Devon Cricket Board - Premier round-up: North Devon hold on for draw

SIDMOUTH captain Will Murray has all-but conceded the Premier Division title race to North Devon despite taking a winning draw off the pretenders to their crown.

Long-time leaders North Devon had to block out the final nine overs against Sidmouth with their last pair at the wicket to stave off a second defeat of the season.

Sidmouth are closer than they were to North Devon in points terms – 32 behind instead of 36 – but third rather than second as Budleigh moved past them by beating Exmouth.

Murray said the defending champions really needed to win at Instow to rattle the leaders and as they didn’t it is probably all over.

“It is a shame we couldn’t get that last wicket as that might have made it interesting,” said Murray.

“Had a catch stuck in the last over we would have won it, but that’s cricket.

“For us to catch North Devon we have to keep winning and they have to lose at least twice.

“With five games to go it’s technically still possible for North Devon to be caught, but probably unlikely.”

Sidmouth’s total of 166 for nine appeared below par for an Instow wicket, but Murray always felt it was defendable.

Substantial uns were scored by Anthony Griffiths (42) and Neil Hancock (52) with Matt Cooke (11) and Ben Gledhill (16) the only others to reach double figures.

Glenn Querl was pick of the North Devon bowlers with four for 42. He chucked in a full quota of bouncers, one of which left Griffiths reeling for a moment or two.

North Devon suffered what skipper Mike Hedden called ‘a first-over calamity’ when opener Alex Smith was run out by an alert Jamie Wardrop.

Rob Gear went cheaply, so did Craig Overton, and with Murray (3-38) and Will Gater (3-32) turning the screw North devon subsided to 66 for seven.

Dan Bowser ground out 49 and while he was there North Devon had a chance.

Josh Bess (1-28) dispatched Bowser, which left Matt Westaway and Paul Heard to sink of swim as the last pair.

Between them Westaway (31no) and Heard (2no) survived the final nine overs and put on 24 in the process to earn a bonus point.

Skipper Mike Hedden said during the course of North Devon innings, he went from confident to grateful.

“I felt having kept them to 166 we could be confident of knocking off the runs,” said Hedden.

“I hadn’t bargained on a calamitous run out in the first over, losing Rob Gear in the second and a another run out to a direct hit from a player almost lying on the ground.

“In the end I was grateful to Westers and Paul Heard for saving the game.”

EXMOUTH v BUDLEIGH SALTERTON

JAMES Burke and Lloyd White were both among the runs as Budleigh Salterton thrashed Exmouth by six-wickets in the derby clash on the Maer.

Exmouth made 200 for eight in their 50 overs with Barney Huxtable leading from the top of the order with 52.

David Lye hit 39 – he and Huxtable put on 64 for the second wicket – and there were handy contributions from Andy Buzza (23) and Nick Folland (26).

Budleigh’s Bob Dawson turned his hand to spin bowling instead of seam up and was rewarded with four wickets for 69 runs from a marathon stint of 15 overs.

Budleigh lost opener Scott Barlow for 10 with 12 on the board – and that was about as good as it got for Exmouth.

Burke (94) and White (64) put on151 for the second wicket, which killed the game as a contest.

Skipper Richard Baggs tried six different bowlers in an attempt to force a breakthrough, with negligible success. By the time Burke got out to David Lye (3-50) the target was two to win.

Beaten skipper Baggs was generous in defeat, offering no limp excuses.

“We were 25 short and too many of us got in and didn’t go on to make a big score,” said Baggs.

“I bowled poorly, which didn’t help; but Burke and White played really well and Budleigh deserved to win.”

BOVEY TRACEY v BRADNINCH

Bradninch must be wondering what they have to do to win a game after hoisting 267 for six at Bovey Tracey and losing by two wickets with four balls to go?

Brad Cachopa smashed a chanceless 132 not out as Bradninch set Bovey’s fielders chasing leather.

Bovey set off in hot pursuit with Pete Bradley (32), Chris Bradley (59), Nick Seager (86) and Charlie Carter with a timely 30 off 18 balls at the end chasing for all they were worth.

Bovey got down to the last over needing three to win. Ryan Bougard hit the second ball for four and that was game over.

Defeat drops Bradninch down into the relegation quarter of the table, just seven points away from second-bottom Plympton and five in front of fellow strugglers Heathcoat.

With Kiwi Cachopa due to go home in a fortnight to play for Auckland in a tournament, the pressure is cranking up on Bradninch.

Skipper Gary Chappell is confident it won’t be long before Bradninch are in the clear despite Saturday’s result.

“It was one of those days when both sides batted well and bowled badly,” said Chapppell.

“We dropped Seager on four and thought we had him caught behind on 20 but it wasn’t given – and things like that make a difference.

“Just when we were slowing them down along came Carter to get Bovey back up with the clock.

“We aren’t where we want to be in the table, but with Heathcoat this Saturday we have a chance to get away if we win.”

Cachopa was the glue that held the Bradninch innings together, although it was not a one-man show completely, even though his stats of 12 fours and six sixes from 114 balls were impressive.

