Saturday 21st August 2004 at Barnstaple
Mr J Neville, the official umpire officiating at the 1st XI game at Barnstaple on Saturday stole the lime-light with some 'embarrassing' decisions that left both sets of players looking to the heavens! All three, yes the top three batsmen were given out leg before wicket by the umpire who certainly earnt himself the tag of 'trigger' on Saturday afternoon. Mind you the umpiring might have left a lot to be desired and it could be rightly argued that it had a major effect on the game outcome BUT in the home innings of 194 there were no less than 43 extras including an unbelievable 29 wides!

Three more wickets to Joel Murphy (3-47 in 13 overs) taking him to 53 for the season. Two each for Paul Nott (2-30 in 13 overs) and Andy Nichols (2-49 in 10) and one each for Ross Acton (1-23 in 4) and skipper Chris Acton (1-36 in 6) as the bowlers were rewarded for their efforts.

Mind you a die-hard travelling supporter reports that the fielding was 'shoddy ' at best and all round we did not perform too well in the field during the home innings. That said the target was achievable and both Gary Newall and Chris Acton set about the task with relish adding 71 for the first wicket before half the overs were bowled.

Sadly though, at this point the umpire entered centre stage - Mr Neville recently 'called' the overseas bowler in the Premier League for bowling action, causing absolute uproar - the same reaction some of his decision making received in North Devon. First Newall, then Acton and to add insult to injury, top batsman Tim Piper all went lbw and 70 without loss became 96-3.

Gary Chappell steadied things with his 22, but his departure to a run out and Joel Murphy's dismissal bowled, left Bradninch on 121 with half the side out. Not that this meant an end to the run chase for as we have seen in recent games both Paul Nott and Ross Acton are more than capable of run chasing - and run getting! With the side batting right down to young Dan Hardy at eleven there is no such thing as a 'lost cause' for Bradninch these days.

Nott and young Acton kept things moving along taking the score to 156 for 6 when Nott was bowled. Both Coetzee and Bailey joined the run chase, but both went to run outs and at the death it was left to Andy Nichols to join Acton as the innings closed on 188-8 - just seven runs shy of victory.

However the eleven points for the losing draw are enough to guarantee promotion and now it is merely a case of turning up next week to bring back-to-back titles to Keynsham Avenue. If we bat first next Saturday against visiting Plymouth then the 150th run will signal the title and if we field then the sixth visiting wicket to fall will also be the arrival at that landmark.