superb spell and finished with figures of 3-15 and there were three wicket hauls for both Brian Cann (3-27) and Kev Brandon (3-28).

Like most games across Devon on the penultimate Saturday of July the rain hit the match with the first rain break coming after the Acland Park side had bowled 27 overs. After the rain cleared and the ground dried the teams re-appeared and played six more overs to complete the 33 the umpires had reduced the contest to.

More rain arrived and the teams sat around hoping to get a start in before the 6pm cut-off time, but alas Feniton’s chance to have a real go at the 133 runs needed for victory was not to get off the ground which helped neither side as the pair ended the day still propping everybody else up in the section!

Feniton skipper Graham Tucker said: “It’s typical of our season that the day we deliver so well we are then denied the chance to bag a vital win by circumstances out of our control.

“To be fair to Countess Wear they were as keen as we were to try and get the game played to a finish.

“The table does not lie and we sit bottom with just five to go and probably need to win three of those last five to avoid slipping down another division.

“Given that we are without a win in seven suggests all hope is lost, but that is not the view of our dressing room.

“I do feel that this section is a lot closer than in recent years. There really is not much between top and bottom and I am confident we have the wherewithal to get out of this mess.”

On Saturday Feniton travel to Filleigh.

Tucker says: “We have it in us to go there, get a result and then see if we can’t begin what will be a wonderful end of season recovery act!”

Seaton’s D Division promotion bid was hit by the weather when their game with Filleigh was ruined by the rain.

The Court Lane side were 43 with one wicket down when the rain brought a premature end to play.

That left Ben Morgan’s men banking just the six points a rained off match gets.

Morgan said: “I am afraid there are parallels with what happened to us 12 months ago, at about the same time too! It’s unfortunate, but we can’t afford to mope about and rue bad luck with the weather. There’s still plenty of cricket left this season and some big games to come!”

Seaton sit 16 points and two places adrift of second placed Shaldon.

All three of the teams above them in the table picked up more points, but none were able to play their game to a finish with rain hitting matches across the county.

On Saturday Seaton travel to champions-in-waiting Clyst Hydon after which they host third placed Ashburton before travelling to second placed Shaldon Optimists on August 17.

The next three games will certainly decide the Seaton destiny for the 3013 season.

Morgan says: “The run of three matches are massive and without doubt they will decide our season.

“We have the capability to rise to the occasion and get results in all three and will need to if we are to realise our dream of getting promotion this year.

Honiton’s game at Uplyme and Lyme Regis was hit by the weather without a single ball being bowled.

The inactivity helps neither side at different ends of the table.

Uplyme now sit a whopping 40 points off the team currently in the second promotion berth, Shaldon, who they visit this Saturday.

Only a big point’s win would re-kindle promotion hopes.

Honiton’s battle to avoid the drop to the E Division goes on after they got just six points from the abandonment.

The Mountbatten men sit seventh in the section and are just eight points off the drop spots with five to play.

They have their fate very firmly in their own hands for in those last five games they face two of the three teams who sit below them.

They travel to second bottom Countess Wear on Saturday and then host champions-elect Clyst Hydon before a trip to Filleigh followed by a visit to third bottom Halberton and Sampford Peverell on August 24.

The final game of the Honiton league season is home to Shaldon Optimist’s on the final day of the month.

The highly anticipated promotion clash between Ashburton and Shaldon ended in disappointment for both teams as the Varwell didn't escape the D Division washout.

The cricket that was played was well contested as Shaldon made early in roads after electing to bowl first. Chris Woolnough (3-32) was a handful, reducing the hosts to 37-3 after 11 overs.

Ashburton then began to rebuild with Tony Lacey (32), Ashley Harvey (37) and Ashley Berry (45) all chipping in. There was a big wag of the tail with Matt Coon (13no) and stand-in skipper Marcus West (23no) slapping 40 for the last wicket.

A more than generous helping of extras (52) got the score to 241-9. Seamus McKenna (3-33) and Freddy Bond (2-43) snared a few towards the end.

The rain allowed no play after tea. Ashburton did move up into third place and gained a single point on Shaldon, reducing the gap to 14.

Shaldon remain second and face Seaton (4th) on Saturday in another crucial match.