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Posted:
Sunday 24th August 2008
Source: Stephen Birley
Eight years after the side began a season as a C Division squad,
Bradninch Cricket Club will next summer line up in the top
flight of Devon County Cricket for the very first time in their
long history. It is a real achievement and something that so
many people at the club have cherished for a great deal of time.
The penultimate round of matches
had a familiar ring about it with the wretched weather that has
blighted so much of this season, once again hitting the game.
The match with Brixham was abandoned with the visitors on a
perilous 124-7 replying to the Bradninch offering of 215-7.
At the start of the day the
mathematics of the situation were quite straightforward, bank
eleven points and no matter what happens elsewhere then
promotion is guaranteed. Those points were sealed initially by a
powerful batting display that produced half centuries from Ryan
Butterworth (63) and Gary Chappell (57) in a total of 215-7.
Then visitors Brixham were left on 124-7 when the Umpires took
the sides off the pitch.
Skipper Joel Murphy and teenager
Chappell both bagged braces whilst Australian all-rounder Adrian
Ezquerro, who has been instrumental in the side�s charge towards
the top flight this term, claimed a three wicket haul.
Bradninch Vice Chairman Paul
Nott summed up the feeling at the Mid Devon side:
�We are all so thrilled
to have finally achieved something which we have been
building towards over a period of time. Some time ago we set
ourselves some targets that we privately felt were realistic
enough and here we are, all set to compete with the very
best the County League has to offer next season.
From a personal point of
view I cannot wait for the opportunity to play in the
Premier Division. It will be a highlight of my own
cricketing achievements and I do believe that with the
current mix of youth and experience that we have at the
Club, we�ll give a decent account of ourselves next summer.�
Life long supporter Ken Salter
says:
�It�s wonderful to think
that the side will now compete at the highest level but I
fancy there is a bit of hard work to be done in order that
when they do play in the Premier Division, they do so in
such a way that they will make their mark at that level.
They will perhaps need to
import three or four quality players but the nucleus of a
decent team is already at the club and I commend them for a
wonderful achievement in getting the team into the Premier
Division.�
The promotion celebrations at
the Kensham Park pavilion were slightly tainted when news came
through that Bovey Tracey had nudged ahead in the race to be
acclaimed champions. That matter will now be decided on the
final day. Murphy�s men travel to Barton whilst Bovey Tracey go
to Braunton. Bovey go into the final games with a single point
advantage and so there will be a number of calls no doubt being
made between North and South Devon this coming Saturday
afternoon and early evening.
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