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Posted:
Sunday 3rd August 2008
Source: Stephen Birley
Bradninch had to work hard before finally putting hosts
Tavistock to bed on Saturday, but win they did and it
strengthened their hold on an A Division promotion bid. It was
two of the side�s younger generation who took the batting
honours and then two of the squad�s most seasoned campaigners
then drew on all their collective experience to bowl the side to
the win.
Dan Hardy, who was granted a couple of lives with some pretty
shoddy home catching, top-scored with 80 and Tim Piper hit an
unbeaten 72 as Bradninch laboured to 189-6 and then, after the
main strike bowlers couldn�t make too much of an impression
skipper Joel Murphy switched to himself and Paul Nott. The pair
claimed nine wickets between them to see the hosts go from 75-2
to 112 all out. The skipper finished with 4-35 and the evergreen
Nott claimed a �fivefer�, closing with figures of 5-28.
Murphy�s men now host rapidly improving South Devon at Kensham
Park on Saturday going into the game with a three-point lead
over Bovey Tracey who host doomed Alphington whilst the team in
3rd place - Brixham, trailing Bradninch by 29 points, have a
tough game against Barton. It is possible that by stumps on
Saturday evening Murphy and his merry men will be within one
outing of sealing that much coveted place at cricket�s top table
in terms of county League action.
Back at Kensham Park the club�s 2nd XI could not finish off
visiting Hatherleigh which probably puts paid to any promotion
hopes for this season.
Lukas Fencl, not for the first time this term, struck a cultured
59 whilst one of the club�s longest serving senior players,
Simon Bailey can be excused �jug evasion� when he was dismissed
two runs shy of yet another half-century.
Teenager Joe Webb who was dropped from the 1st XI to get some
time at the crease, responded with an excellent 33 and Matt
Jarrett struck 20 from the opening slot as the home side posted
a healthy 202-9. However all season the side�s nemesis has been
the lack of a strike bowler and as well as Andy Nichols and
Mark �Budgie� Perrott delivered the new ball, neither have the
pace to knock over then early order. The visitors, who ended the
day as the table-topping side closed on 140-8 with Perrott and
young Webb both bagging braces.
In the Sunday game the club�s Division Five side saw their North
Devon League meeting with Barnstaple & Pilton meet a watery
grave with the visitors in a spot of bother on 39-3 when the
rain became simply too heavy to continue.
It was a similar story across the programme on Sunday with only
four of the 19 matches scheduled playing to a finish.
Interestingly, from a local point of view, one contest that was
played to a finish was the Second Division game at Braunton that
Heathcoat won. They are closing in on a place in the top
division next season and that would make THREE Mid Devon sides
in the top flight with us, Sandford and possibly Heathcoat.
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