Devon Cricket Board - Exmouth clinch semi-final win with a ball to spare

Exmouth clinch semi-final win with a ball to spare

l Exmouth captain Gary Chappell tossing up with Mark Butcher from Sky and opposite number Gareth Phillips
CARD
EXMOUTH are through to the final of the NatWest Clubs T20 Cup after beating Pudsey Congs with a ball to spare in the morning semi-final.
Waiting for Exmouth in the final are either Ealing or last season’s winners Chester Broughton Hall, who play their semi this afternoon.
Congs chose to bat first at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff and made 152 for seven.
Opener David Lye set up the chase for Exmouth, hitting 65 off 55 balls to take his side to the brink of victory.
Lye got out with 15 balls to go with 17 still needed and the game in the balance.
Exmouth skipper Gary Chappell and Sandy Allen got the runs mostly in ones and twos, getting down to the penultimate ball from Joe Greaves needing three two win.
Chappell punched the ball through point to clinch a five-wicket win.
Lye as the anchorman from start very nearly to finish, sharing key stands of 45 with Dan Pyle (13) and 48 with Bob Dawson (24).
Pyle was bowled having a heave at Congs’ skipper Gareth Phillips and Dawson holed out at long-on to left-armer Josh Holling.
Jon Evenett was in and out for 11 off six balls in a mini-stand of 26 with Lye. It might not seen many but it was significant for stopping Congs getting the brake on in the middle overs, which Nick Lindley and Holling had been trying to do.
Lye, who hit two huge sixes back over bowler James Pearson’s head, looked like batting through to the end.
He came a cropper when he tried to pull the erratic Pearson – just no-balled for bowling a fast full-toss – and chopped the ball on to his stumps.
Andy Bairstow jointly top scored for Pudsey Congs with 44 not out from 37 balls in a total of 152 for seven.
Opener Adam Patel had made a more rapid 44 off 22 deliveries at the top of the order as Congs raced along to 47 for two after six overs.
Exmouth bowlers dominated the middle overs of the game with skipper Chappell setting the standard with four for 24 from four overs.
Veteran paceman Ian Bishop even managed that T20 rarity – a maiden – as Exmouth got the brake on.
Pudsey Congs 152-7 (A Bairstow 44no, A Patel 44; G Chappell 4-24), Exmouth 154-5 (D Lye 63, R Dawson 24, S Allen 18no; J Pearson 2-26). Exmouth bt Pudsey Congs by 5 wkts.

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