Devon Cricket Board - Premier prospects - North Devon get another week out of Overton

PLYMOUTH skipper Matt Hooper is looking no further than the next game as the Premier season hots up.
Hooper takes his second-placed side to Exeter tomorrow looking to build on the win over Bovey Tracey.
Plymouth have never finished higher than second in the table, but you won’t catch Hooper sticking his neck out.
“We aren't really thinking of the title or anything, we are just trying to win the next match and come the business end of the season we will see where we are,” said Hooper.
“We are looking forward to the game against Exeter. They look like a good side and have had some good victories.
“I'll be looking to a few of the lads that haven't got a score yet to step up what is always a nice deck over there.”
Exeter are down in fifth, 21 points behind Plymouth and a whopping 47 adrift of leaders Sidmouth.
Skipper Miles Lenygon concedes this probably won’t be Exeter’s year.
“We have definitely on the whole under performed so far, but we are a young side who will only get better the more we play together.
“Who will win it? North Devon are strong but they have Exmouth, Sidmouth then us.
“It will be a lot clearer after the next three weeks to judge if North Devon can compete for the title.
“You would be silly to look past Sidmouth, but if anyone is going to push them it will be Exmouth.”
Dom Bess, Adam Gribble and Robin Fern come in for Exeter. Matt Hicks and Tm Viljoen are away and Billy Searle is injured.
Torquay will be looking to make it three wins on the trot when they entertain second-bottom Cornwood.
Skipper Justin Yau believes Torquay are coming good after a patchy start, but that the best is yet to come
“I am still waiting for us to fire in all departments and I don't think we are far away,” said Yau.
“I think the second half of our season will see the best of us and we are gaining momentum at the right time.”
On who will win it, Yau said: “Sidmouth have looked indestructible this year and are rightly top of the pile. It's difficult to look past them right now.
Matt Thompson has to work and is replaced by Somerset’s Max Waller.
Cornwood were unlucky to run into a North Devon side bolstered by Somerset’s Jamie Overton last week. His quickfire 50 and five for 15 were the differences between the sides.
Skipper Jason Hall said looking past Overton’s contribution there was a lot to be positive about.
“Our bowling and fielding was greatly improved, Byron Langley bowled an excellent opening spell without much luck ably supported by Butterworth,” said Hall.
“Myself, Goodliffe, Skeemer and Staddon all looked to tie things down in the middle and latter overs and were putting ourselves into a promising position.
“Unfortunately, Jamie Overton took the game away with the bat scoring runs easily and freely at he end of the North Devon innings.
“Against one of the best bowling attacks we have faced to date, Jackson Thompson looked back to his old self with some incredible batting getting us off to an excellent start.
Steve Lambert looked good and solid in laying an initial platform.
“Approaching 175 the game looked back on, however it was asking a little too much with the overs and wickets running out.
“Moving forward, if we can retain wickets in the early/middle part of the game then we can steadily improve our performances to keep picking up as many points as we can.
“This week we take on Torquay whom have showed signs of improved performance in recent weeks and we need to make sure we are as up for this game as they are.”
In form Ryan Rickard replaces Matt Skeemer, who is unavailable due to a personal commitment.
Adrian Small and Tom Mitcham are in to strengthen the Sandford batting for the second-bottom side’s date with Bovey Tracey.
Sandford are only six points away from safety and skipper Jamie Palmer believes it won’t take much to get them out of the bottom two.
“All season I have been saying we've been playing decent cricket, but we've only managed one win.
“I am looking for players to stand up and turn decent 30s and 40s into match-winning 80 plusses.
“We are entering a very important part of our season over the next few weeks.
“Bovey have picked up recently after a slow start and must be respected as they have a good side.”
Bovey, firmly in mid-table, welcome back Sam Wyatt Haines, Ryan Bougourd and Ed Woolcott for Ben Ayres and the two Causeys.
Notwithstanding Sidmouth’s dominance at the top of the table, Bovey skipper Andy Fairbairn sees little to chose between the rest and says you mustn’t underestimate anyone.
“I said it would be the toughest Premier Division for a long time and it is proving to be so.
“There are some very good players in every team who can take a game away from you and a couple of times this year that has happened to us.
“Ultimately our batting hasn't been good enough this year and I am looking for players to start scoring big 50s. especially with wickets getting harder.
“If we don't do that we will finish mid table. If we start to bat better we can still finish in the top three.”
North Devon captain Matt Westaway says the next two games are going to be crucial to his side’s prospects this season.
The Instow lads are away to second-placed Exmouth tomorrow before returning home to the Sandhills next Saturday to entertain leaders Sidmouth.
North Devon are 36 points behind Sidmouth, but with 22 on offer for a win nowadays that isn’t as many as it sounds.
“If we wish to be competitive this season the next two games are ones we have to win,” said Westaway.
“Although we are playing alright, I am not seeing the big scores from batters that change games.
“We have had one ton from Max Curtis and there were a couple of 50s from Barney Huxtable and Jamie Overton against Cornwood, but not many more this season.
“Neil Bettis is available for the next two games and he is capable of getting a score. We could do with it.”
North Devon have Overton for one more week before he returns to Somerset.
Defending champs Exmouth dropped down to fourth after losing at Sidmouth last week and need to get back on the bike in a hurry.
“We have been very average and the last two weeks have been a disaster,” said skipper Richard Baggs.
“There are 11 games to go so lots can change, injuries haven't helped but we have to get on with it.
You can't look any further than Sidmouth for the league at the moment but I think the other sides had improved and capable of beating the top teams.”