| Here at Kensham Park �the Acton Clan� is used
to grabbing the headlines. Generally it's 1st XI skipper Chris, or
perhaps his brother Rob - arguably the 2nd XI's leading batsman;
sometimes it is Ross, son of Rob and nephew of Chris but move over
chaps - �here comes Eliot�.
Teenager Eliot, the youngest of the four Actons picked up his
first senior wickets in last week�s Home win over Bovey Tracey and
now he has grabbed even bigger headlines by helping the veteran Andy
Nichols guide the 1st XI past the winning post to claim an unlikely
A Division success at Abbotskerswell.
With young Eliot joined at the crease by senior clubman Andy as a
last wicket partnership and almost 30 runs required to win the game
it looked a lost cause. Not so as the pair gradually ran down the
runs required until it came to a last-ball drama. With one run
required to win, Eliot cracked a four and the game was won by the
narrowest of margins!
Earlier Joel Murphy had collected another four-wicket haul as the
Abbots were restricted to 155-9 but that looked enough to win it
with nine wickets down and only Chris Acton (29) and Sean Nowack
(20) making any decent contributions with the bat until that
Acton/Nichols partnership.
The win cements the side�s top-four berth and sets them up nicely
for next Saturday�s visit of bottom-side Braunton. The North Devon
outfit, skippered by former Somerset man Mark Lathwell, are having a
miserable season and look odds-on to finish in the bottom two after
a series of top player departures.
With no overseas player amongst the Kelsey ranks this term, this
coming weekend the 1st XI have a real opportunity to barge their way
into a top-two spot, especially with the Braunton game quickly
followed by a visit from Chudleigh.
Meanwhile no harm was done to the 2nd XI's challenge at the top
of the 2nd XI C Division. No play was possible in their game at
Kensham Park against Kingsbridge but with most of the other games in
the section befalling a similar watery grave the 2nd XI stay top. On
Saturday they travel to Bideford. | 
