Devon Cricket Board - A Division round-up

NEW Plympton skipper Jeremy Williams said the opening day defeat at Sandford was a disappointment but not a disaster.
Josh Mailling showed the form that won him the Devon League’s young player of the year award in 2012 with a top score of 57 in Plympton’s total of 231 for seven.
Half-centuries from opener Richard Tucker and Linton Terablanche helped Sandford cruise home with more than three overs to play with.
Said Williams: “I came away disappointed but not gutted by the result.
“In hindsight we probably needed 250 rather than 230 as Sandford is a difficult ground to defend on.
“Also, there is a bit of a learning curve going on in the A Division as we are all new to 50-over cricket and power-plays.
“Sandford were in the Premier last season and have a head start on us as the know all about them.
“It was significant to see how they used the power play to take the game away from us in four or five overs.”
Williams said Plympton didn’t play badly in any department and that was the positive he would take away from the game.
“Our batting functioned pretty well with Josh and Andy Walter (31) carrying on where they left off last season,” said Williams.
“Wessel Hartslief, our new overseas , came in at five and looked a quality player for his 33.”
Walter and Mailing put on 68 for Plympton’s first wicket and there were further stands of 47 and 21 for Mailling with Christian Bunny and Hartslief.
The wickets were shared around with Terblanche (2-30) and Dave Dredge (2-47) taking a couple each.
Sandford got up to 110 for two with opener Richard Tucker (72) pulling Russ Discombe and George Greed along with him.
Craig Donohue (2-46) helped slow Sandford down for a while, but a fifth-wicket stand of 97 between Matt Theedom (34no) and Terblanche (65) got the home side within eight runs of victory and killed the game as a contest.

HEATHCOAT skipper Sam Smith is reading much into the nine-wicket win over Braunton in the first Adivison game of the season.
Braunton, wracked by player-departures during the close season, were all out for 65 in 41 overs.
There were three wickets each for former Somerset paceman Steffan Jones and Jason Parr and two more for Jamie Drew.
Only Tom Mitcham (10) and Alex Hedges (140 made double-figure scores for Braunton, who careered from 25 for two to 32 for six on their way to 65 all out.
Heathcoat lost opener Justin Williams knocking off the runs.Smith (16) and jack Menheneott (37) too Heathcoat the rest of the way there.
Said Smith: “It was a clinical performance and a good one to start with, but there will be tougher challenges ahead.”
Heathcoat are away to Plymstock this Saturday.
Braunton skipper Ian Roberts was realistic after the game and already looking ahead to the home game against Paignton this Saturday.
“Mike Paine looked good considering he hasn't played for two years, but we

didn’t have enough runs which needs to improve quickly,” said Roberts.

“I was happy with our bowling and don't think that's going to b the problem this year,

“Young Dan Crocombe looked very good opening up and Jon Baglow just did his stuff, until getting whacked for 17 when he came back on other end.

“We will put this one to bed and move on. Heathcoat are a good side and it won’t only be us they roll this season.”

PLYMSTOCK needed all their batting strength in depth to claim a two-wicket win at Barton.
After George Barnicott had taken four for 26, and Mark Abbott three for 24, it seemed Plymstock had done the hard bit by dismissing Barton for 150.
Barton had been 48 for five at one stage and without a stand of 63 for the sixth wicket between Stephen Lewis (36) and Damon Calland (38) would have been in even more trouble.
Plymstock’s overseas new boy Abbott and Hal Kerton did the early damage, which included a sharp leg-side stumping by Dan Robotham to remove Barrton’s overseas player, South African Husain Badat.
Dangerman Shaun Needham was caught behind when Kerton induced him into a top edge.
Barnicott removed the last four batsmen in eight balls for no runs with an lbw, a caught and bowled a top edged catch at mid wicket and another lbw.
At 68 for two with Ollie Mulbery and Robotham (25) among the runs, it looked like plain sailing for Plymstock.
Then the wheels fell off. Barton captain Adam Parker (4-20) got stuck in and Plymstock slipped to 111 for six helped by some sharp slip catching.
The runs came in bits and pieced from then on with former captain Dave Orchard holding it together for 33.
Morgan Parkinson (17no) and skipper Seb Jordan ground out the last 13 runs to get Plymstock over the line with more than nine overs to go.
Vice-captain James Nicholls said it was a great start to the season at a traditionally hard place to win.
"You always want to win the first game, otherwise you are under pressure straight away," said Nicholls.
"Mark Abbott kept probing away at them with his left-arm seam and after they had their recovery George bowled really well to finish them off.
"Batting wise we had to work, but got there in the end.
"It was a great confidence booster ahead of Heathcoat this Saturday, who everyone expects to be the team to beat this season."

HATHERLEIGH got off to a winning start back in the A Division for the first time in 14 years when they walloped Brixham by 89 runs.
Hatherleigh lost Gareth Tidball and Tom Rogers by the time they reached 22, but Rob Chapman’s 48 got them up to 128 for four.
When Chapman went Simon Gillespie (53no) and Jack Cherrington (60 off 43 balls) put on 68 towards an eventual total of 251 for six.
Andrew Lewin was the pick of Brixham’s bowlers with two for 23 off 10. Paul Heath was pretty cheap with one for 33, also off 10.
Mike Barron will want to forget his eight overs for 77 runs.
Lewin then top scored with 90 not out off 81 balls for Brixham. Trouble was no one else made more than 13.
Brixham were 31 for four when Lewin went in and 162 all out when he ran out of people to bat with.
For Hatherleigh there were two wickets each for Charlie Nielson and Sean Letheran.

NEW skipper Connor Bryan set the tone for Paignton’s season ahead with an unbeaten 77 in the three-wicket win over Abbotskerswell at Queens Park.
On a good day for captains, Abbots’ Richard Acton hit 62 in his side’s total of 225 for six
Mawgan Penrice made 20 on his Abbots debut, Ryan Williams had 45 the Acton and Guy Harrison-Roberts (32no) put on 81 for the fourth wicket.
George Yates with two for 36 from 10 took the bowling honours such as they were for Paignton.
Paignton lost Mark Smith early – one of two victims for Williams – and Ian Selway (23) at 69 for three.
After that Bryan took control and it was two Abbots’ old boys who helped him.
Chris Kelmere (29) added 71 with Acton then Richard Ashworth (25) knocked off another 65 with the captain to leave 21 to win. That didn’t take long.