A terrific 72 from 65 balls by Tim Piper guided Bradninch 1st XI to a five wicket win over Paignton and 18 important Tolchards Devon League Premier Division points on the penultimate Saturday of July.
Rain played a big part in proceedings at Kensham Park with the start delayed and then the umpires determined that a 40-overs-per-side contest should be played.
After winning the toss and inviting his opposite number to bat, Gary Chappell gave the new ball duties to Chad Classen and Ross Acton.
Classen’s opening over went for two while the opening over from Acton saw three boundaries scored by Paignton’s Indian star bat Divyaansh Saxena.
Classen and Acton continued in tandem until the end of the 10th over when Mitch Pugh became the first change. At that stage, Paignton were 42-0 (Classen 0-27 from five and Acton 0-15 from five).
Acton sent down three more overs before he had completed the maximum eight overs a bowler can deliver in a 40-over contest and, given that his opening over went for those 12 runs, his overall return was, from an economy rate, an impressive 0-27 (his final seven overs going for just 15).
Charlie Sheen became the second change, sending down the 18th over, at the end of which, Paignton were 76 without loss.
Josh Farley was the third change and, in his second over – the 23rd of the innings – he got the important wicket of Saxena who was stumped by Darren Paul and sent back with 71-ball 77 to his name – hitting a dozen fours and one six.
The loss of the young Indian left Paignton 105-1 and it was not until the end of the 29th over that the home faithful were celebrating a second wicket with skipper Gary Chappell, who introduced himself as the fourth change at the start of the 24th over, clean bowled Harry Ward for a 77-ball 31.
Midway through the 32nd over, Charlie Sheen bagged the third visiting wicket, bowling Cole Harford for a five-ball one and, with seven overs remaining, Paignton were 153-3.
Sheen struck again, knocking over the stumps of Ollie Woodcock, who had faced 13 deliveries for his six runs.
Chad Classen was recalled to send down the 30th over and, when Charlie Sheen had completed his seven overs – sent down in two spells – Mitch Pugh returned to complete his eight overs.
It was in the 37th over that Paignton gave their total its biggest boost with Mark Orchard slamming three successive sixes on his way to a quick-fire 13-ball 30, his innings ended when he was caught By Mitch Pugh off the bowling of Gary Chappell in the 40th and final over.
Skipper Chaps bagged a second wicket in the final over when he had Luke Medlock caught by Chad Classen; the Paignton batter scoring 60 runs from 61 balls faced, hitting six fours and two sixes.
It all left Paignton closing their 40 overs on 222-6. The pick of the bowling returns was the 3-27 from the five overs delivered by skipper Gary Chappell and the other returns were: Charlie Sheen (2-40 from a full eight), Josh Farley (1-29 from four), Ross Acton (0-27 from eight) and Chad Classen (0-41 from eight).
There was more rain during the break between innings and so, for the second time in the day, a delayed start left a change in the number of overs that could be bowled, leaving Bradninch a revised target of 166 runs from 25 overs.
Gary Chappell and Tim Piper launched the run chase, but, with the score on 56, ‘Chaps’ fell to a Harry Ward catch off the bowling of Connor Ashworth and trooped off with a 29-ball 25.
Ross Acton joined ‘Pipes’, but the former lasted just nine balls for his four runs and, after one ball of the 15th over, Ninch were 87-2, needing another 79 runs from the final 10 overs.
Mitch Pugh joined Piper and the pair were together at the wicket until the first ball of the 20th over when another splendid effort from Piper was ended, but not before he had scored 72 runs from the 68 balls he faced, hitting ten fours and a brace of sixes.
That left Ninch on 118-3, now needing 48 runs from the final 35 balls of the contest.
Ankit Badwal was in at five and he slammed a six and a four in the 21st over – Pugh also found the boundary in this over, at the end of which, Ninch were now 144-3, needing 22 from the final four overs.
Four successive singles were scored in the 22nd over before, to the fifth delivery, Badwal had his stumps knocked over and he was out for an 11-ball 14.
Chad Classen was next man in and he helped keep the score board ticking over until, to the third delivery of the 24th over, he was caught by George Benton off the bowling of Luke Medlock and sent back for a seven-ball eight.
Eliot Acton was in at seven and he despatched the one and only ball he received to the boundary and then bagged a single to leave Mitch Pugh with the honour of drilling the final ball of the 24th and penultimate over to the boundary to seal a five wicket – 18 point – victory, for Gary Chappell and his men.
Mitchell Pugh was unbeaten on 28, scored off just 18 balls – he hit four fours – and Eliot Acton was not out five as the win was sealed.
The pick of the six visiting bowling returns was the 3-41 from five overs sent down by third change Luke Medlock and the other returns were; Sean Kirk (1-21 from three), Connor Ashworth (1-27 from four), Divyaansh Saxena (0-24 from five), George Benton (0-35 from five) and Cole Harford (0-14 from two).