A wonderful 88 run partnership for the sixth wicket between Neil Farley (37) and Cameron Dennis (63) saw Bradninch & Kentisbeare III XI to a splendid four wicket win over Cheriton Fitzpaine when the sides met at Rectory Park, Kentisbeare to contest a Tolchards Devon League G Division East game.
After skipper Chris Gillett won the toss and asked his opposite number to bat first, Rory Dennis struck with his second ball to claim the wicket of Cheriton opener Grant Squire, adjudged leg before for a second ball duck. Dennis struck again thanks to a catch held by young Lewis Coombes who departed for a 24-ball six.
First change Alan Rodgers claimed the third Cheriton wicket when he knocked the stumps over of Robert Milton (20 from 31 balls) with his third delivery of what would be an opening wicket maiden and, at the end of the 11th over, the visitors were 31-3.
Three overs later it was 51-4 with Dennis claiming a third wicket thanks to a catch held by Chris Gillett that ended the innings of Nick Roud who was sent back with a 17-ball 16 to his name.
After 20 overs the Cherries score was 80-4. That score moved to 146 when, to the first ball of the 35th over, Lewis Coombes, who had opened the bowling, was recalled and, thanks to a catch held by Alan Rogers, saw an end to a fine knock from Jeremy Tricks that saw the Cheriton wicket-keeper/batsman score a 70-ball 46.
Cameron Dennis was the next home bowler to strike with George Holding claiming the catch to leave Cheriton on 152-6 after 38 overs.
It was then 161-7 after 39 overs with Cameron Dennis again involved, though this time it was his catch that gave Lewis Coombes a wicket.
At the close of the innings – 40 overs – Cheriton were 167-7. The B&K bowling returns were led by Rory Dennis (3-24 from eight). Lewis Coombes’s return was 2-32 from eight while the Cameron Dennis return was 1-28 from eight. The other wicket taker was Alan Rodgers (1-33 from eight) and the others to bowl were Oliver Smith (0-25 from three), George Holding (0-20 from three) and Neil Farley (0-11 from two).
Chris Gillett and Rich Norman led the reply and the latter fell to the second ball of the fifth over, bowled for a 13-ball nine to leave the reply on 28-1. Neil Farley took over and the second wicket took the total to 34 when, to the final ball of the eighth over Gillett was bowled and departed for a 23-ball 15. Young Bobby Marsh was in at four and he was soon showing his growing potential as he hit a couple of fours and a brace of sixes and he and Farley took the ‘runs required’ figure below 100.
However, with the score on 76, young Marsh fell for a four boundary 24-ball 31 and, to the very next delivery, George Holding fell to a catch to leave the run chase on 76-4. It got worse as, in the same over as Marsh and Holding had fallen, so too did Joe Mcqueenie and so, in the space of a single over, B&K slipped from a solid start of 76-2 to a wobbling 76-5!
Cameron Dennis joined Neil Farley and the pair steadied things, taking their side into three figures – after 23 overs – the reply was on 107-5 with 61 more runs required from the available 17 overs.
The pair continued to prosper and the half century partnership was reached off 74 balls and, at the end of the 29th over the score was 133-5 with just 35 more runs required from 11 overs with five wickets to play with.
Dennis reached a splendid fifty, scored off just 48 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes.
The score was soon 143-5, this after 32 overs with Farley on 28 and Dennis on 51 – the pair having added 67 runs off 98 balls.
Dennis hit the penultimate ball of the 35th over for six to take the reply to 164-5 with just a single blow needed to seal a splendid victory.
In what proved to be the final over, Neil Farley was bowled for a splendid 94-ball 37 and so it was left to young Lewis Coombes to come out and score the winning runs, hitting the second ball he faced to the boundary.
Cameron Dennis trooped off at stumps with a magnificent unbeaten 58-ball 63 and, in his time at the middle he rifled six fours and launched four sixes!