Singh claims four wicket haul as 1st XI brush aside visiting Bovey Tracey in eight wicket win
Bradninch and Kentisbeare followed up their success from seven days before when they moved second in the Tolchards Devon League Premier Division table by becoming the first team to defeat leaders Sandford, defeating visiting Bovey Tracey by eight wickets at Kensham Park.
Fittingly, it was Yuvraj Singh who rifled the third ball of the 23rd over to the boundary to bring up the win – this coming after he had claimed a four wicket haul earlier in the contest.
It was another terrific bowling performance that set up this latest victory – bowling the visitors out for just 115 in a shade shy of 40 overs and then racing to an eight wicket win thanks to a 53-ball 46 from opener Mitch Pugh and a 42-ball 34 from opener Tim Piper – the top order batters putting on 75 in just 13 overs before the first of them fell.
It was left to Yuvraj Singh (8 from 16 ) and Dan Hardy (14 from 30) to see the side over the winning line.
Earlier in the day, after the visitors had won the toss and opted the bat, the opening over saw a four struck off the first ball sent down by Yuvraj Singh, but after three deliveries the visitors were two wickets down! With his second ball the Indian seamer had trapped one of the openers leg before and, with his very next delivery he knocked over the stumps of the number three bat! Indeed, so effective was the opening salvo from Singh at one end at Ross Acton at the other that, 12 overs into the contest, Bovey Tracey were a troubled 26-4 with Singh’s first six overs seeing him return figures of 3-11(one leg before, one clean bowled and one as a result of a Jon Triner catch) – bowling no fewer than 30 dot balls – while the Acton return was 3-13.
Acton claimed his second wicket in his seventh over to leave Bovey Tracey on 33-5 after 13 overs and three balls!
Acton completed his 10-over stint, returning impressive figures of 2-23 (one leg before and one thanks to a Billy Wakeley catch) – he bowled 45 dot balls – before, in the 21st over, first change Mitch Pugh, who took over from Singh, claimed the sixth visiting wicket thanks to a catch held by skipper Gary Chappell to leave Bovey Tracey on 51-6.
After 24 overs the tight control that B&K were holding over proceedings was continuing with the visiting side having scored only 56 runs – and they had lost six wickets.
Yuvraj Singh returned to send down the 25th over and this yielded just a single before, in his second over since being recalled, Singh claimed the seventh visiting wicket – his fourth of the game – this one a second catch of the match for Jon Triner to leave Bovey Tracey on 73-7 after 27 overs.
Gary Chappell bowled his opposite number (Toby Codd) to claim the eighth wicket of the afternoon and, after 30 overs, the visitors were 76-8.
Singh completed his afternoons work with the ball, his 10 overs return being an impressive 4-22, making him the fourth B&K 1st XI bowler into double figures for league wickets this season (Ross Acton, Mitch Pugh and Josh Farley were already at that mark ahead of the game).
Farley became the third change, replacing skipper Chappell from the Mill End. Farley’s first over, the 32nd of the game, was a maiden and it was a return for Mitch Pugh at the opposite end of which the score was 80-8.
A catch behind held by glovesman Justin Wubbeling – a second wicket for Pugh – left Bovey nine down and so, with their last pair at the wicket, the visitors were 88-9.
Bovey reached three figures in the 37th over as the final wicket pairing continued to frustrate the home faithful. Pugh became the third bowler to complete a full shift of 10 overs when he sent down the 39th over at the end of which the score was 114-9 making the tenth and final wicket partnership the most prosperous of the game to date!
Just one more run was added before Josh Farley claimed the final wicket to leave Bovey Tracey bowled out for 115 in 39 overs and five balls.
2nd XI…………………………
In a rain-affected D Division East game up at Instow, Bradninch & Kentisbeare 2nd XI were six wicket winners against North Devon 2nds. The home side were invited to bat first when B&K skipper Eliot Acton won the toss and 114-6 after their allotted 34 overs.
