Devon Cricket Board - Sidmouth merciless +++ Paignton pounded +++Allen hits ton

PREMIER DIVISION – MAY 14

DEFENDING champions Sidmouth showed Heathcoat no mercy as they put their opening-day defeat at Bradninch behind them.

   Devon captain Neil Hancock bagged five for 39 as Heathcoat were bowled out for 104 on the Fotfield.

   Sidmouth didn’t lose a wicket knocking off the runs with Anthony Griffiths (31no) and Josh Bess (69) doing it unaided.

   Sidmouth skipper Will Murray said: “It was just the result we needed to put some pressure on North Devon and Emouth at the top.

   Hancock had Heathcoat on the rack right from the start as he reduced them to 30 for three on his own.

   Bess (pictured) took a diving catch at slip to remove opener Pete Randerson, then Nick Gingell had another in the cordon to remove Joe Smith.

   Chris Small was third out, lbw to Hancock.

   Liam Lewis and Sam Smith put on 24, but any hopes of middle order fightback vanished in a flurry of wickets.

   Four, five and six fell for just eight runs added. Lewis was run out on bad advice from Guy Bucknell, who was run out himself chancing his arm against Griffiths’ and losing.

   Ali Birt-Mitchell (23) and Tom Frankpitt (17) got the total past 100 before Hancock and Murray (2-19) finished them off.

   The chase was routine with Bess hitting 48 in boundaries. He went after Smith at the end, which came in the 24^th over.

PAIGNTON took an eight-wicket hiding at the hands of early Premier leaders North Devon.

   Zimbabwean Glenn Querl took four for 27 and Jamie Overton had three for 12 as North Devon shot Paignton out for 106 inside 32 overs.

   Only three Paignton batsmen reached double figures – Connor Bryan leading the way with 42 – and four failed to make a run between them.

   North Devon had their catches primed in the cordon and attacked the edge of the bat with some succsss.

   Bryan and Seb Benton (20) delayed North Devon for a while, but once Benton went it became processional at times.

   The last five wickets went for just 17 runs with Bryan holding on to the end.

   Paignton needed early wickets to stand a chance of salvaging something, but with seamer Steve George out with a neck injury, the firepower was depleted.

   Steffan Kelly prised out Richard Screech and Rob Gear, but that was as good as it got for Paignton.

   Craig Overton made 42 not out and Querl was unbeaten on 30 as North Devon raced too victory in just 17 overs

BUDLEIGH Salterton captain Sandy Allen had plenty to smile about after Bradninch were demolished by nine wickets at Ottermouth.

   Not only did Budleigh bounce back from a first-day hammering at Plymouth, Allen (pictured) scored an unbeaten century as well.

   Brad Cachopa (63) and Sean Nowak (46no) were the main contributors to a Bradninch tally of 192 for nine in 50 overs.Nowak blasted two sixes over cover, which you don’t see vvery often.

   Gary Chappell chipped in with 25 with no one else getting past 10.

   James Hudson spun his way to figures of four for 43 from 15 overs, while Scott Barlow took three for 40.

   Steve Spoljaric’s return to the side didn’t last long as he suffered back spasms after four overs and had to go off. Greg Marks replaced him as 12^th man.

   Budleigh’s only casualty knocking off the runs was former Devon captain Bob Dawson, who hit a Nowak long-hop to mid-wicket.

   Allen and Dawson put on 72 for the first wicket, then James Burke (48no) joined Allen to add 123 unbroken.

   Allen, who hit 15 fours and faced 149 balls for an unbeaten 102, said: “That was a big improvement on the Plymouth game.

   “We got off to a good start with the ball and kept chipping away with wickets.

   “It was a good batting wicket and I was happy to be chasing below 200 on it.

   “We are more of a containing side than an aggressive one in the field nowadays, but it doesn’t matter to much when you do the job properly. Now we have to keep doing it week in and week out.”

   On his own cntribution, Allen added: “It is always nice to get a ton, but what was more important was we batted in partnerships, which didn’t happen against Plymouth.”

BOVEY Tracey eased to a six-wicket win at Plympton with time on their hands.

