Devon Cricket Board - Premier: Hancock back on form for Sidmouth

PREMIER ROUND UP – JULY 9

DEVON captain Neil Hancock was back on top form as Sidmouth thumped Bradninch by six wickets.

Sidmouth needed a lift after losing to Bovey Tracey last time out and beating Bradninch was just the fillip they needed.

Hancock took four for 19 from 10 overs, and club captain Will Murray had three for 43, as Bradninch were bowled out three overs early for 153.

There were a couple of worried faces in the home camp after openers Anthony Griffiths and Josh Bess went cheaply – Griffiths to a fluke dismissal – but Ben Gledhill (31) and Hancock (44no) got over the hump.

Victory leaves Sidmouth in second place with 28 points to make up on leaders North Devon. The game between the two in July 30 looks crucial to Sidmouth’s hopes of retaining the title they won last year.

Bradninch were glad of Gary Chappell’s input coming in at 54 for four for putting something respectable on the board.

Three strikes by Hancock – including Tim Piper (21) – left Bradnich in need of rescuing.

Skipper Ross Acton (26) and Chappell started to pull things round in a stand of 31, then Chappell batted to the end.

Chappell was last man out for 53 when he was bowled trying to sweep Will Murray.

Sidmouth lost Griffiths in the second over when he deflected a rising delivery from Sean Nowak on to his chest, then saw the ball fall on his stumps.

Acton had Bess caught at slip, leaving Sidmouth 19 for two, but Gledhill and Hancock straightened things out by putting on 42 for the third wicket.

After the hard-working Chappell – one for 23 in 10 overs – got Gledhill out – Zac Bess (22) and Hancock got the target down to 44. Saj Patidar (27no) was the other not out batsman at the end.

HEATHCOAT took an important step towards Premier Division survival when they won by six wickets at Paignton.

The only team below Heathcoat is Paignton – and with two relegation places that’s not a great situation to be in!

Heathcoat are not out of danger by any stretch of the imagination, but they are better off than they were.

Plympton’s defeat by North Devon means they are only eight points clear of the drop zone, which makes them a viable target for Heathcoat.

“Had we lost at Paignton it would have been that much harder to close the gap on Plympton so it was a big win for us,” said Heathcoat captain Liam Lewis.

“We bowled well as a unit to get Paignton out for under 200, and our batters all came off when we needed them, which hasn’t been the case too often this season.

“Having done it once, we need to keep doing it.”

Connor Bryan top scored for Paignton with 57 in their total of 175 all out.

Bryan and Seb Benton (26) put on 40 after the early demise of Marc Smith, then Bryan found himself cast as anchorman for most of the innings.

After Bryan was seventh out at 123 to a run-out, Dan North (42) and Tom Field (17) took over the responsibility of keeping the score moving along.

Their stand of 48 for the eighth wicket was Paignton’s best of the match.

The wickets were shared around with two each for Lewis, Sam Wadham and Jack Menheneott.

Heathcoat started solidly with Chris Small (17) and Joe Smith (54) racking up 65.

Field had Small caught behind, but Smith kept on going until Heathcoat were 158 for three when Field got him out.

Lewis (22) had been and gone – Ollie Higgs cleaned him out – and Sam Smith (22) fell with two needed and the job done.

THE Bovey Tracey bandwagon keeps rolling along as they beat Exmouth by five wickets.

Exmouth were all out for 175 with three overs to go – David Lye making a top score of 71.

Nick Seager with 60 steered Bovey to victory in the one of the extra overs Exmouth gifted them by failing to bat all 50.

That’s five in a row now for Bovey, who have gone from relegation worriers to third in the table in barely a month.

“We have taken a hundred points out of a hundred and you can’t do better than that,” said former Bovey captain and Devon off-spinner Chris Bradley.

“Since the start of the season our bowling has really come together with everyone getting used to their jobs.

“Danny Childs is taking wickets first and second spells, Ryan Bougourd is doing a superb job when the shine goes off the ball by bowling dots and I have been getting some wickets as well.

“Had we started the season a bit better we could be right up with North Devon at the top. There is enough of the season left to catch them and if we keep playing like this you never know.”

Lye went through 600 league runs for then league season before Bradley snared him lbw.

Andy Buzza made 23 – Bougourd (2-29) got him out - but no one lese got past 17.

