Devon Cricket Board - Premier previews - All or nothing for Bovey against Exmouth

IT’S win of bust for Bovey Tracey tomorrow when they visit Exmouth in the Premier Division match of the day.

Win it and Bovey will wipe out the 12-point gap between themselves in second place and table-topping Exmouth.

Lose and it is hard to see how Bovey can get past Exmouth in the two games left.

“We can’t afford to lose as that would be something like 30 points to make up in the last two games and that isn’t going to happen,” said Bovey skipper Peter Bradley.

“After this one we have Sidmouth (3rd) to play then Bradninch, who are still scrapping to stay up.

“Exmouth’s run-in is quite tough as well – North Devon and Cornwood down at the bottom – so they haven’t got it easy either.

“But we can only catch them by beating them – let’s hope it doesn’t rain!”

Bovey welcome back batter Andy Fairbairn and keeper-batter Ben Ayres following a two-match suspension.

Bradley has yet to decide whether Ayres will keep wicket or whether to stick with Lewis Hammett behind the stumps.

“Lewis has kept quite often this season in Ben’s absences for other reasons and it might make sense to keep some continuity for such a big game,” said Bradley.

Out go Ben Causey and Tim Robinson, who came up from the 2nd XI last Saturday as bowling cover.

“Tim is a big-hearted player who always gives us 100 per cent and Ben did a great job opening the bowling, showing a lot of promise for a 14-year-old,” said Bradley.

Exmouth welcome back Seb Benton and Toby Ingham for what skipper Richard Baggs described as ‘a massive game’.

Gary Chappell is at a wedding and fellow spinner Varmish Paravenithi has played his last game for the season.

“With all to play for I am expecting a very close game,” added Baggs.

SIDMOUTH skipper Will Murray says his side have to hope for slip ups from now on if they are going to snatch the title back they won last year.

Sidmouth go into tomorrow’s meeting with Plymouth at on the Fortfield nine points behind Bovey in second place and 21 adrift of Exmouth at the top.

“I hesitate to say it is Exmouth’s to lose having seen things chance late season before, but they are going to take some catching from where they are now,” said Murray.

“We need Bovey to beat Exmouth, then we need to beat Bovey ourselves next week and Budleigh Salterton on the final day.

“I am not saying it isn’t possible, just that it is unlikely!

“Our first job is to beat Plymouth, a side who have already beaten us in the league this season.

“Plymouth’s form has been up and down over the last month or so, mainly batting, but bowling wise they are one of the best sides around in our division and will be hard to beat.”

Sidmouth will be sick of the sight of Plymouth by Sunday as the two teams meet again at Bovey in the delayed Devon Cup semi-final.

“Both should be top-quality matches with two evenly matched sides squaring up,” said Plymouth skipper Matt Hooper.

“We have the same team as last Saturday and we are looking to beat Sidmouth again.

“We beat them in the league by one run at our place so we know how close the teams are.

“They are still going for the title so they'll be desperate to win but we want a win to move ourselves up the table and improve our final league position.”

“On Sunday, Callum Whittaker makes way for Harry Stephenson as he is showing good form in the seconds.

“The final is at Mount Wise so we are desperate to get there. It would cap a good season for us to be in the final, on our own ground and to lift the cup.”

NORTH Devon’s stand-in captain Rob Ayre is looking forward to playing out the final three games of the season just for fun!

Cornwood visit Instow tomorrow looking for points to get further away from bottom two Budleith and Bradninch.

Ayre said Cornwood will get no favours, but his side can afford to play expressively from now on.

“We won’t win it now – it’s Exmouth’s title as far as I can see – and we won’t be going down either,” said Ayre.

“With nothing riding on it for us we can really enjoy it and play cricket the way it should be played.

“What we won’t be doing is messing around. The other teams at the bottom can rest assured we will be doing no one any favours.”

North Devon are likely to be without bowling all-rounder Tom Allin due to an injury.

Glenn Querl returns having been at a wedding last Saturday afternoon and North Devon still have Somerset’s Craig Overton playing as part of his comeback after injury.

Cornwood skipper Jason Hall will take an unchanged team to North Devon seeking vital points to keep his in the Premier Division.

The emphasis in this week’s training was determination to fight for every point and to continue the momentum built up over the last two weeks.

“The team is looking forward to the challenge North Devon poses and are confident that they will get sufficient points to remain above the relegation zone,” said chairman of selectors Mike Hawkes.

The majority of the first team will be action again on Wednesday (21 Aug) when Cornwood hosts the South African tourists Futura Sports. The visitors are touring Devon in the build up for LMS World Championship tournament at Lords in September. The game starts at two o’clock.

ELSEWHERE in the Premier Division there us a basement battle at Torquay, where bottom side Budleigh Salterton are the visitors.
Torquay are without the injured Matthew Hunt so Mickey Wilkinson comes back in.

Exeter will ensure their survival for another season in the top flight if they defeat relegation worries Bradninch on the County Ground.

Bradninch skipper Tim Piper knows the odds are stacked against his side – they are 18 points adrift - but isn’t running up the white flag just yet.

“The next three games will get more and more important each week,” said Piper.

“There are positives to take into them. Our bowling attack as a whole has improved a lot from the start of the year.

“Chris Acton has shown me he can bowl some very tight spells and can be relied upon in the middle overs.

“All our batters are in good form and i'm expecting us to post or chase some big scores in the next few weeks to secure another year in the Premier League next season.”