Devon Cricket Board - A Division: Torquay still top after struggle

A DIVISION

TORQUAY snatched a nail-biting two-wicket win over Exeter on the Recreation Ground to remain seven points clear of Sandford at the top of the A Division table.

Exeter’s batsmen were unimpressed with the Recreation Ground track as they were dismissed for 161 – blaming it as much as the bowling for their demise.

Visiting skipper Jon Tipper was highly critical of the wicket, saying: “I have played at Torquay for many years, but never on a pitch that poor.

“The bounce was variable all the way through. I felt we had the worst of it, but Justin Yau (Torquay’s captain) was hit on the helmet after tea by a ball that reared up from a length.

“Justin talks about making the Recreation Ground a fortress this season. Well they seem to be guarding it with a minefield!

“Had we been able to bat out our overs and made another 15 or 20 runs I am certain we would have won.

“We had them eight down when they won it and another 15 or 20 would have made it very interesting.”

Veteran seamer Ben Passenger put the skids under Exeter with a six-for-45 return, which included three in the final over. Jan Bothma had two for 46.

Rob Williams (58) and Miles Lenygon (32) were Exeter’s leading s scorers.

Torquay got early runs from Yau (34), Thompson (33) before Tipper (4-37) and Richard Stevens (3-57) started getting their own back.

With Jan Bothma making a valuable 27, Torquay squeezed out a win.

“When we needed three to win with two wickets left it was squeaky bum time,” said Torquay skipper Yau.

“We got off to a great start, then threw wickets away with some poor shots.

“It was a battling performance from the entire team and we got over the line in the end.

BRIXHAM pulled off an unlikely 69-run win over struggling Shobrooke Park that lifts them up to third in the A Division table.

Shobrooke appeared to have turned some sort of corner as they skttled Brixham out for 133 in 43 overs.

Brixham were lucky to get 133 on the board after collapsing from 60 for four to74 for eight under heavy pressure from Shobrooke’s Aussie import Ben Stockdon.

Stockdomn took seven Brixham wickets for 38 runs in a 15-over spell. The tail enders resisted though, which was to prove crucuial.

Joe Hyde (21no) and Lee Upham put on 36 for the ninth wicket. Miike Barron stuck around long enougn for another 23 to go on the board for the last man.

Shobrooke were undone by Brixham’s own Aussie Anthony Marr, who ripped the heart out of the batting.

After Mark Gilmour (3-18) softened the up, there rest were dealt with by Marr, who took six wickets for seven runs in four and a half overs as Park went from 40 for three to 41 for six and on to 64 all out.

Only Jon James (11) reached double figures, five players failed to get off the mark and skipper Chris Ford only lasted one ball

ABBOTSKERSWELL put the trials and tribulations of the previous week behind them to beat Barton by 105 runs and claim their first league win of the season.

In the wake of last Saturday’s drubbing by Torquay, skipper Mike Pugh stood down and handed control to Josh Dowling.

The bounce-back factor was clearly at work for Abbots as they hoisted 212 for seven declared – Dowling came off three balls early to deny Barton a fourth bowling point – they shot Barton out for 107 in reply.

Abbots first league win of the season lifts them from the fringe of the drop zone to the lower reaches of mid-table.

Winless Barton stay out of the bottom two, but only because fellow strugglers Alphington were heavy losers at Sandford.

Captain Adam, Parker admitted the result was a setback, but remains confident Barton can play their way out of trouble.

“The game could have been different if we had tken our chances,” said Parker. “Dropped catches and missed run outs cost us.

“The team is learning and will get there sooner rather than later”

Dowling top scored with 67 for Abbots, supported by Pugh (27) and Richard Ashworth (25).

A 44-run stand between Steve Short (11) and Marcus Green (34) added 44 at the end to take Abbots to maximum batting bonus points.

Tom Porter’s three for 46 was as good as it got for the Barton bowlers.

Barton were all out for 107 in reply – good going for a side that had been 58 for five.

Parker (47no) and Tom Briggs (22) at least managed respectability.

The wickets were shared around with two eaqch for Dowling and Chris Kelmere. Green had three for to to wrap it up.

PATIENCE paid off for Cornwood as they defeated visiting Braunton by 45 runs in the A Division.

Vice-captain Craig Harris top scored in 75 not out as the Corns posted 198 for six in their 50 overs.

Braunton collapsed to 12 for four in reply, battled back gamely to 99 for five, then faded away a second time to 150 all out.

Harris, who featured in major stands of 90 with skipper Jason Hall (48) and 71 with Kevin Willcock (28), said Braunton made Cornwood work hard for their win.

“It was one of those wins that had to be ground out,” said Harris.

“Braunton came at us from the start and making a total was hard work. We didn’t panic, kept the game plan close and got a good enough total at the end of it.

“Andy Bees (4-26) and Cheema (5-40) bowled us into a great position at first, but Braunton weren’t going to roll over for us.

“Stuart Rhodes (45) held it together for them right to the end. Their ninth wicket pair put on 45 and we were into the last three overs when we got the last wicket, which tells you what hard work it was.”

ALPHINGTON suffered a second successive batting disaster as they tumbled to a six-wicket loss away to Sandford.

The Alphas, bowled out for 75 by Exeter seven days earlier, scraped up 104 all out in 31.3 overs.

With Andrew Codling making 24 and Dave Haysom 21, Alphington were a respectable 65 for one..

Matthew Taylor’s dismissal for 17 prompted a massive collapse as Jamie Palmer (3-21), Russ Discombe (4-13) and Simon Ashplant (2-7) blew the Alphas away.

Sandford were home and dry inside 20 overs, taken most of the way there by Toby Lochead (45) and Discome (29).

While Alphington contemplate the wrong end of the table, Sandford are a comfortable second, seven points behind leaders Torquay, who they play this Saturday.