   Chris Bunney made his maiden Premier Division 50 as Plympton reached 186 for five in their 50 overs.

   Bovey’s Charlie Carter blasted a 50 in reply as the visitors crusied to victory with seven overs to spare.

   It wasn’t all gloom and doom though as youngster Josh Mailing, a close-season capture from Ivybridge, made 39 and showed signs of being a Premier player in the making.

   Plympton’s total was hung around a stand of 94 between Bunney (55no) and Mailing for the fifth wicket.

   Bunney got his runs the hard way with just one four and two sixes.

   Pick of the Bovey bowlers with three for 55 was Chris Bradley.

   Imran Ali Pasha, who was Bovey’s overseas player three years ago, did his old mates no favours by nipping out Andrew Longstreet early on.

   A stand of57 between Chris Clayton (28) and Carter (59) pointed Bovey in the right direction.

   Clayton went caught behind to Matt Gregory, then Ali knocked down Carter’s stumps.

   Andy Fairbairn (39) and Bradley (32no) made sure there was no collapse with Ben Ayres (12no) in at the end.

   Plympton skipper Walter said a few more runs may have made a bit difference.

   "We had wickets in hand in the last 10 overs, but failed to accelerate when we had the chance," said Walter.

   "Looking at the deck and their batting, we probably needed 220-230 at least.

   "Bowling wise we didn't turn up for the first 15 overs. Once they got to 100 at drinks, you could see the game getting away from us."

   Bovey gave a debut to South African newcomer Zaid Joseph, a Western Province U19 player who has arrived to replace Kiwi Phil Barrowclough, who has returned home with a broken hand;

   Joseph, a batter who bowls leg-breaks, didn’t get in but did have a wicket in a three-over spell.

EXMOUTH shot up to second in the table with a crushing six-wicket win over Plymouth.

   Devon all-rounder David Lye took six Plymouth wickets for 35 runs as the city side failed to cash in on a great start.

   Skipper Callum Whittaker (37), James Toms (38) and Doug Hewitt (33) were all among the runs as Plymouth reached 121 for two.

   Lye had bowled Toms, and picked up Chris Hadfield and Steve Luffman in quick succession.

   Lye was on a hat-trick after taking Keith Barlow first ball, but bowled a side and the chance escaped him.

   When Hewitt was sixth out treading on his stumps after trying to late cut Lye, Plymouth had dipped to 125 for six.

   Harry Kandampully and Dave Burke staved off total collapse, but a total of 151 all out was never going to trouble Exmouth unduly.

   With Lye slamming 68 and skipper Richard Baggs an unbeaten 36, Exmouth had the runs knocked off inside 29 overs.

   Lye bashed 12 fours and a six before Hadfield got him and Andy Buzza out both on 102. Jason Matthews (22no) joined Baggs to knock off the rest.

   Plymouth took their comforts where they could – a smart run out by Matt Hooper removed Barney Huxtable and Hewitt took a good catch at slip to remove Lye – but there were few complaints from beaten captain Whittaker.

   “We made a good enough start, but David Lye took the initiative away from us and once you let them get on top Exmouth are the sort of side who can make you pay,” said Plymouth captain Callum Whittaker,

   “They turned the game around in 10 overs and from then on we were always behind the eight-ball.

   “In some respects I am glad this has happened to us early in the season as it is a reminder we have to keep getting the simple things right.

   “We did them to beat Budleigh last week – and I hope we can do them again when we play Exmouth again in the Devon Cup this Sunday.”

   Happy Exmouth captain Baggs added: “Dave Lye bowled and batted fantastically, but it wasn’t all about him.

   “We all know what a fine player David Lye is, what is great too see for me is Joel Tapper bowling well and Jason Matthews having a tidy debut behind the stumps and scoring some runs.

   “Plymouth are a decent side and at 80-odd for one after 15 overs it could have been a lot different.

   “We kept plugging away in the field and got our reward for sticking at it.

   “There was a bit of luck involved in getting Hewitt out, but I was just glad to see the back of him.

   “He looked quality – the sort of player who can take a game away from you in 20 overs – so I didn’t’ care too much how we got him!”