There were three wickets each for Childs and Chris Bradley and two on his debut for Matt Kidd.

Kidd switched from Cornwood to Bovey two weeks ago and came into the side for James Fulner.

Bovey had time on their side and used it as Chris Clayton (36), Pete Bradley (23) and Zaid Joseph (25) made inroads into the target.

Joseph, who faced 73 balls, was in no rush, which cost him his wicket when Exmouth skipper Richard Baggs ran him out.

Seager came in at 67 for two and departed at 159 for four with the job done. Baggs (2-36) got him out thanks to catch at long-on by Lawrence Greenway.

PLYMOUTH came a cropper at Budeigh Salterton where they went down by two-wickets with five balls to go.

George Stephenson (52), Callum Whittaker (33), Doug Hewitt (30) and Matt Hooper (22) were Plymouth’s leading run scorers in a total of 194 for nine.

The wickets were shared around with Scott Barlow, Matt Sutcliffe and Bob Dawson taking two each.

Chris Mole (50) put on 91 for the first Budleigh wicket with skipper Sandy Allen (46), only to fall at 117 when Nick Read had him caught at slip.

Four wickets went for 18 runs added as Read and Sam Stein asked Budleigh some awkward questions.

Read went on to take four for 35, Stein had two for 36 and Matt Hooper had Allen and Charlie Morris during the spell when four wickets went between 117 and 135.

Barlow (25) and Lloyd White (15) saw off the danger with a sixth -wicket stand of 37, leaving Joel Murphy (12no) to see it through with the tail enders.

Defeat drops Plymouth down to sixth in the table.

For Whittaker it was a nearly game as the defining line between victory and defeat was a narrow one.

It was a cracking game,” said Whittaker.

“They bowled well upfront while we had three top-order batters set, who got in then out.

Budleigh came at us hard with the bat and were going well.

“Hooper and Read dragged us back into the game, but sadly we could not finish them off.”

Budleigh sit third in the table two points behind Sidmouth and 39 adrift of leaders North Devon.

PLYMPTON skipper Andy Walter admitted he was disappointed not to hold on for a draw against runaway leaders North Devon.

Neil Bettis (62), Rob Gear (76) and Glenn Querl (42) all got stuck into the Plympton bowling as North Devon made 261 for six.

Plympton were never serious challengers as keeping up with the asking rate proved a problem, but at 136 for five could have held out.

Plympton’s lower order couldn’t cope with former Zimbabwe U19 star Glenn Querl, who knocked over the tail enders in his second spell after Matt Westaway (5-42) removed the frontline batters.

Said Walter: “We were into the last three overs when they bowled us out, so it was disappointing to be that close to a draw but not get it.

“From halfway on we were going for the draw and runs-wise we were on course for the two-thirds target you need.

“North Devon are where they are for a reason – which is they are a good side. Some of their catching was fantastic and that’s what wins you matches.

“Matt Westaway seems to hold a fatal attraction for some of our batsmen though. We seem to find ways of getting out to him too often by giving our wickets away.”

North Devon skipper Mike Hedden said Bettis and Gear created a winning position, but without a storming performance in the field that would have counted for little .

“Our win was set up by the great opening partnership between Neil and Robert,” said Hedden.

“To score 262 was massive and allowed us to attack. We did drop two slip chances and at one stage Plympton were in the hunt.

“Catches win matches and Craig Overton got the momentum going by taking two stunners off Westaway.

“Luckily, I also took two at short cover off Gear.

“Matt Westerway bowled really well for his five, then Querl finished it off nicely.

“It was a great team effort to bounce back after last week’s loss.”

Gear and Bettis gave North Devon a 163-run start which put them in the driving seat.

Bettis went first when he took a swipe at Craig Donohue and was caught under a skier by glovesman Dan Robotham.

Gear hit out at Walter (2-65) and was caught at long-on by Christian Bunney.

North Devon slowed briefly – 163 for none became 187 for four – then Querl hurried things along with 42 off 36 balls.

Plympton’s top scorer with 41was David Wrench, who batted well with Josh Malling (34) to get the score up to 86 for two after Duncan Hefford ran himself out to a direct hit by Bettis.

Of the rest Imran Ali (16) and Richard Skinner (18no) were the only batters to reach double figures.