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Posted:
Monday 9th June 2008
Source: Stephen Birley
The
1st XI have hit the very summit of the County League�s second
tier after yet another superb all round effort to crush hosts
South Devon by nine wickets. Once again the bowling efforts of a
couple of Aussies did the trick as Adrian Ezquerro (3-17) and
skipper Joel Murphy (2-29) hustled out half the opposition
between them to leave the home side on a laboured 94-7 after 39
overs and then Gary Newall (35no) and Dan Hardy (27) put 66 on
the board before the latter departed and Tim Piper (16no) saw
the innings to its triumphant close with Newall. The game at
Newton Abbot also marked the debut for another of the Club�s
thriving production line of youngsters with Nick Dean, son of
secretary Chris Dean, who skippers his Uffculme School XI,
taking to the field in senior colours for the first time and he
marked his �special day� with a fine catch at long on off the
bowling of Ryan Butterworth. Young Dean got his chance after the
late withdrawal of an ill Gary Chappell. Teenager Eliot Acton
also picked up a wicket. It really does begin to look like
�the moment� for Murphy�s men for after one third of the
campaign they find themselves nine points clear, what�s more
they are the only side in the section to have been untroubled by
the weather and indeed they were the only side in the morning�s
top five to be able to play a game to its conclusion and bank
serious points. Joel Murphy�s men now enjoy back to back home
games with Saturday�s visit of winless, bottom side Alphington �
there are currently 66 points between the two sides � followed
by a visit from 3rd bottom Barton before their next away game,
the June 28th trip to Brixham which will also mark the
completion of half the season. Last summer 241 points took the
2nd placed side up and in recent years the end of season A
Division table has seen the 2nd placed side go up with 236, 258,
258, 263, 260 and 268 points. The club�s best points haul to
date at this level is the 208 they mustered in each of the past
two campaigns and a maximum point haul this coming weekend would
leave them already well over half way towards a best ever tally
for the side after seven of an eighteen game programme. | 
