Devon Cricket Board - Abbots seize potential survival lifeline

Abbots seize potential survival lifeline

BUDLEIGH Salterton go to Bradninch this Saturday with nothing riding on the game for after a 74-run defeat by lowly Abbotskerswell.
The battering at Paignton seven days earlier put paid to any realistic hopes of promotion and, now it is mathematically out of the question anyway.
Abbots made a respectable 200 for eight in 50 overs – opener Charlie Garratt hitting 56.
The game was one and lost during the six-over spell when Budleigh slumped from 64 for two to 78 for six.
For Abbots the win was a potential lifeline that may just keep them up this season, if they beat Brixham this Saturday and Chudleigh and Lewdown come unstuck against Plympton and Hatherleigh respectively.
Garratt – fifth out on 159 – shared in key stands of 76 with Mawgan Penrice (26) and 33 with captain Richard Acton (26).
Bits and pieces – Toby Codd’s 15 and Tom Andrews’ 13 – helped Abbots reach 200.
James Leat produced a three-wicket burst that included Garratt, Acton and Penrice.
Luke Peterson (2-26) and Ben Phillips (2-21) were both miserly with the ball.
James Burke (27) saw off the new ball for Budleigh, but when he fell at 41 to Jake Dearaguo (2-25) the decline was on.
Acton (5-17) got into the middle order and Eliot Rice (29) was the only batter to hang around long. He was last out at 126.
Acton said had Abbots played as well as this all season they would not be bottom of the table.
“We played the type of cricket we should have played all season,” said Acton.
“Our batting was solid, Charlie Garratt did a great job through our innings and the rest of us batted around him.
“When we bowled we built up pressure, which in the end brought us our wickets. “We just have to do the same thing against Brixham and see what happens.
“The pressure will be on Chudleigh and Lewdown.”

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