|
Posted:
Monday 3rd August 2009
Source: Christopher Dean
The 2009 Freeman & French Mid-Devon Twenty20 Cup was finally
concluded on the first Sunday of August after the wretched
weather that struck the last weekend of July had meant running
the Finals into the reserve day.
With Thorverton having booked their place in the Final with
their comfortable victory over Whimple in the one game that had
been completed seven days later it left hosts Bradninch and
Heathcoat meeting to determine who contested the final with the
D Division leaders - who ironically just 24 hours earlier, had
tasted defeat for the first time this season when humbled by
hosts Hatherleigh on a damp wicket in North Devon.
Bradninch and Heathcoat had started their original game, one
that had seen the hosts sail to 70 without loss before the rains
took charge and so the contest was begun again and this time
Bradninch won the toss and elected to field first.
The visitors were fielding three sides on the day with one XI at
Kensham Park, another back at their Knightshayes home for a
North Devon League Division Five game with North Molton and a
side also on duty at Bideford where Heathcoat contested, and
won, a vital game in their bid to bring the North Devon Holiday
Homes League to Mid Devon at the very first time of asking.
Tight bowling throughout the innings meant that Heathcoat were
never able to post a dangerous score as they progressed at never
much more than a run-a-ball. It was not until the 9th over that
the first wicket fell when, with the total on 55, Bradninch
skipper Gary Chappell bowled the dangerous Qasim Adams for 29 in
his very first over.
The squeeze was continued by the skipper who finished with 1-13
from four excellent overs. This was followed by, Jack Horton
(1-19), Richard Foan (1-22) and Mark Perrott (2-20), as the
visitors ran out of time on 129-5 off their 20 overs with only
Liam Lewis (34) and Frank Gabbitas (24) managing to score any
boundaries.
In reply, Bradninch were able to pace themselves, thanks to a
fine knock of 49 from Richard Foan, this from 38 balls and
including five 4s and one 6. When Foan departed, Bradninch were
in the driving seat, needing only 55 off nine overs but then
Heathcoat were able to impose their own control as the
boundaries dried up.
Joe Webb (18), Dan Hardy (12) and Gary Chappell (21) had to
follow a running game. Nevertheless, the game turned Heathcoat's
way as Bradninch began to get behind the run rate. Indeed, half
way through the final over, it seemed that Bradninch had thrown
the game away. At the start of the last over, nine runs were
required but after four balls, the hosts still needed seven.
Liam Lewis appeared to buckle to the pressure bowling successive
leg-side wides. However there was to be another twist when Gary
Chappell was caught on the boundary and four was still required
off the final ball. However, the hapless bowler bowled yet
another leg-side wide and Eliot Acton then smashed a six to the
shorter leg-side boundary as Bradninch celebrated a
three-wicket, last delivery, victory.
In the final, later in the day, Thorverton won the toss, chose
to bat the die was cast when Ross Acton dismissed Ali Fury with
the very first delivery. Acton almost bagged a second in his
next over when he dropped a skier off his own bowling to allow
the dangerous Kobi Griggs another chance.
After five overs the score was 36-1 and now Jack Horton (3-12
off 4 overs) was introduced into the attack and he removed both
Griggs (26) and George Greed in consecutive balls to leave
Thorverton reeling at 39-3. Thereafter the visitors struggled to
score consistently and only achieved further two boundaries in
the remaining 14 overs. Gary Chappell maintained the bowling
supremacy with an excellent spell of 15 - 4 off four overs, just
missing out on hat-trick as the Thors closed on 104-8.
Ross Acton (17 off 15 balls) and Richard Foan (55 from 25) saw
the half century reached in a quick fire reply, the first 50
coming in 18 minutes from 29 balls. When Acton was dismissed
Foan took centre stage, plundering 36 from the next nine
deliveries he faced with three 4s and as many 6s. Foan's
eventual departure with his side two short of victory, allowed
Dan Hardy to strike the winning runs and Bradninch retained the
trophy they won twelve months previously.
Sponsor John Freeman presented the trophies and proclaimed
Richard Foan as the man of the match. He also announced that
Freeman and French would once again sponsor the Mid Devon
Twenty20 in 2010. For Foan it proved to a wonderful weekend
after his impressive innings in the Francis Clark Devon League
and two good knocks in the Twenty20 format it seems the former
County player is back to something like his old best.
| 
