A wonderfully battling unbeaten 45 from Nick Acton and an equally inspiring knock of 15 not out from 13-year-old Bobby Marsh – the pair put on 54 runs for the unbroken ninth wicket, was not quite enough to force what would have been a priceless victory over Sidmouth III in the final home game of the BCC IIs 2022 Tolchards Devon League E Division season.
This was a ‘must win’ game for both teams and the contest went to the wire.
After being invited to bat first, Sidmouth were given a flying start by Matt Cooke (39) and 15-year-old Will Goodall (27), but after Cooke fell, caught behind by Bryn Jones off the bowling of Josh Richards, Sidmouth went from 64-0 after eight overs, to 80-4 after 17 as Nick Mansfield was bowled by Paul Nott for two, Andy Cross was caught Thom Bunker, bowled Josh Richards and skipper Tim Chapman fell to a golden duck – bowled by Richards.
It was 115-5 after 24 overs with young Goodall unlucky to be run out by a throw from Mark Perrott.
However, a 56-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Miles Dalton (19) and Anthony Cox (71), gave the visiting innings the boost it needed – and at an opportune time – so that Sidmouth, thanks to that exceptional knock from Cox who faced 63-balls for his 71, closed on 217-9.
They were 211-7 having lost Dalton for that knock of 19 and then Lee Clayden, who contributed an invaluable 15, before slipping to 215-9 after 42 overs, losing Cox,, caught by Jason Dowrick off the bowling of Mark Perrott and then young Jack Rattenbury for one – in his case caught by Chris Acton to give Perrott a third wicket . But some clever batting by tail enders Adam Manakad and Michael Selby meant the final wicket was not lost and Bradninch were denied all five bowling points.
As for the home bowling effort there were two ;stand out’ returns with those being the 3-29 from the six overs (one maiden) sent down by Mark Perrott and the 3-30 from a full shift of nine overs (two maidens) delivered by Josh Richards. Paul Nott (1-22 from nine), Jack Horton (1-47 from nine) and Chris Acton (1-17 from four) were the other wicket takers while the other two to bowl were opening duo Thom Bunker (0-32 from four) and Nick Acton (0-31 from four).
When Bradninch replied the innings was launched by Paul Nott and Thom Bunker but, the ball after rifling a confident four, Bunker holed out to mid-off where the safe hands of Matt Cooke were waiting to give Lee Clayden the first of his three wickets.
That left Ninch 6-1 after three overs, but Jack Horton joined Nott and they took the score to 43 when Horton fell in almost identical fashion to Bunker, caught by Cooke off Clayden.
Will Birley joined Nott and the pair looked very comfortable as they doubled the home total, adding 44 when Birley looked to sweep a straight delivery from Tom Chapman and was trapped leg before and out for a run-a-ball 19.
That was 87-3 and, just as the Sidmouth fifth batsman fell to the very first delivery he faced, so did the home fifth batsman as Josh Richards perished to a first ball caught-in-the-deep, a fine catch this held by young Rattenbury off the bowling of Chapman.
Eighty-seven for four became 118-5 as Nott’s 89-ball stay at the wicket ended as he was bowled by Miles Dalton for 45.
Just seven runs later and it was 125-6 with Jason Dowrick falling to a third Matt Cooke catch, this one off the bowling of Dalton. Chris Acton was joined by brother Nick and they took the score to 143 when Chris fell, trapped leg before for 20.
It was soon 158-8 with the loss of Bryn Jones for 10. That left young Bobby Marsh joining Nick Acton with 10 overs remaining and 60 runs required to force an unlikely victory.
Unlikely? No one told the two Ninch batters who played superbly to take their side to the start of the final over with 15 runs needed. Young Rattenbury was the bowler and young Marsh scrambled a single to take his total to a splendid 15. The second ball saw Acton slap it to the boundary – now it was ten runs needed off four balls!
A dot ball followed and then there were two runs – eight runs needed off two balls, but young Rattenbury bowled an excellent yorker and, when the last ball was sent down, Bradninch needed an impossible eight – they got two and so lost the game by just five runs.
What were the differences on the day? Ninch bowled 28 wides to the 18 sent down by Sidmouth and so, frustratingly, for the second time this season (the first was at home to Thorverton when we lost by 10 runs having bowled 29 wides) – that damned wide delivery once again played a key role.