A five-wicket haul and a run-a-ball half century from the mercurial Gary Chappell saw Bradninch 1st XI to a splendid seven wicket win at Hatherleigh, marking the Ninch return to the Tolchards Devon League Premier Division in some style.
Having won the toss and asking the home side to bat first, skipper Chappell gave the new ball duties to Ross Acton and Aryan Raigangar and the pair impressed, both keeping the economy down. Acton’s full shift of 10 overs went for just a dozen runs while Raigangar conceded just 20 from his 10 overs.
The home side made their way to 73 without loss after 26 overs with the Ninch skipper switching his bowling to try and claim that all important first wicket.
Ten overs split between Acton and Raigangar were followed by spells from the skipper himself and Craig Penberthy. Acton returned to send down the 18th and he was every bit as miserly, in terms of conceding runs, as he had been in his first spell.
Josh Farley and Eliot Acton were both called into action, but it was not until the skipper recalled himself to send down the 26th over that the breakthrough finally came. What’s more, the old adage of taking one wicket can quickly lead to a second rang so true as twice in the 26th over, Chappell claimed wickets thanks to catches held by wicketkeeper Darren Paul.
It all meant that Hatherleigh were 74-2 after 27 overs. The 28th over saw the ball given back to Raigangar and he responded with a wicket maiden and, when Chappell claimed a third wicket in the very next over – this time thanks to a catch held by Tim Piper, Hatherleigh were suddenly 74-4 after 29 overs!
The Ninch skipper then claimed a fourth wicket, this time with a leg before decision in his favour and the home side had slipped from 73 without loss after 26 overs to 75-5 after 31 overs – four of the wickets claimed by the Bradninch skipper.
The seventh wicket pairing restored some semblance of normality to the home batting effort, taking their side into three figures before Chappell brought himself back into the attack to send down the 42st over and he completed his ‘fivefer’ to leave Hatherleigh on 114-6 after 41 overs.
It was in the 47th over, sent down by Eliot Acton that the seventh wicket was claimed, last years skipper knocking over the stumps and he struck again – no less than three times in the 49th over with his cousin Ross Acton holding a catch to see the home side eight down and he claimed his third, and the ninth Hatherleigh wicket with the fifth delivery and, with the very next ball, the home side were all out with Ninch skipper Chappell holding a catch to give Acton his fourth wicket to leave the home side bowled out for 145 in 49 overs.
The bowling honours went to Gary Chappell who returned splendid figures of five for eleven from 10 overs, four of which were maidens. The Eliot Acton return was 4-26 from five and the other wicket taker was Aryan Raigangar (1-20 from 10 overs).
The other bowling figures were; Ross Acton (0-12 from ten overs), Joshua Farley 0-27 from five) and Craig Penberthy (0-43 from nine).
The Bradninch run chase was led, typically, by skipper Chappell who completed his match-winning contributor with a run-a-ball 52, hitting six fours and two sixes. Chappell and Josh Farley started things off, with Farley falling for four to the 12th delivery he received leaving the chase on 26-1. Ross Acton took over and he and he and the skipper took the Ninch reply to 70-2.
At that point Acton was six not out and he as still there at the close as the only other wicket to fall was that of Dan Hardy, bowled for a 39-ball 12 with the score then 97-3.
Tim Piper joined Acton and the pair saw their side to a comfortable opening day win. At stumps, when Bradninch were declared seven wicket winners, Ross Acton was unbeaten on 48, hitting seven fours and a six in his 103-ball knock while Tim Piper was unbeaten on nine (two fours) from 26 balls.
The winning line was passed with 21 and a half overs still to be bowled!