Rain ruins matchday seven for both our senior XIs

Matchday seven of the 2022 Tolchards Devon League Cricket season was hit by rain with both our 1^st and 2^nd XI fixtures suffering abandonments.

Up In North Devon, playing at Instow, Bradninch skipper Gary Chappell won the toss and, with wet weather forecast invited his opposite number to bat first.

Chad Classen and Mitchell Pugh were tasked with the new ball duties and Classen, who has not had much luck so far since joining the club, bowled an excellent line and length and struck first, thanks to a catch held by Ross Acton, with North Devon opener Ben Howe sent back to the Instow pavilion with a 24-ball 21 to his name and his side 34-1 after 8.3 overs.

Just over three overs passed before Mitch Pugh left the home side two down as he clean bowled George McEndoo for a 40-ball 10.

The 12^th over ended with North Devon on 37-2 and Classen then bowled a maiden to see North Devon on less than three-runs-per-over across the first 13 overs.

Pugh claimed his second wicket, trapping Tom Popham leg before wicket for a fifth ball duck and that meant, 14 overs into their innings, the home side were 44-3.

Ross Acton took over from Classen to send down the 15^th over and Classen swiftly returned to bowl the 17^th and 19^th – both went for three runs each.

Skipper Gary Chappell brought himself on to bowl the 20^th over and this went for three and so, at the start of the 21^st over, North Devon were 68-3.

A run out inspired by an Eliot Acton throw, left North Devon four down – James Tyson run out for a 30-ball 26 and then Josh Farley (with the 25^th and 27th) and Ross Acton (with the 36^th over) – each going for a miserly single run, it all meant that, as the 29^th over began, the home side were 112-4.

It was Farley who claimed the last two wickets to fall, first having Darren Butler caught by Eliot Acton for a 66-ball 43 – this with the fourth delivery of the 31^st over and then, with the second ball of the 37^th over, he had Rob Ayre caught behind by wicket keeper Darren Paul for a 21-ball nine.

Rain took the players off the square with North Devon on 153-6 after 37 overs and, with rain continuing to fall, this was to be the final effort of the afternoon with the bat for the home side.

There were some impressive returns from the Bradninch bowlers, none more so than the splendid 2-17 from seven overs bowled by Josh Farley while Chad Classen was equally economical with his return of 1-19 from nine overs.

Mitch Pugh had figures of 2-37 from nine overs and the others to bowl were skipper Gary Chappell (0-23 from three) and Ross Acton (0-52 from nine).

There was a lengthy delay before Gary Chappell and Tom Piper were able to go out and launch a Duckworth Lewis run chase which meant Bradninch needed 146 from 27 overs.

At the end of five overs, the run chase was 23-0 and, after 10 it was 67-0 with Ninch ‘on the way’.

Piper fell to the first ball of the 12^th over, caught by James Tyson to give Jay Rothery a wicket – ‘Pipes’ out for a 33-ball 23.

Mitch Pugh came out to join the skipper, but the rain returned and, when the players were taken off the pitch once more after four deliveries of the 14^th over, it was to be the final action of the day!

Chappell was left not out on 39 from 44 balls faced, hitting three fours and two sixes and Pugh was unbeaten on two from three balls faced with the Bradninch reply in a strong position on 84-1 after 13 overs and two balls – needing another 62 from 13 overs and four balls.

In terms of the home bowling, it was third change Jay Rothery with 1-10 from one over and two balls.

In terms of points, it was a case of nine to North Devon and ten to Ninch who are next in League action at home to Plymouth next Saturday (June 25).

There is big match action for ‘Chaps’ and his men this coming Monday (June 20) for they travel to Barton for a Devon T20 KO Cup tie – with at stake, a place at the Finals Day next month.

Back at Bradninch, with skipper Chris Acton out injured his number two, vice-captain Jason Dowrick took charge for the E Division East meeting with Ottery St Mary II.

Dowrick won the toss and opted to bat and Will Birley and Paul Nott gave the side a fine solid start adding 44 – and in good time too – before, to the fourth delivery of the sixth over, Birley got a ball that kept terribly low and knocked over his middle stump, dismissing the opener for a 23-ball, seven boundary 34.

Ankit Badwal was next in and he did not have any better luck than Birley for, when on 20, and having added 68 with Nott for the second wicket, he got a rising delivery that came off his glove to be held by the wicket keeper.

That left NInch on 112-2 after 16.3 overs with Nott still there on 47. However, shortly after passing his 50 – a second half century of the season for Devon Over-50s player Nott – he was bowled by second change Simon Harris and trooped back with a 59-ball, 11 boundary 53 to his name.

It all meant that, with three down and 120 on the board, number four bat Connor Carthew was joined by Ryan Shrewsberry, but the latter, having got confidently off the mark, was adjudged to have ‘hit’ the ball that was held by the gloves of the wicketkeeper and the unfortunate Ninch batsmen was still shaking his head in utter disbelief as he crossed the boundary line, out for two with the team score 137-4. It got worse for Carthew at the non-strikers end as he then saw stand-in skipper Jason Dowrick clean bowled by the fourth delivery he faced and it was soon 138-6 with Derrick Foan out leg before without troubling the scorers and the unfortunate Carthew, who had trooped out to the middle with the score on 112-1 in the 17^th over, finding himself joined by number eight bat Nick Acton with the score on 138-6 with two balls of the 24^th over to be bowled.

At that stage, seasoned Ninch 2^nd XI watchers would have been thinking they’d be lucky to see their side reach 150.

However, Carthew, who had only made his first appearance of the season the Saturday before, had other ideas and he and Acton put together what is now a new ‘seasons best’ partnership for the seventh wicket – the pair adding 49 before Acton skied one to depart for a fine 22.

At that stage Carthew was not out 32 and he was joined by James Mills – himself no slouch with the bat and Carthew and Mills then added a new seasons best for the eighth wicket – adding 43 before Carthew, who had just past his half century, was caught and trooped back to high acclaim having scored 55 from 70 balls.

That all meant Bradninch were 230-8 with Mills joined by Liam Reed. They had added seven when Reed was bowled – a fourth wicket for Harris who then Mills caught for what was to be an excellent 26. Jonnie Reed was the not out batsman on one and Bradninch were all out for 243 with two balls of the 44^th over still to be delivered.

In terms of the Ottery bowling – comfortably the best was the 5-25 from 8.4 overs sent down by second change Simon Harris while Jim Cauldwell returned figures of 2-20.

Alas, just 16 overs were possible in the second part of the contest with Ottery reaching 85-3 when rain arrived to force an abandonment.

Dan Jeacock dished up the stand-out Ottery shift with the bat hitting an unbeaten 53 while Ryan Shrewsberry was the one home bowler to enjoy success with his figures being 1-19 from three overs.

The others to bowl were James Mills (2-20) from five and Nick Acton (0-25 from five) – who shared the new ball duties. The other to bowl was second change Ankit Badwal (0-20 from three).

Next Saturday (June 25), the 2nd XI are away to Sidmouth III.