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Posted:
Sunday 23rd May 2010
Source: Stephen Birley
Bradninch were well beaten by champions Sidmouth despite, at one
stage looking well set to present the visitors with a
challenging run chase.
The Kensham Park side were 104-4 with 19 overs remaining but
slumped to 160 all out, knocked off for the loss of five wickets
by Sidmouth.
It had all seemed so much more promising mid-innings. Despite
the early loss of Max Fernie (7), Richardt Saaiman (39) took the
score to 78 before the Australian departed. Skipper Ross Acton
had to make the long walk back to the pavilion with a zero
beside his name whilst Tim Piper’s stay was short, he was out
shortly after reaching double figures.
Gary Chappell (40), not for the first time, on this occasion
batting at number six, steadied the shop and set the platform
for what looked to be a decent total. But the wickets of Eliot
Acton (13), Joe Webb (3), Jacobus Pienaar (3) and Chris Acton
(3), fell at regular intervals and the home innings was all done
and dusted on the second ball of the 48th over with the total on
a disappointing 161.
It will be a big concern to the young skipper that, on a superb
batting track, in near perfect conditions, a 200 plus score,
even if the opposition was the back to back Devon League
Champions, was not secured. This was arguably the strongest XI
the team can produce with the only notable exception being Paul
Nott, who by his own admission these days would not be in the
side for his batting - more for his exceptional line and length
seam bowling.
Post-tea the hosts got the perfect start when young South
African found the edge of the openers bat and Max Fernie took
the catch and when the same combination saw the key wicket of
Griffiths taken and the score board showing 40, things looked
rosy for the home side.
A third wicket fell at 56, Fernie’s safe hands bagging skipper
Ross Acton the first of his two wickets. However, from 92-4, the
significant difference between the sides was that the Sidmouth
middle order provided runs, with scores of 40 from both batsmen
five and six and victory was achieved with five wickets almost
twenty overs to spare.
The positives from the bowling, certainly another fiery spell
from teenage speedster Pienaar who finished with 2-16 from ten
but on the day the spin pairing of Chappell and Murray went for
60 from 16 overs with just the one wicket – that to Chappell
(1-38).
Next up for Bradninch is Saturday’s trip to Budleigh who will
begin the day second bottom of the top flight, twelve points
worse off than Bradninch. In the Ottermouth side will be former
Kensham Park skipper Joel Murphy who warmed up for the meeting
with his former charges with a fivefer in a three wicket defeat
at North Devon.
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