Devon Cricket Board - Plymouth can't beat the weather!

PREMIER DIVISION - WEEK FOUR

“WE were robbed,” claimed Plymouth skipper Callum Whittaker – and with some justification after the city side dipped to a two-wicket defeat against Heathcoat at Mount Wise.

Whittaker placed a bit too much trust in the local weather forecast by opting to bat first after winning the toss, a decision which came back to haunt him.

Plymouth’s innings was slashed back from 50 to 34 overs due to rain breaks, which also cost the batsmen valuable momentum.

Heathcoat were left 34 overs to make 165 to win and limped over the finishing line with eight balls to spare.

Said Whittaker: “We were stitched up by the weather – no doubt about it.

“It is a chance you take when you bat first with rain about, but the forecast said it would be fine after one o’clock.

“When we came off for rain we were 159 for one with 17 overs to go and with wickets in hand and lots of batting were looking at 240-250 easily.

“When the umpires let us back out we lost so much time there was only one over left – and there was nothing we could do about it.

“I thought we bowled and fielded tremendously well to put Heathcoat under pressure right from the word go.

“It was a cracking performance, one of the best I can remember in my 12 years of 1st XI cricket.

“You only have to look at the scores to see we outplayed them in every department. Heathcoat didn’t beat us: the weather did.

“Just another five overs batting time would have been enough for us to have won the match. The lads were gutted afterwards, but I told them not to dwell on it as we couldn’t have done anymore in the circumstances.”

Plymouth made 164 for two in their slimmed down allocation of overs with Whittaker top scoring on 71,

After opener James Toms went for eight, Whittaker and Doug Hewitt (67) put on 123 for the second wicket before the rain intervened.

Heathcoat lost Peter Randerson early and Chris Small not long after to a double strike from Plymouth paceman Dave Burke (3-32).

Burke also nipped out Heathcoat captain Liam Lewis with the aid of Whittaker behind the stumps, and when Charlie Hill spun out Guy Bucknell, the visitors were 45 for four.

Heathcoat won the game thanks to a determined knock of 62 not out by Sam Smith, who went in at 43 for three and batted through.

A stand of 41 with Andrew Birt-Mitchell (23) got Heathcoat back in the gamed and another between Smith and Tom Frankpitt (20) kept them there.

It got a bit interesting for a moment or two when Matt Hooper spun out Ned Menhenott and Paul Elliot in successive balls, leaving Heathcoat 151 for eight. Tail-ender Jack Menheneott kept his end intact while Smith chipped away the winning runs.

PLYMPTON are off the bottom of the Premier Division after taking a thick end of a draw away from the basement battle at Paignton.

It was a close-run thing though as Paignton were 203 for nine in reply to Plympton’s 212 for nine when the overs ran out.

Paignton are the new tenants in the basement, but only by three points. Plympton still have work to do to get out of the bottom two though as they need to get past Bovey Tracey, who are eight points in front of them.

Skipper Andy Walter made a half-century in Plympton’s best league total of the season so far.

After Duncan Hefford (20) and Dan Robotham (26) made a 41-run start, Plympton lost three wickets for 23 runs before Chris Bunney (21) came out to join his captain. Robotham was looking in good nick before he ran down the track to spinner Tom Field… and missed!

A stand of 66 for the fourth wicket got Plympton moving again, then Imran Ali Pasha (36) helped Walter put on another 56.

Walter was run-out close to the end, ambitiously trying to run a third, which was never really there.

With wickets in hand in the last five overs Plympton took a few more chances, which resulted in Josh Mailling and Ryan Skinner being run out.

The wickets were shared around by Paignton with Mike Pedley taking two for 65 and one each for Terry Farkins, George Yates, George Benton and Tom Field.

Paignton were then reduced to 53 for five on the chase as Ali (5-50) and Craig Donohue (2-64) got to work on the top order.

Steve George (22) and Seb Benton (14) got out before they could get going and it seemed Plympton were on top after Connor Bryan and Ollie Higgs went cheaply.

George Benton (30) and Simon Mantell (28) stopped the slide with a stand of 69, which took Paignton up to 122 for five at half way.

Ali came back for a second spell immediately after drinks and promptly knocked over Benton and Ali as 122 for five became 123 for seven.

Paignton fought back again through George Yates and Mike Pedley, who made life uncomfortable for Plympton by knocking up 79 for the eighth wicket, which set up a grandstand finish.

Paignton got down to the last over needing 12 to win with three wickets in hand.

Pedley was run out for 24 trying to force the score along, then Farkins went the same way with two balls to go.

Only then did Paignton block up for the draw with Field shutting out the last two deliveries, leaving Yates stranded on 49 not out at the other end.

For Plympton it was a step in the right direction, but a faltering one rather than a purposeful stride.

“It felt a bit weird coming off at the end as we really should have won the game,” said Plympton skipper Walter.

