The 2003 season was a winning one from start to finish. It began with a six match run of straight wins and ended at Whimple on the last day of Saturday with a winning draw as the 1st XI claimed the 'C' Division title and a much cherished place back in 'B' Division.
The season's opener was at home to Hatherleigh and it proved to be a very comfortable early season game as the visitors were bundled out for 97 - 4 wickets for Joel Murphy, three for Andy Nichols and a couple for Paul Nott. The total was nowhere near enough to test the metal of the early season batsmen. Chris Acton was the first player to lose his wicket in the season, caught for 33 whilst Gary Newall (41 not out) and Tim Piper (11 not out) saw the side home.
Seven days later and a first away day of the campaign. Hosts Stoke Gabriel were rolled over for just 70 and again the four-pronged bowling attack all got wickets, four for Nott, three for Ross Acton, two for Nichols and one for Murphy. Surprisingly we lost three wickets in the small target chase but youngsters Ross Acton and Tim Piper were not out at the end as we duly completed a seven wicket win.
The third straight success arrived the following week with a visit from Ipplepen who did well to bowl us out for 141, skipper Chris Acton top scoring with 38. Next best was number eight bat Andy Nichols with 18 but in reply the visitors were rolled over for just 71, Nichols completing a fine personal day's work with 5-15 from 10 overs, there were also wickets for Ross Acton (2-29) and Murphy (3-12).
Another home game followed on May 24th with the visit of Ashburton and with it came yet another win as Gary Newall and Chris Acton sent the ball to all corners of the ground with a mammoth opening partnership - a then new League record - of 244 as the innings closed after 43 overs on 244-0 and a comprehensive win was completed thanks to Alan Gambles who took 5-57 in 14 overs, Joel Murphy had 3-34 and young Ross Acton 1-27 as the visitors were despatched back down the A38 with a 44 run defeat.
A fourth straight win was duly completed seven days later down in Plymouth against Mount Wise who were set 188 to win after a fine 60 from Tim Piper and a rare appearance in the 1sts from Rob Acton who was unbeaten on 17 batting at number eight when the innings closed. Once again the all round power of the bowling attack came up trumps as the home side were rolled over for 147, Joel Murphy led the way with 4-14, Ross Acton had 1-45, Andy Nichols 2-27 and young Piper completed a good days work with 3-47.
Kingsbridge at home next on the first Saturday in June, 202-7 was the home score thanks in the main to a splendid 87 from Gary Newall who had a two hour stay at the crease and faced 97 balls, Joel Murphy chipped in with 39 and Tim Piper 27 and then once again the wickets were shared around, four each for Nichols and Murphy and one each for Piper and Nott as the side notched up a sixth straight win since the start of the season but up next was a trip to the side's main challengers at the top of the table, Barnstaple & Pilton. The home side totalled 191, four wickets for Paul Nott, his figures were outstanding, 11.1overs 8 maidens and 4-19, Ross Acton had 2-18 in 7, Joel Murphy 3-42 in 12 and there was a single wicket for Piper but in reply Bradninch could not get going and at 27-4 with all the front line batters out it was clearly going to be a struggle to get that seventh win in a row, or perhaps even preserve the Clubs long proud unbeaten run but hang in there they did, especially skipper Chris Acton who top scored with 18 - no other player managed double figures! The innings closed on 59-7 after 48 overs. County spinner Ryan Horrell taking 3-16 in 14 overs.
After that end to the run sequence the side could have been forgiven for feeling sorry for themselves but they did not and it was straight back to winning ways the following week down the A38 at Plymouth Civil Service. The home side made 235-6, three wickets for Andy Nichols, two for Ross Acton and one for Joel Murphy and then all the top four scored runs: Gary Newall 33, Chris Acton 64, Tim Piper 54 and Joel Murphy 44, the opening pair of Newall and Acton putting on exactly 100 for the first wicket. The side got home with an over to spare.
Next up a visit from Whimple and once again Chris Acton was in the runs, he top scored with 40 but batting was a struggle and Bradninch could only muster 155 for 6 at the close but if Bradninch found batting tough it was very, very difficult for the visitors in the face of a Joel Murphy 'barrage'. He took 5-16 in 11 overs; both Paul Nott and Tim Piper got two wickets, Andy Nichols one as Whimple were shot out for 109.