James Mills 3-25 from seven overs – holding a catch off his own bowling and then seeing Will Greig pouch a catch for his second before knocking the stumps over for his the – took the bowling honours while there was another impressive effort from Eliza Heard as she sent down eight overs to return figures of 2-20 – Eliza claiming her first wicket thanks to a catch behind held by Scott Chappell before she knocked over the stumps of the home sides Will Popham who was sent back with 24 runs to his name. The other wicket was claimed by Tom Kittow (1-20 from seven overs) – his wicket coming thanks to an Eliot Acton catch. The other two B&K bowlers to turn their arms over – Ankit Badwal and the skipper (Eliot Acton) both returned the identical figures of 0-23 from six overs.
The run chase saw the early loss of openers Will Greig and Sam Franks who fell for 10 and seven respectively to leave B&K on 19-2 after 3.5 overs. Sadly, just two more overs were sent down before, for the second time in the contest, the rain arrived and the covers were rolled out to cover the playing strip. Play resumes after a brief stop with a revised target of 95 from 34 overs and B&K were soon three down with the loss of Freddie Gillett, caught for a 12-ball 11 to leave the run chase on 32-3 after 6.5 overs – still needing another 83 runs. Ankit Badwal joined Chappell and the former was unlucky when he got a ball that lifted sharply and he was given out, caught for one to leave B&K four down – however – the umpires consulted and the delivery was deemed to be ‘dead’ (this season any contact with the head deems the ball to be an automatic dead ball) and so the B&K batsman was returned to the crease.
Having been reprieved, Badwal then slammed a brace of fours to leave B&K on 42-3 after nine overs. He continued to put bat to ball and had chalked up 25 off just 15 balls.
It all meant that, at the end of the 11th over, the chase was on 64-3 needing another 51 runs from the remaining 23 overs.
Badwal hit his second six to bring up a 50 run partnership for the fourth wicket, the pair added two more before, to the final delivery of the 15th over, Badwal was bowled and trooped back with a 26-ball 40 to his name.
It all meant that, with skipper Eliot Acton the next man in, he joined Chappell at the crease with the run chase on 86-4 with the winning post very much ‘in site’ more runs needed for victory. Fittingly the skipper slammed the fifth ball he faced for a six to bring up a six-wicket win. At the close, the skipper was not out eight (scored off five balls) while the other not out batsman was Scott Chappell on 16 from 38 balls faced.
3rd XI………………………………..
Third XI chalk up eight wicket home win thanks to three wickets from both Dennis and Holding and a Percival (Snr) unbeaten half century.
Bradninch & Kentisbeare III XI were eight wicket winners when they entertained Heathcoat IV in a G Division East game. The away side wo the toss, opted to bat first and were promptly bowled out for 117 in 26 overs. Cameron Dennis served up the pick of the bowling returns with his figures of 3-23 from six overs and George Holding also claimed three wickets – his figures were 3-32 from six overs. Lewis Coombes, who opened the bowling and inflicted the early ‘damage’ finished with a return of 2-25 from his six overs and the other wickets were claimed by Rory Dennis with 1-15 from five overs and Hugo (1-23 from three overs). What’s more, in a fine all-round display in terms of the B&K bowling and out-fielding, no fewer than eight catches were held!
The B&K run chase was given an 86 run start before Rich Norman fell, trapped leg before for a 35-ball 25. That first wicket fell just moments after Tim Percival had reached his half century and he went on to be unbeaten on a 12-boundary, 56-ball 63.
There was one more wicket lost – that being the wicket of Ollie Percival who was caught for two, but then Bobby Marsh continued his fine form of seven days before by scoring an unbeaten 22 – hitting two fours and two sixes – helping Percival to guide the side to an eight wicket win, B&K closing on122-2, scored in a single delivery less than 19 overs with young Marsh chalking up the victory with his second maximum!