Devon Cricket Board - Overton hurts Plymouth + Lewis threatens changes

PREMIER DIVISION – WEEK SEVEN

NORTH Devon are starting to pull away at the top of the Premier Division after beating Plymouth by seven wickets at blustery Instow to go 25 points clear of the field.

Although chasers Exmouth and Sidmouth won their games, both dropped points in the process.

Plymouth were blown away with time to spare after positing 177 for eight in a rain-reduced 49 overs – Doug Hewitt top scoring on 40.

Craig Overton made a run-a-ball 72 to see North Devon to victory with more than 10 overs to spare.

Cricket manager Gwynne Jones, the former Zimbabwe Academy manager now in charge at Instow, felt it was a workmanlike performance from the Premier leaders.

“Plymouth looked at the wicket beforehand, thought the ball was going to move about a bit and it didn’t,” said Jones.

“It took them 20 overs to work that out, which is why they scored 177 when the par score was closer to 240-250.

“I knew if someone in the first three batted through we would win.”

With the halfway stage fast approaching, North Devon are well placed to win their first title since 2007. Jones isn’t looking that far ahead yet though.

“Before we get to halfway we play Exmouth (3^rd) and Budleigh (4^th) – two difficult games which could change things if the results aren’t favourable,” said Jones.

Plymouth captain Callum Whittaker had no complaints at all about the result.

Said Whittaker: It was a rough day!

“North Devon bowled superbly in tough conditions then Craig Overton was too good with the bat and they knocked them off!

“It was one of those days. The lads worked really hard but we just could not adapt with bat or ball as well as they did to the conditions.”

SOUTH African seamer Danny Chids bagged five wickets for the first time this season as Bovey shot clear of the danger zone with a seven-wicket win over Heathcoat.

Childs, over here from Boland this season, has been steady rather than spectacular so far and was wicketless in his opening spell.

A return from the Pavilion End brought instant results – Sam Smith caught behind for two pushing forward outside the line of off-stump – and none for 22 became five for 37 as Heathcoat crumbled.

Having been 106 for three when Chris Small was stumped off Peter Bradley for 32, Heathcoat nosedived to 119 for six then 139 all out.

The last four wickets went down for just seven runs as Childs battered them from one end and Chris Bradley (2-33) spun them out from the other.

Heathcoat skipper Liam Lewis was undefeated on 47, having run out of people to bat with!

Bovey bowled to their strengths – Childs bowled full to the tail-enders – and took their catches.

Skipper Peter Bradley positioned himself at short cover and waited for the ball to find him. Tom Frankpitt and Jack Menheneott both obliged without too much prompting!

Bovey got off to a 40-run start through Peter Bradley (45) and Lewis Hammett.

Hammett was first out – lbw to Matt Hague – which brought Zaid Joseph out to join the captain.

By the time spinner Chris Small had Bradley caught at cover, Bovey were well on their way at 90 for two.

Andy Fairbairn was in and out for seven – Paul Elliot snaffling him at slip off Sam Wadham – but at 120 for three there was no danger for Bovey.

Joseph (44no) batted through with Chris Bradley to see Bovey home with two and a half overs to spare.

Victory lifts Bovey into sixth place, 23 points clear of the danger zone. Heathcoat are three points off the second relegation place and grateful that fellow strugglers Plympton were rained off against Budleigh and only earned six points, which keeps them in the bottom two with Paignton.

Bovey captain Bradley said Childs deserved the plaudits, but there were plenty to go round.

“Dannyfinally got what he deserved as he's been working really hard all season with no luck,” said Bradley.

“Our fielding was top draw again and a massive part of that is down go hard work by the boys at training, and having Arren de Young in the team.

“Arren encourages all day long and creates pressure by stopping singles and diving on balls that are going for four.”

Bradley said the win should not disguise the fact there are areas to work on.

“We can still improve by batsmen not getting out after making starts, myself included,” said Bradley.

“We have beaten the teams below us now, but have two tough games coming up and we want to pick up points to reach mid-table by half way.”

Heathcoat captain Liam Lewis said heads will roll in the wake of such an inept performance.

An angry Lewis said: “We folded again for the second week running.

“We batted well for 30 overs on a wicket that was tough to bat on, against two good spinners.

“We were 106 for two with 15 overs left, eyeing up 160-180 which would have been a decent score on that wicket.

“However are middle order folded with number five to eight contributing just 14 runs!

“We then bowled far too many extras which, in a low-scoring game is criminal.

“If our guys didn't think we were in a relegation fight before, they certainly do now.