Along the way Cachopa shared in stands of 54 with Tim Piper (32), 41 with James Street (11) and 116 with Joe Webb (34).

Bovey’s chase was anchored by Seager and Chris Bradley, who put on 104 in 19 overs for the third wicket.

After the chase slowed against Sean Nowak (4-60) and Chappell (1-62), Carter and Andy Fairbairn blasted 31 in three overs to make up lost time.

HEATHCOAT v PLYMOUTH

HEATHCOAT defeated Plymouth by four six wickets to stay clear of the relegation danger zone.

Doug Hewitt made 86 as Plymouth were bowled out for 203 with 10 balls to go a target Heathcoat knocked off with surprising ease.

Peter Randerson (60no) and Heathcoat captain Liam Lewis (42) game together when Heathcoat were a nervous 97 for four and saw the chase through to a conclusion.

Hewitt was the anchorman the rest batted around until Paul Elliott (3-37) took him caught behind in his second spell.

On a day for spinners the Plymouth batters struggled against Jack Menheneott (3-66) and Chris Small (3-45) with Steve Luffman (25) and Hooper (23) the only ones to last long.

Sam Stein (2-22) struck twice as Heathcoat laboured to get started.

Joe Smith (28) stayed cool under pressure and when he got out Lewis and Randerson did what was required.

Heathcoat are only two points ahead of Plympton in the struggle to stay up but skipper Liam Lewis said they showed the right sort of qualities in the win over Plymouth to give him confidence in the future.

“The pitch was a real spinners’ paradise as the ball was turning miles – too much some times,” said Lewis.

“It was a day when you had to knuckle down if you wanted to score runs and at 97 for for when I went in that is what we did.

“Plymouth always have plenty to say when they are out there, but we preferred to let our cricket do the talking for us.

“With Bradninch and Plympton to come we have a hard run in, but the way we played against Plymouth was encouraging.”

Callum Whittaker, the Plymouth captain, said he chose to bat first on what he felt would be a wearing pitch and was surprised how easily Heathcoat had knocked off the runs.

“On a dry and dusty pitch and thanks to great performance from Doug Hewitt, I thought 204 was well above par on a wearing pitch,” said Whittaker.

“We bowled poorly with the new ball and allowed then off to a flier!

“Our spinners (Reed and Hooper) did well to get us in the game but we could not get them behind the rate due to the start they had.

“Lewis and Randerson batted well through a tricky middle patch, kept their nerve and got them home.

PLYMPTON v PAIGNTON

PLYMPTON picked up what they thought was a massive win on the way to safety in the Premier Division, only to learn it hadn’t made that much difference to their plight!

The basement battle with Paignton at Harewood Park was a must-win affair for Plympton and they could do no better than take all 20 points.

The fly in the ointment was that fellow strugglers Heathcoat pulled off a six-wicket win over Plymouth, which earned them all 20 points as well.

The net outcome was no change at all as there remain two points between Heathcoat and Plympton with five games to go.

However, Bradninch’s defeat at Bovey Tracey, their sixth on the bounce, brought them into a relegation orbit just five points ahead of Heathcoat and seven up on Plympton.

It what is shaping up to be a real nail-biter at the bottom, Plympton have to play Heathcoat then Bradninch on the last to Saturdays of the season.

Heathcoat have a pressure game against Bradninch this Saturday, which promises to be no place for the lily livered!

“We could have done with Plymouth doing us a favour, but you can’t rely on other people to get you out of trouble,” said Plympton skipper Andy Walter.

“As the season has gone on we have improved week on week and players like Christian Bunney and Josh Mailling are becoming stand-out men in the side.

“The way the fixtures fall it really is our own hands whether we stay up or not. If we get the better of Bradninch and Heathcoat, we stand a very good chance of staying up.”

Christian Bunney top scored with 76 for Plympton in a total of 246 for five against Paignton.

Josh Mailling made 35 – he and Bunney put on 119 for the second wicket after Andy Walter went cheaply at the top – and there were useful chip ins from Jeremy Williams (45) and Dan Robotham (47).

Unhappily for Plympton and the player, Williams had to retire hurt while batting having pulled a leg muscle.

Williams’ career has been blighted since the start by injury problems and for his latest comeback to end the way it did might tip him back into retirement.

Robotham was out to the final ball of the innings. Bunney’s 76 included 10 fours and game off 87 balls.

Opener Connor Bryan was the only Paignton batter to hold Plympton at bay for long, making a dogged 63 in a total of 130 all out.

Paignton captain Seb Benton couldn’t bat due to a leg injury sustained while fielding, which did the basement side few favours.

As long as Bryan stayed in there was always a chance Paignton would hold on for a draw.

The return of Pakistan pacer Imran Ali Pasha for a third bowling spell in the innings put the result beyond doubt.

Having bowled nine overs for one wicket at a cost of 15 runs, Imran blasted out Bryan, Mike Pedley and Justin Mann in the space of six balls as Paignton lurched from 129 for five to 130 all out.