A trip to Hatherleigh followed and the side came back with a winning draw after scoring 216-6 thanks to Chris Acton's fine knock of 95, Ross Acton chipped in with 43, Paul Nott 20 but for once we were unable to roll the opposition over and they held on to close on 140-8. Joel Murphy took 4-35, Paul Nott 3-35 and Andy Nichols 1-23 but a win was not to be had.
It was a week later and in style too. Stoke Gabriel felt the full force of the Bradninch batting line up. Andy Nichols opened and was eventually run out for 63; Joel Murphy, batting at five smashed an unbeaten 75 and there were 20 plus scores from Gary Newall, Chris Acton and Paul Nott. In the same way that the batters had gone about their business so too did the bowlers, four sharing the wickets, three each for Joel Murphy and Chris Acton, two for Paul Nott and one for Tim Piper as the visitors were shot out for 154 to give Bradninch a win of over a hundred runs.
A trip to Ipplepen next and with the first four bats out and barely 50 on the board it looked bad but the middle order and then the tail did their work well: Gem Coetzee, batting at number six top scored with 48; Ross Acton hit 40, the pair put on 62 for the 5th wicket, and bats seven eight and nine (Paul Nott, Derrick Foan and Nat Davey) all made vital scores in the early teens to take the side to a respectable182-8 at the close. Then Alan Gambles, filling in for the absent Joel Murphy took 4-34 from 13 overs and Paul Nott claimed 3-28, there was a wicket each for Andy Nichols and Ross Acton as the home side were all out for 114.
The next game at Ashburton was lost to the weather but not so the match at home to Mount Wise on the 1st Saturday in August where the visitors batted very well and totalled 215-8, three wickets for both Paul Nott and Joel Murphy; one each for Chris Acton and Andy Nichols. That total proved too much for the home batsmen despite Joel Murphy's splendid unbeaten 65, Gem Coetzee, promoted to number three hit 45 and Ross Acton 30 as the innings closed on 183-5 and Bradninch settling for a rare losing draw.
Back to winning ways a week later at Kingsbridge where three wickets each for Alan Gambles ( 3-52 in 13 ) and Ross Acton (3-39 in 10), two for Paul Nott and one for Joel Murphy as the home made 171-9 a target that was not enough to stop Bradninch, Paul Nott batting at number seven hit a quick fire five 4's and two 6's in his 37, saw the side home after opener Gary Newall had hit 41, there were 30 scores from the bats of Tim Piper and Joel Murphy.
Home to promotion and title rivals Barnstaple next, a side we had drawn with earlier in the campaign. Batting first the visitors managed 210-8, two wickets each for Paul Nott and Joel Murphy, one each for Ross Acton and Andy Nichols but that was not enough to stop the home batsmen and in particular skipper Chris Acton who hit a glorious 89 and added 126 for the first wicket with Gary Newall who made 36, Tim Piper struck 38 and the game ended in glory thanks to that superb knock from the skipper!
The penultimate game of the season was also the last home game, Plymouth Civil Service providing the opposition and this was a game with a difference - not a single wicket for Joel Murphy, no this game was about the bowling skills of Andy Nichols who bagged a " five for " haul, his 5-46 coming off 13 overs and Paul Nott took 4-32 from 9.1 overs as the visitors were all out for 185., the run chase was successful due to an all round effort with the bat, Tim Piper top scored with 45, Paul Nott, batting at number seven scored an unbeaten 28 to complete a good days work, there was 31 from Ross Acton and 27 at the top of the order from Gary Newall.
A marvellous league season, with the 'C' Division Title in the trophy cabinet, was brought to a conclusion with a winning draw at Whimple where Bradninch posted 187-6 courtesy of an opening stand of 90 between Gary Newall (43) and Chris Acton (47), Joel Murphy chipped in with an unbeaten 29 and Paul Nott hit 27 whilst in the reply Bradninch were denied a last day win by the last home batsmen at the wicket as Whimple closed on 132-9, Andy Nichols led the bowling honours with 3-45, whilst there were two wickets each for Chris Acton, Paul Nott and Joel Murphy and so the 2003 season comes to a close, another memorable season and its a case of looking forward to a higher grade of cricket in 2004.
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