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Posted:
Monday 1st June 2009
Source: Stephen Birley
Joe Webb was in sensational form on Sunday as he stroked his way
to a masterly unbeaten 121 to write his name into the BCC record
books.
Young Webb who had hit an unbeaten half-century the day before
in a Francis Clark Devon League Premier Division game, becomes
the first Bradninch player to score successive unbeaten
half-centuries across a weekend in both the top-flight Divisions
of the Devon County Saturday League and the North Devon Cricket
League top Division.
Not that the knock against Sunday opposition Victoria Park was
the only talking point for there was also an imperious innings
of 98 from Gary Chappell, only ended with a catch in the deep as
the Sunday XI finally recorded a victory in this season’s
campaign.
Groundsman Mike Foan had let slip the day before that he felt
the Sunday track was set to be a beauty and how right he was.
Skipper Eliot Acton rose early on the Sabbath to cut a wee bit
more off the top of the selected track and what was produced was
a perfect batting strip.
After the reasonably early departures of Richard Foan (31) and
Tim Piper (10) Chappell and Webb set about the visiting attack.
Victoria Park arrived at Kensham Avenue having made a good start
to the campaign and the week before had notably chased down, and
passed, a North Devon total of 226-6 at Instow to win that game
by five wickets.
Webb and Chappell stroked the ball to all parts of the
sun-kissed Kensham Park ground, adding a most watchable 190 for
the 3rd wicket before Chappell, looking to reach three figures,
was caught in the deep.
Webb stuck around and, supported by a quick-fire 30 (two huge
6’s) by skipper Eliot Acton, saw the total past the 300 mark to
close on 308-5 – THIS THE HIGHEST SCORE ON MATCH DAY EIGHT
ACROSS THE NORTH DEVON LEAGUE.
The visiting side are no mugs and with the Bettis family at the
top of the order are always capable of taking on a run-chase of
any size. They set about this one in grand style but once the
first couple of wickets were taken the chase began to peter out,
eventually closing on 235 to leave Acton’s men winners by 73
runs.
The wicket-taking was shared out around the side with braces of
victims for Foan, Chappell, Matt Jarrett and the skipper whilst
one each went to Chris Acton and new signing Ben Franks.
STAR MAN – Simply must be Joe Webb for another magnificent
innings that suggests he is now realising his undoubted
potential as a top-order, top-flight, batsman.
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