Devon Cricket Board - Centurion Mitchell regrets batting on

Centurion Mitchell regrets batting on

F DIVISION

KINGSKERSWELL skipper Paul Mitchell was left pondering whether he should have declared earlier than he did after the game against Newton St Cyres ended in a draw.

Mitchell moved himself up the order to protect the regular talent from the wet conditions on the Playing Fields – and promptly lashed 143!

With Aron Owen (53), Dave Lear (28 off 12 balls) and Mark Bryant (24) all chipping in, Mitchell declared three overs early at 303 for seven.

The last time Mitchell declared early it backfired on him as Cullompton won on the chase by a whopping six wickets!

This time Mitchell found 10-man St Cyres couldn’t be shifted and they held on at 107 for eight.

“Although disappointed not to bowl them out and grab an extra five points, if anyone had asked me at 1 o'clock to take 15 points I would have snapped their hand off,” said Mitchell.

“It really was touch and go getting a game on and any sane groundsman would have said ‘off you trot boys, I'll get some seed down!'

“Declarations seem to be the bain of my life this season and there is plenty of leg pulling still about declaring too early and losing the first game of the season.

“Nobody wanted to declare much earlier than I did this week, but deep down I know I should have.”

Mitchell hasn’t been in great touch this season and had himself down to bat at nine before looking at the soggy conditions.

It turned out to be a masterstoke going back up the order as he reached 100 in just 66 balls and faced 85 balls during a stay that included 28 off one over from St Cyres’ leggie Chris Collyer.

Mitchell shared notable stands of 93 and 88 with fellow left-handers Mark Bryant (24) and Aron Owen (53). Another left hander, Dave Lear hit 28 off 19 balls at the end.

Collyer (18) was the only batsman to make much impression in the reply St Cyres, as Paul Harding (3-18) and Chris Robson-Close (2-24) claimed wickets.

Mark Kenyon (1-5 off 5), Mark Andrews (1-4 off 5) and Lear (1-24 off 7) all tried but St Cyres defied them to the end.

Newton’s last pair had to block out the final nine balls to deny Kerswell victory.

Topsham St James climbed back to the top of the table disposing morning leaders Yarcombe after beating them by 26 runs in a low-scoring Bonfire Field affair.

Johnny Horne (41) and Alex Sparkes (37) led the saints to 131 as Simon Hovell (4-9) and Rex Helston (4-32) made the most of the conditions.

Hovell then led the reply with 54, but once he departed so ended the East Devon side’s victory hopes.

Yarcombe were eventually all out for 105 with Jibu Varghese claiming 6-37 and Saints’ skipper Ross Treleaven taking 3-28.

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