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Posted:
Sunday 2nd August 2009
Source: Stephen Birley
Richard Foan was having a miserable season by his own very high
standards. Since returning to his native Bradninch after a
highly successful spell at Sandford where he skippered the side
to a number of trophies as well as leading the senior County
side, the postman son of the Bradninch grounds man, and nephew
of the Club Chairman, has struggled with the bat, making a
succession of low scores.
In the game at Plympton on the first Saturday of the final month
of the Francis Clark Devon League season, Foan was summoned from
the pavilion with his side in all sorts of trouble, three down
and just 24 on the board.
Already back in the hutch were Dan Hardy (caught for 1), Gary
Newall (caught without troubling the scorers) and Tim Piper,
bowled for 7. Foan joined Gary Chappell in the middle and when
the latter was trapped leg before for just 4 the score board
ticked to 44-4.
Then the previous week's batting hero, Ross Acton, strode to the
wicket and he and Foan were to add 77, taking the total to 121
before Acton was leg before for a battling 25.
Foan was the dominant partner and he was beginning to enjoy
freeing himself of the shackles of the whispers of 'Richard
who?' from previous knocks. They say in all levels of sport that
form is temporary and class is permanent and no one should doubt
the ability of Richard Foan.
He sailed past his half-century and was finally out, bowled, for
a magnificent 81, helping the side to a closing total of 184
after 45.5 overs of their allotted 46 overs in a rain hit game.
The remaining knocks from the side were Jack Horton (lbw for
11), Joe Webb (a very cultured 21 before falling to a catch),
skipper Joel Murphy (not out 2), Eliot Acton (bowled 2) and last
man, Billy Wakeley (caught without troubling the scorers).
An early wicket was required to get the high flying home side on
the back foot and it was duly delivered by Eliot Acton who
knocked over the stumps of one of the openers for 7 and the
hosts were 14-1, it got better as Acton then dismissed the next
man thanks to a smart catch by skipper Murphy and, when Acton
trapped the in-form opener Gregory for 22 it was 41-3. Murphy
then had Robotham caught by Dan Hardy for 11 and a couple of
Richard Foan wickets then reduced the reply to 102-6 which
quickly became 103-7 as Ross Acton struck.
At this stage a famous away win looked on the cards but the home
number seven bat was not for moving and the home side only lost
one further wicket to Ross Acton, before closing on a stubborn
128-8 after their 46 overs.
Ross Acton finished with 3-33 from his 13 overs. Eliot Acton
bagged a brace with 2-25 in seven, skipper Murphy sent down nine
overs and took 1-23, Gary Chappell had no joy with his ten overs
that only went for 17, Jack Horton turned his arm over for just
the one over (0-2) and the man of the match, Richard Foan,
claimed 2-24 in his six overs with the ball.
So, a third successive game without defeat suggests that the
side have now found their feet at the top level of the county
game. Four games to go and the threat of relegation remains,
purely by the mathematics with bottom side Sandford seemingly
doomed, currently on 122. 2nd bottom are Torquay (131) after
which it runs Exeter (132), Plymouth (135) and Bradninch (143)
and with Exeter at the County ground on Saturday what is clear
is that a visiting win in the Cathedral City will almost
certainly secure for sure, the side's place for a second season
in the top tier.
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