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Posted:
Sunday 30th August 2009
Source: Stephen Birley
Skirts were the order of the night back at the Kensham Park
headquarters on Saturday night as a form of end-of-season fun
evening.
Sadly the 2009 campaign, the club's first ever in the top flight
of the Francis Clark Devon Premier League, ended in something of
a hiding at the hands of champions Sidmouth who dished out a
Fortfield Ground, nine-wicket hammering to Joel Murphy's men.
If anybody at the club wanted to know either just what is
required to win the top honour in Devon County Cricket, or
indeed see just where the current 1st XI needs some minor
surgery then it was evident in East Devon on a warm Saturday
afternoon in late August.
Much had been said pre-match around the Internet web chat rooms
that this was THE game for the team to prove its metal but
sadly, with the obvious exception of certainly GARY NEWALL, TIM
PIPER and of course the star of the season, GARY CHAPPELL, the
side under-achieved in a contest that was one-sided once the
profitable stay at the wicket of both Newall and Piper was
ended.
Batting first Dan Hardy was caught for just two but at 6-1 Tom
Piper joined Gary Newall and the pair put bat to ball with
wonderful effect to see the side to, and past, three figures.
Piper was second to go caught just seven short of a half
century. Richard Foan replaced him but, as has happened to the
undoubted talented former Devon and Sandford all-rounder for
much of his first season back at his ancestral home, he missed
out, being caught for 15. Ross Acton failed to trouble the
scorers and Newall was finally the 5th man out for a simply
superb 77.
Gary Chappell who would surely be a Devon County Senior side
regular pick but for the emergence of South Devon�s Chris
Metters, showed what an exceptionally promising all-rounder he
is, with an unbeaten 22, but Joe Webb and Jack Horton both came
and went for one leaving skipper Joel Murphy the other not out
batsman at the close with six to his name.
184-7 from 50 overs did not look sufficient to inflict a first
defeat of the season on the champions but the total looked a
whole lot better when Eliot Acton took a smart catch at square
leg off the bowling of his cousin Ross Acton, to leave the hosts
1-1.
However that was to be the sole success for the visiting attack
as the home team plundered the required runs inside 36 overs to
seal a nine-wicket victory. So a 4th placed finish for Bradninch
in their first season of top-flight most certainly merits a
superb effort by all concerned.
It proved to be a very tight Premier Division this term with
just 40 points separating at the final count, Torquay, who were
relegated along with Sandford, and the side who finished 3rd,
Bovey Tracey. The South Devon side ended the campaign 18 points
better off than Bradninch.
The bench mark has been set, what will 2010 hold for the side?
One thing we do know is that Sidmouth will be desperate to claim
a third, successive title win. Budleigh will surely re-build a
strong side for next season and the promoted sides Braunton and
Paignton to emulate Bradninch and Bovey and seal top four
finishes in their first season back in the top-flight. 2010
promises so much.
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