“Fifty-three for four was a potentially winning position, as was 123 for seven, but both times we let Paignton off the hook.

“Our problem was we still aren’t bowling enough dot balls. There are always overs with runs in them somewhere and that means we aren’t building pressure.

“We can do better, although I have to be happy with a decent haul of points (14) and getting of the bottom of the table.”

JOE Webb struck and unbeaten 63 as Bradninch dispatched Bovey Tracey by seven wickets in a low-scoring affair at Kensham Park.

Ben Ayres with 35 had the best of a modest set of scores in Bovey’s total of 148 all out in what would have been a 47-overgamehad it gone the distance.

Six of Bovey’s overs were surplus to requirements as Sean Nowak (4-37) and fit-again skipper Ross Acton (3-32) worked through the order.

Bradninch had a minor stutter early in the chase when they slipped from 26 for none to 43 for three – South African pacer Danny Childs taking two of the wickets to fall.

That was as good as it got for Bovey though as Webb and surviving opener Tim Piper (47no) knocked off the runs with more than 16 overs to spare.

Bradninch were the only one of the top-five teams to win in the latest round of fixtures and have gone up one place to fourth, just eight points behind leaders North Devon.

Vice-captain Paul Nott said the icing on the cake was seeing skipper Acton get through 10 overs without any major problems on his first bowl of the season.

“We missed Ross’s bowling in the first three games and having him back is a real bonus for the team,” said Nott.

On the Bradninch performance, Nott added: “Overall it was pretty good. We bowled well and got a decent total to chase.

“It was a bit of a struggle at first when we were three down, but Tim and Joe put on a hundred odd and never looked like getting out.”

Bovey, who were 48 for one when Novak got out Nick Seager for 20, will look at a lack of runs from the middle order as contributory to their downfall.

They lost wickets in clutches – 80 for three became 86for five – and when both Bradley brothers fell to Novak in successive balls they were 106 for seven.

A ninth-wicket stand of 26 between Ryan Bougourd (11no) and Ayres got the final total up to something more respectable

Bovey skipper Peter Bradley said it was his team’s worst display of the season so far.

He added: “At least in our other games we looked capable of winning, which never looked remotely likely in this one.”

SIDMOUTH had the weather to thank for a slice of their 12-point haul in the top-of-the-table tussle with North Devon on the Fortfield.

Premier leaders North Devon dodged the showers to make 223 for six in 43 overs – opener Neil Bettis making a patient 90.

Sidmouth were heading for a draw at 158 for seven with five overs to go and needed no time to think when the umpires offered them the light.

North Devon seamer Matt Westaway had taken five wickets in a row and six for 37 in total to leave the middle order in tatters

Coming off early was worth an extra four points for Sidmouth towards their quest to win the title for the fourth year running.

North Devon stay top with Exmouth second after they drew with Budleigh and Sidmouth third.

Bettis started quickly, slowed up in mid-innings then upped the tempo again towards the end of his stay.

There were stands of 57 with Mike Hedden to open up, 76 with Craig Overton (50) and 66 with last man out Glen Quirl (23).

Matt Cooke was the pick of the Sidmouth bowlers with three for 55.

Sidmouth opener Anthony Griffiths got a ball, which was a bit too good for him early on and was out for 10 to Overton.

Opening partner Josh Bess batted through to make 91 while his partners were surrendering en-masse to Westaway.

The carnage only stopped when Jamie Wardrop came out at 128 for seven and shut up shop.

EXMOUTH captain Richard Baggs was more than happy to claim a winning draw at Budleigh Salterton in the Premier Division’s derby date.

Baggs (59) and David Lye (74) were the big run getters in an Exmouth total of 230 for seven in 46 rain-reduced overs.

Lye then bogged Budleigh down with an 11-over spell of two for 32 as the home side struggled on the chase.

When the overs ran out Budleigh were 188 for eight and down to fifth from fourth in the table.

Budleigh may not have gone all the way, but Baggs was content with 15 points against a side rivalling his for the title.

“I was delighted with the result, the intensity of our fielding and the way everybody chipped in something when we batted,” said Baggs (pictured).

“Dave Lye’s knock was fantastic - we were fortunate put on a few together - and there were notable contributions down the order from Nick Folland (34) and Anthony Radunovic.

“ Folly is still a quality player and having him coming in at seven is going to demoralise the opposition.

“Anthony made 28 off 10 balls, which is just what you want towards the end of an innings.”

Baggs said Exmouth did have one element of luck when the bowled as the match ball got lost.

“The spare that came out swung a lot more than the ball we had been using and that definitely helped our bowlers,” said Baggs.

Baggs and Lye posted 55 for the third wicket then Folland and Radunovic put on 41 in a hurry for the seventh.

Budleigh were steady more than anything else with lots if chip ins, but lacked the one bit score which would have won the game.

Bob Dawson made 43, James Hudson hit 34 and Scott Barlow made the best of a promotion up the order to hit 37.