It’s a bitter-sweet matchday report this week after a wonderful maximum point victory for the 1st XI, but a chastening defeat at Westleigh for the 2nd XI.
We begin by saying a huge THANK YOU to N.M.Farley & Sons and also to Rob & Bev Harris who were today’s match ball sponsors. This form of support for the club is MUCH appreciated by all. Thank you again!
The 2nd XI, fresh from the previous weeks wonderful win over Braunton, travelled to Westleigh to meet North Devon IIIs, but the journey home was a miserable on as the team – who travelled with 10 men – suffered a 168-run defeat!
After losing the toss and being sent into the field, 2nd XI skipper Thom Bunker gave the new ball duties to Ryan Shrewsberry and James Mills and The former struck in the fifth over, trapping opener Matt Slade leg before wicket for one, leaving the home side 16-1.
Jed Foster joined Ali Pool and they added 40 before, in the 13th over, Foster was caught by James Mills off Paul Nott and departed for a 26-ball 22.
Rich Clarke joined Pool and they had added 30, taking the score to 86 when, in the 17th over, opener Pool fell for 25, run out by a fine throw from Ryan Shrewsberry.
12-year-old Noah Tovell was in at number five and he faced 10 balls before he holed out to Chris Acton for four, giving Nott his second wicket of the game.
From 96-4 after 21 overs, the home side moved to 151 when skipper Phil Pennington became the fifth home wicket to fall, bowled by Nick Acton for 11 leaving North Devon III on 161-5 after 30 overs.
Ninch skipper Thom Bunker turned to Paul Nott as first change, used himself s third change and then opted for Nick Acton as fourth change and Will Birley as fifth change.
It was home number four bat Clarke who guided his side to a superb closing total of 293-6.
That sixth and final wicket was claimed by Birley with a caught and bowled when the score was 209-6 with eight of the 45 overs still to be bowled.
Paul Todd was the home bat dismissed by Birley, Todd going for a 17-ball 22. His wicket brought Rob Mann to the middle to join Clarke and the pair ‘made hay in the sunshine’ steering their side to that big total.
Clarke was unbeaten on 84 at the close, scored off 97 deliveries while Mann was not out 37 from 27 balls faced.
Paul Nott took the bowling honours with figures of 2-44 from a full shift of nine overs. James Mills’ nine overs went for 34 while the eight sent down by Ryan Shrewsberry saw the seamer return figures of 1-50 from eight. Will Birley sent down six overs for his 1-45 return and Nick Acton’s return was 1-42 from eight while skipper Bunker bowled five overs and had figures of 0-24.
The Ninch run chase was launched by Will Birley and Thom Bunker but, with the score on 16 in the fifth over, Birley fell to a stunning slip catch by Matt Slade off the bowling of Rob Mann and departed with four runs to his name.
Paul Nott joined Bunker and this pair put together a wonderful partnership of 74 runs before Nott fell for a 36-ball 24, trapped leg before by Jools Hughes.
Eighty-nine for one wicket soon became 107-5 as Hughes claimed three more wickets in quick succession.
Bunker received a terrific Hughes delivery that clipped his off stump with the skipper departing for a 53-ball 57; his half century coming off 51 deliveries.
Ryan Shrewsberry was next in – and out – having his stumps struck by the very first Hughes delivery he faced. James Mills prevented the hat-trick, but was also bowled by Hughes – in his case for five.
Nick Acton was the sixth wicket to fall when was bowled by a terrific delivery from Jed Foster.
Acton was out for nine with the score then 116-6 and it was soon 116-8 as Derrick Foan and Jonny Reed both had their stumps rearranged by the first delivery they faced from Foster who ended with a hat-trick!
The last man to the wicket was Pete Harmer and he was runout without scoring to leave Ninch all out for 125 in 23.1 overs.
So North Devon, without a win all season, at last have a victory under their belts and the 2nd XI are once again deep in the mire at the wrong end of the E Division East table.
One amazing stat to come from this game was that, playing his first game for seven weeks, Chris Acton, who went to the wicket at 90-2after 15 overs, stood four not out as the wicket tumbled at the opposite end.
Indeed, Acton was still four not out when the eighth wicket fell with the score on 116! A brace of fours from Acton took his team to a third batting point. He was not out 12 at the close.
As for those North Devon III bowling returns; Jools Hughes, operating as the second change, finished with figures of 4-24 from five overs while hat-trick man Jed Foster’s return was 3-22 from six. The other wicket taker was opening seamer Rob Mann (1-30 from five) while the other opener, Nathan Ware, had figures of 0-34 from six overs. Dylan Evans sent down one over as third change (0-9) and the fourth change was young 12-year-old Noah Tovell who sent down two balls (0-0).