Devon Cricket Board - A Division: Torquay make it four on trot

A DIVISION

TORQUAY captain Justin Yau said the overall depth in the side is starting to show after the early A Division leaders eased to a six-wicket win at Abbotskerswell.

It’s played four and won them all for Torquay, who have only dropped three points in 80.

Each win has produced a different match-winner — Jon Rice, Nick Watkin and Matt Thompson have all taken it in turns — and against Abbots the honours went to Jan Bothma.

The young South African had wickets and runs against Abbots, who were always struggling to stay in the game after Torquay held them to 152 for nine.

“It is great to see different players contributing in every game,” said skipper Yau.

“Ben Passenger bowled well at the start, then Jan (3-33) and my brother Andy (3-54) worked superbly together, taking six for 87 in 30 overs.

“Mawgan Penrice and Bothma batted sensibly and didn’t ever look like getting out It was great to see them both score runs freely.

“I could not have asked for a better start to the season. Now it is important we try to keep the momentum going.

“We have a tough few weeks of fixtures ahead (Exeter and Sandford) and we need to keep picking up as many points as we can in every game.”

Abbots’ total was constructed around a stand of 73 between Chris Kelmere (41) and Alun Lewis (34).

Torquay lost Thompson (21) at 40 for two, then got to 148 for three as Penrice (38no) and Bothma (63) dominated the bowling.

Bothma was out with victory in sight, leaving Joe Thompson to hit the winning runs.

While Torquay are probably thinking about promotion, these are worrying times for Abbots, who sit one off the bottom of the table.

The only team below Abbots are Shobrooke Park, who drew with visiting Barton.

Barton had the best of the game, only their second positive result this season, but it was a close-run thing.

Shobrooke chased 193 to win all the way to the end and reached the penultimate over needing 17 to win with three wickets intact.

Richard Pyle hit Damon Calland for six, which left 11 to win from the same number of balls.

It came down to six to win off the final ball from Adam Parker, Shobrooke ran through for three to finish on 180 for nine.

Barton may appear to be lucky not to lose, although had they made the best of the position they got into, they may well have won outright.

Parker (4-32) and Tom Porter (3-32) had Shobrooke reeling at 59 for six and staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat.

Veteran left-hander Pyle (49) and Neil Branton (56) put on 114 for the seventh wicket to make a game of it.

Earlier, Steve Lewis (47) and Andy McVeigh put on 73 for Barton’s third wicket in a tally of 182 for nine. Parker chipped in with 27.

Wickets were shared two each between Ben Trenaman, Justin Dollow and Phil Anning.

Barton skipper Parker said the result proved the team is improving as the season goes on.

“It was a good game that finished in a positive result,” said Parker.

“We batted well in patches and showed the potential to set a good total.

“Our bowling was good in patches, although we gave away too many extras.

“Hopefully, this is the start of our season and we can push on this Saturday against Abbotskerswell.”

BRIXHAM sent Cornwood crashing to a nine-wicket defeat at Boundary Park after bowling them out for a paltry 85.

Mark Gilmour performed a hat-trick on his way to figures of five for 32 as the Corns were skittled out in 24 overs.

George Northcott (22) was Brixham’s only casualty as Will Matthewman (28no) and Craig Eaves (26no) finished the job inside 29 overs.

Cornwood made the worst possible start as opener Scott Mansfield was dismissed by the first ball of the match, top-edging a bouncer through to keeper Richard Ward.

Mansfield was one of three first-ballers in the Cornwood innings and five players not to score.

Gilmour removed Chris Parker, Kevin Willcock and Duncan Boase — two bowled, one lbw — to claim his hat-trick as the Corns stuttered to 30 for four.

Harris (32) and Matt Butterworth (18) hung around for a while and got the score up to 64 for six.

Left-arm seamer Anthony Marr got Harris out, then polished off a couple more of the stragglers on his way to figures of three for 21.

Cornwood didn’t go down without a fight and bowled as well as they could to make it difficult.

Aizaz Cheema sent down seven overs for just 10 runs and Matt Wood sent down nine lively overs for figures for 27 runs.

Butterworth (1-18) took the only wicket to fall.

EXETER hit top gear for the first time this season to blow Alphington away by a whopping 231-run margin on the County Ground.

Jon Tipper’s side have made a faltering start to their campaign to bounce straight back into the Premier Division at the first attempt, failing to win any of their previous three games.

Alphington were on the receiving end as Rob Holman clattered 136 and Tom Worthington made 88 in a total of 306 for six declared, then Richie Stevens bagged five for 33 as the Alphas were bowled out for a measly 75.

“It was a thoroughly professional performance,” said skipper Tipper.

“We were 20 for three and needed something to get us moving, which Rob and Tom Worthington delivered.

“Our next wicket went at 243 and Rob was still going at 295 when he got out.

“Even I was surprised we bowled them out for 75, but you can do these things with a big score on the board.

“We had four slips in, a gulley and a short leg and that sort of pressure told on Alphington.”

Matthew Taylor (42) was the only Alphas’ batter to hang around long as a tale of woe unfolded at the other end.

Alphington went from 51 for five to 75 all out with their last four wickets going for nine runs.

Callum Still (2-19) and Adam Gribble (2-12) mopped up the stragglers.

Alphington captain Stuart Shaw said losing a couple of players after selection left his side a bit short of quality bowling, but that should not be seen as an excuse.

“Rob Holman’s knock was chanceless – we never looked like getting him out until we did,” said Shaw.

“Stevens is a very good bowler, as you would expect from someone who has played for Surrey 2^nd XI, and if Jon can get the same side out every week they are going to walk this division.”

SANDFORD were seven-run winners at Braunton in a real nail-biter of a match.

Braunton captain Jon Baglow helped himself to a six for 30 haul as Sandford were bowled out for 156.

Sean Hawkins top scored for Sandford with 62 as they recovered from 31 for four to reach 135 for seven on the way to 156 all out. Chris Blake (33) and Darryn Mortimore (36) weighed in.

Braunton dipped to 18 for three in reply as Mortimore (5-38) and Gary Binns (2-40) got among them, but with Stuart Rhodes hitting 41 they recovered to 95 for four.

Then it all went wrong for Braunton as three wickets went for five runs, leaving them 99 for seven.

Baglow (21) and Harry Booker (23no) fought back in a stand of 38 for the eighth wicket.

Closer and closer Braunton crept, until Mortimore was brought back and struck twice to bowl Braunton out with seven balls to go.