Bradninch were in second place on Saturday morning before the
Corns beat them by two wickets to move in front. On a day when
no other games were played in the A Division, Cornwood moved
level with leaders Bovey Tracey at the top of the table.
Bradninch were restricted to total of 147 for eight thanks to a
superb display in the field by Cornwood. Cornwood held on to
seven catches � the best a superb diving effort by David Tall at
short extra-cover off the bowling of Dave Petherbridge to
dismiss Tim Piper.On a wicket that began as damp but dried
out, the slower pace of Petherbridge's bowling that did the bulk
of the damage. Petherbridge took five for 37 as Bradninch
struggled to put together any meaningful partnerships after the
departure of the opening pair, Gary Newall and Dan Hardy in
quick succession.
Newall (21) and Hardy (27) put on 45 in 19 overs before
Newall top-edged Kevin Willcock to fine-leg where Andy Bees was
waiting to take a fine catch. Hardy fell ten runs later to an
even more impressive take, this time at first slip by Willcock
off Petherbridge.
Ryan Butterworth, a centurion the previous week, didn't trouble
the scorers on this occasion, chipping a catch to long-on barely
half a dozen deliveries into his stay. When Piper fell to that
stunning Tall catch, the home innings was in trouble at 62 for
four with 26 overs gone.
Aussie Adrian Ezquerro dug Bradninch out of the hole they had
got into by batting through for an unbeaten 46. After Joe Webb
went cheaply at 95 for six, another scalp for Petherbridge,
Ezquerro found a willing batting companion in skipper Joel
Murphy. The pair negotiated Bradninch to a couple of batting
points before Murphy was trapped lbw for 16 on 134 by Cornwood's
Pakistani quick man Aizaz Cheeman. Ezquerro batted out the final
few overs with Nat Davey as the Bradninch innings meandered to a
close.
Early wickets evaded the Bradninch attack, but just as
Cornwood were threatening to take the game by the scruff of the
neck, Bradninch fought back. Cornwood's 71 for two, with Boase
out for 16 and Scott Mansfield gone for 27, became 99 for six in
a hurry.
Martyn Cooksley was brilliantly run out from sideways on by
Eliot Acton, Jason Hall nibbled at Paul Nott and was caught
behind, Murphy (3-39) bowled Willcock and Ben Warren fell to a
diving, one-handed return catch by bowler Murphy.
Another wicket then would have spelled trouble for Cornwood,
but they regrouped through Tall and Matt Butterworth. Tall went
for 19 to Ross Acton, but Cheeman (12) joined Butterworth and
put Cornwood back on track. A direct hit by Ezquerro to run out
Cheeman on 148 for 8 set up a tense finish, but Butterworth kept
going to reach 28 not out and win the game with two overs to
spare.
Bradninch 149-8 (A Ezquerro 46, D Hardy 27, G Newall 21; D
Petherbridge 5-37), Cornwood 152-4 (S Mansfield 27, M
Butterworth 28no; J Murphy 3-39). Cornwood (18pts) bt Bradninch
(6pts) by 2 wkts.
Courtesy of the Devon Cricket League website (see
www.devoncricket.co.uk/news/adivmonfirst.html for all
Saturday's DCL 'A' Division 1st XI action). |
