Devon Cricket Board - Bradninch race to victory in reduced game

Bradninch race to victory in reduced game

BRADNINCH skipper Dan Hardy will be hoping his side are up and running at last having beaten Lewdown on run-rate after bad light stopped play.
Lewdown made 216 all out in 48.1 of their 50 overs – South African opener Johan Wessels making a chanceless 101 at almost run-a-ball rate.
Bradninch were 199 for four when umpires Mike Blake and Matt Dominey took the players off in the 35th over.
The Ninch were so far ahead on run rate it didn’t need calculators to work out they had won by a distance.
Bradninch are still in the bottom two, but their first win in three games keeps them in touch with Tavistock, Lewdown, Sandford and Hatherleigh, who are only one win away.
Wessels was the star turn for Lewdown, facing 105 balls for his 101 and dispatching 13 fours and a six.
Along the way he shared in stands of 58 for the first wicket with Talon Burns (30), 83 for the third with Matt Witcher (33) and 60 with skipper Harry Geering.
Laundre van Wyk (3-27) removed Wessels in his second spell. Debutant Andrew Buzza took two for 49 on his arrival from Exmouth and Will Squire picked up two for eight in the slog at the end.
Bradninch feared the light would be a problem as mist was rolling in around the ground.
Hardy led the chase for early runs with 85 off 96 balls and featured in a key stand of 116 for the fourth wicket with Tim Piper.
Piper was on 43 not out when the game was stopped.
Harry Geering, the Lewdown captain, said the weather was the defining factor as it handicapped his side who had to bowl with a wet ball.
“We got in a good position with the bat but maybe didn't push on enough before the power play,” said Geering.
“Our last five overs were very poor as we should have had an extra 20 runs with ease.
“The way the conditions turned out it was a game we would never have been able to win batting first.
“We could and should have gone off after 25 overs, when they were just ahead on the run-rate rule.
“It turned into a baseball match with us chucking a sopping wet ball down trying to buy a wicket in awful conditions awful.
“That was a shame because it could have been a very good and close game.”
Geering stressed there were no sour grapes as far as Bradninch were concerned.
“Bradninch had a very good batting line up, said Geering. Their league position is definitely false.”

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