Bowlers deliver opening Covid Cup T20 success at Thorverton

There was a winning start to the Clubs 2022 T20 Covid Cup challenge as they defeated hosts Thorverton in a Tuesday night close encounter.
The winning margin was one of just four runs as Eliot Acton – who skippered the side in the absence of Gary Chappell – led the team superbly.
In terms of the individual ‘stars’ – batting first and failing to complete their 20 overs, would have been a disappointment for Acton. However, it was a couple of excellent knocks from Mitch Pugh and Josh Richards together with a good supporting knock from Darren Paul that enabled Ninch to get to 112 before they were bowled out inside 18 overs.
Then, when the Thors batted, it was some superb bowling, particularly from Ankit Badwal at Mitch Pugh – together with an excellent final over from Charlie Sheen, that enabled Ninch to restrict the home side to a 20-overs score of 108-8.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Acton sent Tim Piper and Charlie Sheen to launch the innings, but both were soon back in the hutch with Piper on four from as many balls, caught by Jack Stirling off the bowling of Ben Salviero while Sheen fell to a catch held by Jason Van Der Meulen off the bowling of Andy Pitt – in his case, sent back with a run-a-ball six to his name.
With Acton also an early casualty – in his case caught by Harry Choules to give Pitt a second wicket – the Ninch captain out for a four-ball one, his side were 20-3, 20 deliveries into the contest.
Chad Classen joined Mitch Pugh and the next three overs saw 18 runs added before Classen fell for a seven-ball eight, caught by Ben Slaviero off the bowling off Alex Jopling. It all left Ninch on 38-4, two balls into the seventh over.
Pugh was still there and was joined now by Darren Paul and the next 19 deliveries saw 27 runs added before Paul fell for an 11-ball 15, bowled by Jack Stirling, and now Ninch were 65-5 midway through the 10th over.
Josh Richards was next man in, but, with the score on 78, Pugh, facing the third ball of the 11th over for a 31-ball five boundary 33, a second wicket for Stirling.
It was then two wickets in two balls as Ankit Badwal perished for a first ball duck, a third wicket for Jack Stirling to leave Ninch on 78-7 with two balls of the 12th over remaining.
Billy Wakeley, making a welcome return to Bradninch action, was next man in – and out, bowled by Stirling for a six-ball three and Ninch were now 90-8 midway through the 14th over.
James Mills joined Richards, but, with the total on 105, Mills became the ninth wicket down, in his case, dismissed by a Harry Choules stumping off the bowling of James Meredith.
The final wicket was that of last man Liam Reed, bowled by David Hooper, but not before he had faced six balls for his two runs, and, more importantly, helped Richards see the side to what would prove to be a winning score on 112 all out in one ball shy of 18 overs.
Richards was the not out batsman having faced 23-balls, hitting a brace of 6s in his 30 not out.
As for the Thorverton bowling figures, it was the 4-19 from four overs by Jack Stirling that was the most impressive. Andy Pitt took 2-9 and each of the other four bowlers to see action claimed a single wicket.
The Thorverton reply was launched by Andy Pitt and Luke Vukusic, but the latter was bowled by Chad Classen to the fourth ball of the innings.
David Hooper took over and he and Pitt saw the home side to 39 when, to the final ball of the sixth over, Pitt was bowled by Eliot Acton.
It was soon 45-3 with Acton claiming a second wicket, bowling Hooper for a 23-ball 21 and, just two balls later Acton struck again, with Tim Piper pouching the catch to send back Harry Choules for a four-ball one.
It was soon 49-5 with Jay Porter trapped leg before to Charlie Sheen and out for a four-ball two.
Jason Ven Der Meulen was joined at the wicket by Ben Slaviero and the pair added 21 in just under three overs before Van Der Meulen fell for a 10-ball 14, a second catch for Tim Piper and a second wicket for Chad Classen.
Alex Jopling joined Slaviero and the pair looked to be guiding their side towards the winning line, adding 20 in three overs and four balls before Jopling, having score a run-a-ball eight, was clean bowled by Mitch Pugh.
However, if Thorverton still looked ‘favourites’ on 90-7, needing 23 runs to win off the remaining 31 balls, Ankit Badwal struck, knocking over the stumps of Slaviero, out for a 27-ball 14 and now the home side were 94-8, needing 19 runs to win with 17 balls remaining.
The 18th over, sent down by Badwal saw that dismissal off the first ball and it was followed by four dots, a wide and just a single.
Pugh was equally controlled with the 19th over which yielded just three singles and a wide and so, we reached the final over with Thorverton needing 13 to win with two wickets in hand.
However, just as Badwal and Pugh had done in the preceding overs, the over went for a two, five singles and also a wide to leave Thorverton high and dry on 108-8 after their 20 overs with Bradninch the match winners by those four runs!
The Ninch bowling had won the day. Ankit Badwal’s return was an impressive 1-12 from four while Pugh’s four overs saw him return equally impressive figures of 1-14. Skipper Acton, who had claimed those three big wickets mid innings, ended with figures of 3-24 from four. Chad Classen’s return was 2-26 and the fifth bowler used, Charlie Sheen, returned figures of 1-27.