Devon Cricket Board - Plympton drop back after Hatherleigh defeat

Plympton drop back after Hatherleigh defeat

PLYMPTON are off the top of the A Division after losing a nail-biting affair against relegation worriers Hatherleigh by four wickets.
Olly Mulberry and Josh Mailing both hit half centuries as Plympton compiled 214 for six in 40 rain-reduced overs.
Hatherleigh looked like cruising home at 207 for two with three over to go – Gareth Tidball making 96 and Chris Jelley 77.
Two wickets each for Ryan Skinner (4-45) and Plympton skipper James Carr (2-22) put a different complexion on the game. Hatherleigh finally scrambled home with a ball to go.
Defeat drops Plympton from top to second as Bradninch won at Brixham to go six points past them.
A point behind Plympton are Paignton and 10 points behind the Seasiders are Budleigh.
It looks like going to go all the way down to the last round of fixtures.
For Hatherleigh it was a first win in five starts and hoists them 21 points clear of the drop zone.
Plympton made a solid though slow start through Mulberry (52) and Dave Wrench (28) to reach 116 for one, then lost four wickets for 17 runs as Mark Lake (3-23) got into them.
A stand of 76 unbroken between Mailling, whose 53 not out came off just 31 balls, and Ross Farrer (34no) got Pympton moving again.
Other than an early wicket for Skinner – he cleaned out Hatherleigh opener Danny Forrester for three – Plympton toiled for no reward with the ball.
Tidball’s 96 off 112 balls included 14 fours and his stand of 173 with Jelley was crucial.
Removing Tidball didn’t make much difference as Jelley and Jack Cherrington (16 off 10) kept the target coming down.
Carr trapping Jelley lbw prompted an attack of the Hatherleigh jitters as four wickets went for six runs. But not sufficiently to earn Plympton a win.

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