“There will be changes next week to address this as guys are simple not valuing their wickets.”

PAIGNTON’S woes at the foot of the table increased in the wake of a 67-run defeat by defending champions Sidmouth.

Sidmouth’s total of 230 for eight always looked on the steep side for depleted Paignton to chase – particularly when they were 57 for six in reply.

Will Gater’s 59 off 29 balls gave Sidmouth’s run-rate a boost in the dying overs.

A gallant effort by the bottom half of the order very nearly earned Paignton a draw from a seemingly hopeless situation. Ollie Higgs set the tone with a dogged 29.

Only 13 balls were left in the match when former Paignton captain Neil Hancock took a return catch off his own bowling to dismiss Terry Farkins and win the match for Sidmouth.

Paignton player-coach Andrew Kingdon, who was one of the missing players due to injury, said a draw would have given Paignton something tangible to show for their efforts.

“We put up a very good fight chasing 230,” said Kingdon, “but should have restricted Sidmouth to 180.

“Will Gater took the game away from us in the last eight overs.

“Terry Farkins (2-58) came in for a bit of stick in his last two overs which was harsh on him as he had kept it tight until then.

“Gater’s knock (six fours and three sixes) contained some of the biggest hitting I have ever seen!

“I must single out Ollie Higgs as his innings was brilliant against very good county bowling.

“At only 15 we are expecting a lot of him this season and he was fantastic to watch. Nothing seems to bother him and he has a good attitude.

“Mike Pedley and Justin Mann got us close to the losing draw target with some big hitting.”It was a shame we missed out on the losing draw but credit to Sidmouth who are a quality side.”

Anthony Griffiths (42) and Josh Bess (25) got Sidmouth up and running, then Hancock (36) and Saj Patidar (21) moved the middle order along.

Gater and Sidmouth skipper Will Murray (17no) hoisted 71 for the eigth wicket. Gater was out off the last ball of the innings.

The late onslaught did the Paignton bowlers no favours, especially Farkins and Steve George (2-59).

Bess and Murray (3-32) were soon among the wickets as Paignton stumbled from the start.

When Jason Woodcock was dismissed first ball by Murray, Paignton were 24 for three and the carnage continued as Hancock (3-32) picked up wickets.

Higgs (29) started the fightback, which Mann (20) and Pedley (30) continued.

Miles Dalton (2-23) prised out Pedley then Mann befire Hancock was wheeled out against the tail enders.

Tom Field (10no) and Farkins (16) fought to the end, but it wasn’t enough.

Sidmouth skipper Will Murray said the positive way Paignton approached the game was probably their downfall.

“I think if Paignton had covered up and not gone for more runs we wouldn’t have bowled them out,” said Murray.

“They were motivated by reaching the two-thirds mark for the draw points and that caused them to lose wickets they otherwise wouldn’t have lost.

“We bowled in all the right areas to start with, but they wouldn’t give it up.

“At the end we were glad of the runs Will Gater made as he turned an okay total into a really competitive one.”

EXMOUTH skipper Richard Baggs praised lower-order batsmen Lawrence Greenway and Mike Cliff for sealing a four-wicket win at Bradninch with an over to spare.

Bradninch were all out for 132 in the last of their 40 overs in a game that started late due to bad weather.

Exmouth were 92 for six in reply when Baggs was caught behind off Paul Nott for a top score of 29.

At that stage the game was wide open, but Greenway and Cliff soon closed it down

Said Baggs: “When I got out we were still more than 40 short and that could have been hard to get,

“I felt we let the get 20 to many in the conditions as too many more than that would be a struggle batting second.

“Lawrence and Mike batted absolutely superbly in a match-winning performance.

“The icing on the cake was seeing Lawrence hit Sean Nowak for two successive sixes, the second a great flick off his pads.

“Nowak is a fine bowler and that won’t happen to him too often in any season.”

Bradninch were indebted to Louis Storm for his 40 in the middle order for giving the bowlers something to defend.

Brad Cachopra had gone caught on the boundary for 10 to Toby Ingham, Anthony Radunovic picked off Ross Acton and Joe Webb, then Richard Baggs found the edge to dispatch Nowak and Gary Chappell.

Storm was ninth out when David Lye teased him down the wicket and Steve Allan whipped off the bails.

That was about as good as it got for Allan as he opened up for Exmouth and lasted just for balls before Ross Acton (4-36) dismissed him.

Barney Huxtable (22) and Lye (29) brought up the first 50, Baggs got the 100 within sight then Greenway and Cliff did the rest.