Devon Cricket Board - A Division latest: Alphas hit bottom

A DIVISION

MATT Thompson hit a maiden league century as Torquay consolidated at the top of the A Division by taking a winning draw off chasers Sandford.

The one-two remains the same, but what was a six-point gap has now widened to 18 in Torquay’s favour.

Sandford were never really that interested in chasing Torquay’s total of 280 for four – so much for the ‘minefield tag’ put on it by Exeter captain Jon Tipper last Saturday – and plodded to 135 for nine in reply.

Sandford were so far short they didn’t get the two-thirds total needed for two draw points.

From Torquay’s point of view the 15-4 split was as good as a win, even if it meant the end of their cherished 100 per cent record.

Opener Thompson led the way for Torquay as he compiled 110, not that it was at all a one-man show.

There were stands if 88 for the second wicket with Mawgan Penrice (57), 54 for the third with Tim Western (13) and 112 for the fourth with Nick Watkin (52).

Youngster Penrice, who has come up through the juniors at the Rec, has taken to 1st XI cricket like a duck to water and could be the find of the season.

Sandford’s bowling was nothing to get excited about. Gary Binns had two for 61 and that was it.

Sandford seldom got out of second gear in their reply, which was a moribund 73 for four after 25 overs.

Jan Bothma (3-29), Watkin (2-35) and Andy Yau (2-17) all kept it tight.

Adrian Small made a top score of 43 for the visitors. When the ninth wicket went down with three overs to go, last pair Binns and Simon Ashplant blocked out.

Torquay skipper Justin Yau said he was disappointed but not broken hearted that Sandford held on for the draw.

“We played some great cricket and when you look at the table we are further ahead of Sandford than we were at the start of the game,” said Yau.

“You can’t blame them for doing everything they could to stop us winning the game: we would have tried to do the same.

“Matt Thompson batted superbly – he showed the importance of batting through – as did Mawgan and Nick Watkin.

“Mawgan put back to ball to make his maiden 1st XI half-century and Nick came in with 50 off 30 balls at the end with some clever batting.”

Sandford’s currently non-playing captain Matt Theedom said he was impressed by Thompson, whose approach to batting was a lesson to his own younger players.

“Around the halfway way stage Matt was only in the 30s, but he went on to get a good hundred and showed the benefits of batting time,” said Theedom.

“The younger players in our side should take note as that is the way to do it. If you want big scores, someone has to bat all 50 overs or most of them.

“I am sure Torquay will have been a bit disappointed not to bowl us out for the other six points.

“I have no problems accepting that they comprehensively outplayed us, but we made them work for all their points by grinding it out at the end.

BARTON slipped into the bottom two in the A Division as a side-effect of their 10-run defeat by Cornwood.

The hard work seemed to have been done as Barton bowled Cornwood out for 127 - Tom Porter, Adam Last and Adam Parker taking three wickets each - then progressed to 79 for one in reply with Sean Adderley (40) and Tom Briggs (30) leading from the top.

A rash of run outs – three direct hits – and a lively spell from Aizaz Cheema (5-35) sent Barton tumbling to 117 all out.

Hat-tricks change matches as Cheema proved by sending back Adderley, Porter and Ed Buckland one after the other.

Damon Calland, who was dazed after colliding with a team-mate while fielding, returned at No.11 to bat in the hope of squeezing out the last few runs. His bravery went unrewarded on this occasion.

After that sort of setback it is difficult to remain up beat, however Barton skipper Parker was doing his best.

“A disappointing result again after working hard to put ourselves in a great position,” said Parker.

“Taking positives from the game, our bowling and fielding has come together.

“Sean Adderley had a superb knock and showed the other batters how to tough it out.

“We are on the right tracks and beginning to turn the corner.”

ROB Shergold enjoyed a purple patch as Abbotskerswell trounced Exeter by 10 wickets to claim their second win on the bounce.

Aaron Hearn (2-16) slowed Exeter at the start, Shergold (4-28) took three of his four wickets in the middle, then Marcus Green (3-29) got among the tail enders as the city side were all out for 84.

Miles Lenygon top scored on 16, only to give his wicket away having a swipe at Green.

Sam Reddick (13) and skipper Jon Tipper (10) made the only other double-figure scores.

It all went wrong for Exeter in the period when Shergold sent them from 45 for four to 67 for eight.

Knocking off the runs was never an issue for Abbots against an Exeter attack lacking too many teeth.

Openers Steve Short (29no) and Richard Ashworth (38) got Abbots over the line in the 27th over.

Exeter captain Jon Tipper was scathing in his comments.

“It was awful – the worst day’s cricket I have ever had,’ said Tipper.

“Nobody turned up and the result speaks for itself.

“We can have no complaints. We were beaten by a much better side.

“Things need to change if we are going to get anything out of this season.”

That’s 40 points from 40 in the last two matches, which has lifted Abbots up to sixth in the table.

SHOBROOKE Park are off the mark and off the bottom of the A Division after beating Alphington by 55 runs in the basement battle at the Chronicles.

On a good day all round for Shobrooke, they moved out of the bottom two as well due to Barton losing to Cornwood and slipping behind them.

Shobrooke insisted on going about things the hard way though as they were 69 for seven after a going over from Nathan Caton-Robertson (4-44) and Tom Bath (3-48) as the Alphas took the initiative.

A stand of 56 for the eighth wicket between Ben Stockden (52) and Pete Turner (21) got Park moving, then last man Pete Steer (20) helped Stockden put on 52 for the last wicket.

Those tail-ender runs proved crucial as Alphington were bowled out for 122 with man of the match Stockden taking five for 53.

After Matthew Taylor (25) and Caton-Robertson (19) had gone, Alphington lurched from 63 for three to 95 for six and 97 for eight.

Steer (3-22) helped tie up the lose ends and send Alphington to the bottom of the table.

BRIXHAM made a largely fruitless trip to Braunton, where a seven-wicket defeat dropped them from third to fourth in the standings.

It was always going to be an uphill task for Brixham after they lost their first three wickets without scoring a run – Matthewman, Plackett and Craig Eaves –then when skipper Chris Lanyon went they were two for four!

Braunton bowlers Stuart Rhodes (4-43) and Jon Baglow (3-53) had something to get their teeth into and wouldn’t be shaken off.

Brixham lost wickets regularly until Joe Hyde joined Mark Orchard out in the middle at seven wickets down. Hyde made 49 and Orchard 38 as Brixham finally scraped together 158 for nine. It wasn’t enough.

Braunton lost wickets at eight, 37 and 146 reaching the target. Rhodes led the chase with 72 not out and put on 109 getting there with Ian Roberts (36).