Less than 50 overs were bowled at the University of Exeter Sports Ground where Bradninch II slipped to a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of hosts Topsham St James.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, skipper Chris Acton and Will Birley launched the innings, but, with the score on 16 in the fifth over, Birley was well caught at second slip by Jacob Taylor off Ross Treleaven for three.
Just 17 balls later, Ankit Badwal, who had taken over from Birley, joined him back on the boundary – Badwal caught by Tops’ skipper Jon Sapwell to give Treleaven his second wicket to leave Bradninch on 24-2. Acton was joined by wicket-keeper/batsman Dave Penberthy, and the pair took the score to 35 when Penberthy was caught by Declan Wardell off first change Jacob Taylor and this meant, after 11 overs, the score was 35-3.
Two wickets fell in the 12th over as Bradninch slipped from 34-2 to 35-5 as first, skipper Acton was caught by Rhys Norman off the bowling of Devon Over-60s player Brian Jeary and sent back with 16 runs to his name and the very next delivery, Jeary knocked over the stumps of Ryan Shrewsberry for a golden duck.
Josh Richards who had gone in at the loss of the third wicket, then launched something of a short sharp fight-back – hitting the first two deliveries of the 14th over to the boundary and, two balls later he launched a delivery from Jeary over the boundary rope and, at the end of the 14th, Bradninch were 54-5 with Richards unbeaten on 16.
In the next over, Nick Acton was bowled by Taylor for two to leave the score a perilous 55-6 and it was soon 66-7 with Connor Carthew – making a most welcome first appearance of the season for the side – bowled by Jeary for one.
Richards’s powerful hitting ended to the final ball of the 19th over when he was bowled by Taylor for a 21-ball 31 – scored during a 38-minute stay at the crease during which time he hit four 4s and two 6s. That left Bradninch on 72-8 and saw Vinny Clark join James Mills out in the middle.
Clark – like Carthew – having his first bat of the season – did very well hitting a couple of fours before Mills, on four, was bowled by Treleaven – a third wicket for the Tops’ all-rounder.
This brought last man Liam Reed to the wicket and he was subjected to some short pitched bolwing that saw him hit on the helmet. Reed did well to resist and helped Clark take the total to 99 when Clark was caught and bowled by Treleaven for 16 – hitting three fours. Reed was the not out batsman with Bradninch bowled out for 99 in 25 overs.
Just four bowlers were used by the home side with Treleaven taking the honours with figures of 4-27 from seven overs, bowled in two spells, while there were three wickets each for Jeary (3-29) off a full shift of nine overs and Taylor, 3-32 from six. The fourth bowler used was teenager Rhys Norman (0-7 from three).
When the home side began their run chase, Bradninch skipper Chris Acton gave the new ball duties to Ankit Badwal from the Motorway End and James Mills from the Gate End both seamers beat the bat in their early overs.
However, openers, home skipper Jon Sapwell and Declan Wardell, stuck at it and a four struck by Wardell off the 20th ball of the innings, for the reply up and running.
Having sent down five overs (0-16) from one end, skipper Acton switched him to the opposite end from where the single success was to come – Sapwell being bowled by Badwal for 28 with the score then 51-1 after 14 overs.
However, former Chudleigh and Bovey Tracey player Derek Perry, who has joined the Tops since moving into the area, joined Wardell and the pair saw their side to a comfortable – and emphatic success. The winning line was reached when Perry took a single off fourth delivery of the 24th over.
Wardell ended unbeaten on 42 while Perry was not out 17.In terms of the Bradninch bowling it was Badwal who claimed the lone success (1-35) from a full shift of nine overs. James Mills (0-18 from five), Nick Acton (0-17 from 2.5 overs) and skipper Chris Axcton (0-20 from seven overs), were the other bowlers.
Bradninch II must now ‘lick their wounds’ and prepare for a home meeting with Ottery St Mary II on Saturday, June 18.