07-08-2004 v Kilmington

Saturday 7th August 2004 at Bradninch

The 2nd XI like the 1st also had a 'must win' match and pre-match unavailability left them short with Mike Foan, Magnus Bowles and skipper Craig Hawkins all out of contention for places Rob Acton drafted in younger brother Nick Acton and there was also a place for David Stanbury. Luckily the visitors, mid-table Kilmington, were also struggling and they turned up with just nine men and a young lady, mind you the lady in question was the captain of the Devon ladies' under 15 side. They also had no umpire and so Bradninch stalwart, Sid Bastin stepped into the breach and looked after both ends.

Winning the toss Kilmington elected to field and Rob Acton opened up with Pete Hardy. Acton was in a big hurry and set the mark for the remainder of the innings with a 29 minute, 27 ball, six fours knock of 26, and when he was out it brought 1st XI batsman Nat Davey to the crease. He made 18 before making way for Liam Raybould. The youngster then joined the more experienced Hardy in putting on 75 for the third wicket in just 44 minutes. Hardy cracked a season's best 71, a super innings and at one stage he found himself able to run three and four having been at the crease for 70 minutes!

Both Hardy and Raybould fell shortly after each other Raybould's contribution being 40. Some called it 'jug evasion'! Then we were treated to an Uncle and Nephew partnership in the shape of Nick and Eliot Acton. The elder went for 17 whilst young Eliot did not show his better form in being stumped on 16. This left Chris Dean and Mark Perrot at the crease and they quite literally tore into the visitors attack, adding 57 in double-quick time, Dean hitting an unbeaten 42 in just 25 minutes off 20 balls. Perrot chipped in with 14 and with 29 extras as well the innings closed on 273-6.

That score was to prove far too much for the man-short visitors who were frankly 'not in from the off'. Wickets fell at regular intervals: 1-29, 2-38, 3-47, 4-79, 5-88, 6-100 and the tail did not wag as the innings closed on 137-9 with the wickets being shared all around, Luke Wrightson deserves acclaim for his 3 for 20 in 10 overs, taking as he did the wicket of Simon Lambert who top scored for Kilmington. There were three wickets also for Eliot Acton though the youngster came in for some heavy stick, his three wickets at a cost of 52 runs in 5 overs. Les Kent picked up two more wickets at the end of the innings and Liam Raybould also got in on the wicket-taking act. There were also a couple of very good catches taken, one by Rob Acton and another by Nat Davey as the second eleven emulated the first, and claimed a maximum twenty-point haul to stay top of the table with just three matches remaining and the title dreams remain.

One interesting fact to come out of the game was that that 15 year old girl we mentioned, Nicola Bevis faced more balls than any other of her fellow batsmen - 32 in fact, before falling to that very fine Nat Davey catch off the bowling of Les Kent.