Bradninch 1st XI recorded an emphatic eight wicket win over visiting Sandford and the match will be remembered by the large crowd who saw it for a stunning double century opening partnership from skipper Gary Chappell and Tim Piper.
Sandford, with three former Bradninch players in their ranks including skipper Richard Foan, won the toss and opted to bat (unsurprising given the ‘road-like’ track that had been prepared by Ninch groundsman Peter Woodman) on a sun-kissed Kensham Park afternoon.
There was a sensational start to the game for, after an opening maiden over from our new South African, Chad Classen, Mitch Pugh struck with his first delivery, trapping Jackson Thompson – who used to play his cricket with NInch – leg before!
Things got even better for the home side when, with the second ball of his third over, Classen had Sandy Allen caught behind by wicket keeper Darren Paul to leave Sandford 14-2.
It was not until the 15th over – sent down by Ross Acton – that the home faithful were again celebrating a wicket as Lawrence Walker edged one into the Paul gloves, leaving the Creedy Park men 45-3 with two balls of over 15 to be delivered.
Sandford skipper Richard Foan – another of the opposition very familiar with Kensham Park, was in at five to join wicket-keeper/batsman Adam Small and the pair took the fight to the home side, adding 88 before Foan fell for a 42-ball 41 – he hit five fours – the former Ninch player caught by his opposite number, Gary Chappell, to give Josh Farley a wicket.
Andrew Buzza joined Small – ‘Buzz’ himself yet another who is no stranger to the Kensham Park faithful and the pair continued what the Small/Foan combination had served up, adding 77 and taking their side beyond 200 before Small was caught by Eliot Acton to give Pugh a second wicket, but not before the Sandford bat had reached 80 from 112 deliveries, hitting a dozen fours.
That left the visiting side on 210-5 with Buzza four short of his half century and one ball remaining of the 42nd over. Buzza took a single off the final delivery and then reached his 50 with a two off the final ball of the next over – sent down by Classen.
Buzza, together with Chris Jelley, put bat to ball with great effect before the former finally fell, bowled by Ross Acton, but not before he had chalked up a personal offering of 78 from just 63 balls faced – he hit a dozen fours and one six.
Tyler Morgan-Huggett (3) and Jelley (25) were the not out batsmen as the Sandford innings came to a close on 271-6 – a ‘challenging’ total, but, as one wise regular Kensham Park watcher observed: “that looks 25-30 light as I fancy this is a 300 wicket today”.
In terms of the home bowling effort Mitchell Pugh (2-53), Ross Acton (2-67), Chad Classen (1-42) and Josh Farley (1-70) shared the wicket taking while the fifth of the bowlers called into action – skipper Gary Chappell – returned the most economic figures as his 10 over shift yielded just 34 runs.
It was the skipper and Tim Piper who went out to launch the Bradninch reply and the pair did more than ‘launch’ the response, they truly set up a victory performance as they were to go on and put on a double century opening partnership!
The 50 arrived from the second delivery of the ninth over with Piper rifling the ball to the boundary. It was a similar score that brought the 100 up, this coming off the fourth ball of the 17th over.
By the 20th over, Sandford skipper Richard Foan had tried five different bowlers, but the home openers were not for departing and the 150 was reached off the final ball of the 23rd over, and now the ‘different bowler’ count was up to seven.
Chappell drilled the fifth delivery of the 30th over to the boundary to bring up the 200 before, after seeing another 21 runs added, Chappell was caught behind by Adam Small off Andrew Buzza with the Ninch captain trooping back to an appreciative watching crowd having scored 109 from just 98 balls faced. ‘Chaps’ struck 18 fours and one six in his knock.
The first wicket was snared from the first delivery of the 34th over, leaving the home side needing just 51 more runs from the final 16 overs with nine wickets in hand!
Piper was joined at the wicket by Ross Acton, and the pair took the score to within 10 runs of victory when Piper fell to a Lawrence Walker catch to give Buzza a second wicket. The Ninch opener having scored 115 from 118 deliveries – hitting 19 fours and one six.
It was just a matter of time before the win was sealed with Ross Acton stroking the third ball of the 43rd over – sent down by Sandford skipper Foan – to the boundary to seal a superb eight wicket win.
Acton was unbeaten on a run-a-ball 35 (six fours and a six) with Mitch Pugh the other not out batsman on eight.
Andrew Buzza (2-52 from nine overs) was the only Sandford bowler to have any success while the most economical was Jackson Thompson who sent down a full shift of 10 overs for his 0-55 return.