Saturday, September 3, 2022 will stay long in the memory of the three figure crowd who were at Kensham Park to witness a moment of history for Bradninch Cricket Club as the 1st XI secured the Tolchards Devon League Premier Division title, defeating the 2021 champions Heathcoat, by five wickets.
Fittingly, one of the two batsmen at the wicket when the winning moment was secured was captain Gary Chappell who has once again led from the front this season, scoring more league runs than any of his team-mates and claiming more wickets than anyone else.
With inclement weather hovering, the toss was one by Chappell and he asked his opposite number to bat first.
Pete Randerson and Liam Kitch opened the Heathcoat innings and they had put on 38 when Kitch fell, run out for a 25-ball 19.
Jamie Drew joined his skipper but, having found the boundary with one of the four deliveries he had faced, Drew fell, caught behind by glovesman Darren Paul off the bowling of Ross Acton and the visitors were 42-2.
Liam Lewis took over and he and Randerson took their side to within three runs of 100 when Randerson was trapped leg before to a Gary Chappell delivery; the Heathcoat skipper having faced 73 balls, hitting 10 fours in his knock of 59.
Ed Butler was next man in – and out – caught by the safe hands of Chad Classen to give Joshua Farley a wicket. Butler was out for a 19-ball six and now Heathcoat were 116-4.
Just four runs were added before James Onley-Gregson became the fifth visiting batsmen to be sent back, in his case, trapped leg before by Gary Chappell for a six-ball duck.
That left Heathcoat 120-5 and it was soon 136-6 with Malcolm Cloete caught by Mitchell Pugh off Chad Classen and out for a 26-ball five.
Classen then removed Tom Hatton thanks to a second catch pouched by Darren Paul and, with Hatton out for a five-ball one, Heathcoat were seven down with 143 runs on the board.
With the score still on 143, Matt Hague fell for a four-ball duck, caught by Gary Chappell off Chad Classen – a third wicket in quick succession for the South African speedster.
Finn Stoneman was the next man in and he managed to stick around with Liam Lewis, the latter who kept the visiting innings ticking over and, when the final ball was delivered, Heathcoat had reached 175-8 from their 50 overs with Lewis unbeaten on 70, scored off 123 deliveries with five fours and a six. Stoneman was not out eight, from 14 balls faced.
In terms of the home bowling effort; Chad Classen took the honours in the wicket taking department, finishing with figures of 3-42 from a full shift of 10 overs.
Ross Acton, who began with successive maidens, ended with 1-37 from his 10 overs. Mitchell Pugh was first change and he sent down five overs for a 0-19 return. Skipper Chappell introduced himself as second change and he returned impressive figures of 2-27 from 10 overs while Joshua Farley bettered his skippers return – certainly in terms of economy as his 10 overs went for just 21 runs!
If the home faithful were contemplating what they thought might be a straightforward run-chase then they were shook to the core as, just after heading out to launch the reply with his skipper, Tim Piper had his stumps knocked over by the second delivery he faced with Malcolm Cloete the successful bowler. That left Bradninch on 3-1 with Ross Acton trooping out to join Gary Chappell.
Just six days before, Acton had played the anchor role in the Ninch T20 defeat to Banbury, but he showed good form with that bat in that knock and he continued again against Heathcoat. Indeed, Acton and the skipper added fifty, taking the score to 53 when Acton fell, trapped leg before to Tom Hatton and out for a 40-ball, four boundary 25.
This brought Mitch Pugh to the middle to join the skipper and it was to be the Pugh contribution that rifled Ninch well beyond the ‘Duckworth Lewis’ total should the weather set in and spoil the contest.
Pugh faced just 51 balls as he plundered nine fours in a knock that saw him on 49 when he was adjudged leg before to a Matt Hague delivery.
The score was 121-3 when Pugh was dismissed and the next man in was Chad Classen, playing his last game for the club before he returns to his native South Africa.
Another wicket at this stage would have ‘opened a door’ for the visitors, but Classen played his part, helping Chappell to add 38 crucial runs before, to the 20th delivery he faced, Classen was caught by Malcolm Cloete off the bowling of Matt Hague and he trooped back with 14 runs to his name.
However, as Classen walked off and Eliot Acton took over, just 17 runs were required by the home side and, with skipper Chappell clearly not for moving hope sprang high that there would be no further loss of wickets to add to the growing tension.
There was not to be another wicket! Indeed, Chappell went serenely to yet another half century as the winning line was crossed with two balls remaining in the 37th over.
The winning run was followed by a roar that must have been heard in Hele as players ran onto the pitch to herald their skipper who was unbeaten on 70 from 95 balls faced, hitting 10 fours while Eliot Acton was not seven from 13 balls faced with Bradninch securing a very comfortable six wicket win and with it winning the Devon Cricket League Premier Division title for the first time ever.
Join us later in the week as we loom back on a champion season – we’ll bring you a game by game break-down of the road to the title along with all the individual stats from the campaign.
Let’s finish by just repeating that fabulous sentence – Bradninch CC, Champions of Devon – yes, it sounds so good we’ll write it one more time – Bradninch CC, Champions of Devon…………