A Bradninch CC XI suffered a heavy eight wicket defeat when they made the short trip to Thorverton for the second pre-season game of the warm-up period ahead of the opening Tolchards Devon League Premier Division on May 7.
Indeed, were it not for an excellent half-century from skipper-for-the-day Eliot Acton – he hit a 63-ball 56 with one six and six fours – then the margin of defeat might have been even more chastening!
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Acton saw Josh Farley (9) Aryan Raigangar (10) Tim Piper (7) and Darren Paul (5), all back in the hutch with the team score on just 39. It was then that Acton, batting at number six, joined number five bat Sam Franks and the pair took the total to 96 before Franks fell for 12.
Alas, the bottom half of the Bradninch batting card mustered just eight runs between then with Thom Bunker (1), Ankit Badwal (5), Max Cooper (0), Charlie Crooke (2), all dismissed before last man Johnny Reed came to the crease to join Acton.
Reed helped his captain reach his half century as the last man faced 11 balls for his nought not out with Acton the final wicket to fall with the team score on 131 after 32 overs and two balls.
The damage, in terms of the Thorverton bowling effort, was done by George Daldorph who sent down nine overs on his way to a ‘fivefer’ and figures of 5-38 while Jake Choules had figures of 3-20 from five. Ben Slaviero and Paul Fielder were the other wicket takers, each with a single victim.
When the home side began their reply, Ankit Badwal and Eliot Acton opened the bowling for Bradninch, but home openers George Greed and Paul Fielder made good progress and the breakthrough only came when first change Aryan Raigangar was introduced, trapping Fielder leg before when the opener was on 21. Alistair Chillcott was next in, and out, sent straight back for a 12-ball duck, trapped leg before by Josh Farley.
Sadly, that probed to be as good as it got in terms of Bradninch wicket taking as Greed retired with his wicket intact once he reached a half century (he faced 103 balls for his 51 not out) and then Jason Ven Der Meulen and David Baldock saw their side to an emphatic eight wicket win with Ven Der Meulen unbeaten on a 22-ball 25 and Baldock was not out 12 from seven deliveries.
The pick of the Bradninch bowling returns was the 1-13 from nine overs bowled by Josh Farley while the Aryan Raigangar was 1-26 from eight. The other figures were: Ankit Badwal (0-31 from nine), Eliot Acton (0-23 from six), Sam Franks (0-16 from two), Max Cooper (0-14 from one) and Charlie Crooke, who sent down one delivery that was hit for the winning six.
So a heavy loss in game two and the team now move onto the third and final warm-up game this coming Saturday (April 30) when Exeter are the visitors to Kensham Park where there is also action 24 hours later with Budleigh Salterton 2nd XI the visitors to meet Bradninch 2nd XI.