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Posted:
Monday 4th May 2009
Source: Stephen Birley
A combination of sloppy fielding and poor catching (with one or
two exceptions) conspired to send the 1st XI to an opening day
defeat at the hands of Plymouth.
With the opening day of the Francis Clark Devon League season
greeted with beautiful sunshine the Kensham Avenue pitch looked
a groundsman’s dream.
Mike Foan has worked his magic for sure and the ground looked an
absolute picture for the club’s first ever game in the highest
division that Devon county cricket has to offer.
The visitors won the toss, stuck us in and we had the worst
possible start with both openers back inside the pavilion with
just 11 runs on the board. Gary Newall went via bat and pad for
four and then Richard Foan was caught (quite magnificently) and
despatched for just a single.
This brought Gary Chappell and Tim Piper to the wicket and they
set about innings repair work, and how they did just that.
Indeed the pair went on to both hit half centuries. Piper still
there at the close with an unbeaten 53 and Gary Chappell with a
good a first Premier innings as you are likely to see,
eventually out for 61. His half century came up in 103 balls and
he struck nine 4s.
The 100 arrived in the 40th over – Tim Piper claiming the honour
of scoring the club’s 100th Premier Division run (Richard Foan
had been the batsman to score the first ever Bradninch CC run in
the top flight).
Once the two young guns had gone Ross Acton (5), Chris Acton (2)
and Joel Murphy (8), came and went and the other not out batsmen
at the close of the home innings was Eliot Action with 6. The
players trooped off with the Bradninch total set at 168-6.
The reply got off to a steady start and there were early wickets
for Bradninch to celebrate, none more so than the first ever
Premier League wicket which fell to the evergreen club stalwart
Paul Nott.
But the visitors’ batsmen three and four got well set and began
to chip away quite comfortably at the target. Bowling changes
aplenty were made in a bid to get the hosts back into the game
but in truth the bowling was well below par on the day – with
the exception of the combined spin efforts of Richard Foan and
the Man of the Match – Gary Chappell.
Ross Acton also bowled a decent line and length but all too
often bad balls were sent down – and despatched either over, or
across the boundary line as the visitors closed out with three
wickets and a couple of overs to spare.
Gary Newall held on to a couple of magnificent slip catches
under the watchful eye of his father Terry who was present to
watch the game (nice to see another club person -who is also
battling current medical issues - Les Kent – also present) and
Paul Nott showed how catches should be held with a regulation
hold in the deep.
Bradninch had chances, and a couple of the most straightforward
catches were put down. As the old maxim goes “Catches win
matches.” But reality is that the top flight new boys did not
bowl well enough. The catches that needed to be held – were not,
and even though the batting part of the opening game had been
good – a score of 150 plus was thought to be a decent one in
testing first day conditions, some of the ground fielding left a
lot to be desired. It was noticeable that as the game got away
from the team, the body language suggested one or two had
accepted the inevitable and at this highest level there is
ALWAYS A CHANCE – it only takes a couple of wickets and the game
can change its course.
Of course an opening day defeat does not spell a season of doom
and gloom but individually and collectively the side will need
to show an improvement of some considerable amount and that
first victory will not be far off!
OPENING GAME MAN OF THE MATCH – Gary Chappell – an outstanding
all round performance from the University Student who drove home
from Bath to make the game, and went back straight afterwards to
prepare for a Sunday game –NICE ONE GARY.
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