Bradninch won the first of what will be three warm-up games ahead of the start of the 2022 Tolchards Devon Cricket League Premier campaign.
With skipper Gary Chappell one of a cluster of 1st XI players missing for this game, the team that did take to the pitch was led by Ross Acton and it was as the sun began to set on Easter Saturday that Acton and his men sealed a 31-run win over visiting Abbotskerswell.
After winning the toss, Bradninch launched their innings with Josh Farley and Thom Bunker at the wicket and they added 31 before Farley fell for a 23-ball 19, the opener losing his wicket in the sixth over. Just three runs were added before Bunker joined Farley back in the changing rooms, in his case, out for an 18-ball 10, with the score then 34-2, two balls into the eighth over.
Skipper Ross Acton was in at three and he and Tim Piper added a run-a-ball 51 before Acton fell for a 37-ball 44 – the skipper for the day choosing not to do much running between the wickets as all but four of his 44 runs, scored during a 37 minute stay at the crease, came in boundaries!
Darren Paul was next man in, but he was soon welcoming a new batter to the middle as Piper fell for a 29-ball 18, to leave Bradninch 111-4 after 18.4 overs.
Will Squire was next man in and he helped Paul take the total to 128 when Squire fell to the penultimate delivery of the 24th over, out for a 19-ball four.
From 128-5, Aryan Raigangar joined Paul and the pair put together a 34 run partnership for the sixth wicket which became that of Paul, finally out to the 35th delivery he received. During his 51 minute stay at the crease, Paul hit seven fours in his total of 43.
Ross Lawson joined Raigangar and they took the home total to 178 when, to the third delivery of the 32nd over, Lawson was run out for a 10-ball seven.
One run later, Bradninch were eight down with Ethan Brenton, stumped for a sixth delivery duck leaving the home side sitting on a troubled 179-8 with still seven overs and two balls of the 40 overs remaining.
Crucially, for the home cause, Aryan Raigangar, was still at the crease and he was joined by Lewis Rhodes and the pair put together what would ultimately prove to be a match defining 35 runs for the unbroken ninth wicket. Unbroken, in as much as Raigangar trooped off with his wicket intact, having scored 31 from 33 balls faced hitting two sixes and one four.
Raigangar’s sporting decision with a coupe of overs remaining, meant last man Liam Reed got some time out in the middle.
Rhodes was the ninth wicket to fall, but not before he had hit a splendid 27-ball 22. Raigangar retuned to score one more run from the one delivery he faced leaving him unbeaten on 32 at the close of the innings with Reed not out five from six balls faced as Bradninch posted a healthy total of 222-9 after 40 overs.
The Abbotskerswell bowling returns were led by teenager James Tyler with his figures being 2-27 from five overs and there were also a brace of wickets for Jake Fox (2-17 from five) and there were single wicket returns for Charlie Smout-Cooper 1-21 from four overs, Chris Meikle (1-21 from three), Darren Clayton (1-22 from four) and Chris Clough (1-44 from six).
As for the Abbotskerswell reply, that was launched by Eddie Smout-Cooper and Charlie Hill and they added 16 before Hill fell to the first delivery of the third over, clean bowled by Ethan Brenton, and sent back for a seven ball five. James Tyler joined Smouth-Cooper and the pair added 30 for the second wicket which became that of Smouth-Cooper, clean bowled by Acton for a 26-ball 17 leaving the visitors on 46-2 after 9.3 overs.
Young Tyler was joined by former Cullompton player Jason Parr, but two balls after the loss of Smout-Cooper, Tyler fell, also to Acton, caught by Darren Paul for a 25-ball 13.
Parr was joined at the crease by Charlie Smout-Cooper and they took the total to 68 when Parr fell to the last ball of the 14th over, stumped by Thom Bunker for a 13-ball 12. Four down and 68 on the board was soon five down for 78 runs with Smout-Cooper the next wicket, caught by Darren Paul off the bowling of Raigangar for a 29-ball 18.
Ben Cowdry, batting at six, was joined by Chris Clough at seven and the pair put bat to ball with great effect adding 90 in just 44 deliveries, with some brutal punishment to the bowling of Liam Reed (0-42 off two, Tim Piper (0-21 off two) and Lewis Rhodes (0-16 off one) – the batters were also helped by a large number of ‘extras’. Indeed, in the innings, the home bowlers managed to bowl one 12-ball over and two overs that took 11 deliveries to complete.
Skipper Acton turned to Josh Farley and Aryan Raigangar to redress the balance and the switch, combined with the retirement of Clough after his hard-hitting 24-ball 56 – he hit four sixes and seven fours, Abbotskwersell slipped from 68-5 from one ball shy of 26 overs to a closing total of 191-9 after 31.3 overs leaving Bradninch winners by a margin of 31 runs.
Farley picked up three of the last four wickets to fall – he bowled James Vincent for a 19-ball 13, trapped Chris Meikle leg before for a third ball duck and then bowled last man Jake Fox for a first ball duck. Raigangar bowled Darren Clayton for a fourth ball duck and the not out visiting batsman was Ben Cowdry who faced 48 deliveries for his 23.
As for the Bradninch bowling returns, the pick was certainly the 4-17 from 6.3 overs sent down by Josh Farley while skipper Ross Acton, had a return of 2-14 from five. Aryan Raigangar (2-23 from six) and Ethan Brenton (1-47 from eight), were the other wicket takers.