Farley claims opening day ‘four-fer’ as 1st XI make maximum point winning start
Bradninch & Kentisbeare 1st XI launched their 2024 Devon League Premier Division with a maximum point success at Plympton.
After winning the toss and asking the home side to bat first, B&K skipper Gary Chappell used six bowlers as he had the hosts bundled out for just 102 in 33 overs.
The home side had reached 20 when Mitch Pugh struck to claim the opening wicket and then just 13 runs were added while two more wickets were snared, a second for Pugh before Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh announced his return to the club for a second successive season with a wicket.
Josh Farley then picked up a brace of wickets with Tom Piper pouching a catch for his first and then the stumps were knocked over for his second success to leave the home side with half their team back in the hutch and just 55 runs on the board.
It was soon 68-6 as Justin Wubbeling marked his league debut for the side with a catch to give Farley a third wicket. Just six runs were added to the home score when a seventh wicket was claimed, this time with Jonathan Triner, another of the ‘new lads’ at the club this season, holding a catch to give Farley a fourth wicket.
Three runs later and Wubbeling again showed safe hands, this time to help Triner to a debut wicket and teenager Triner struck again to claim a second wicket, this time with help from the safe hands of Dan Hardy.
It was left to Andrew Buzza to round things off as he claimed the 10th and final wicket to leave Plympton all out for 102.
The B&K bowling honours went to first change Josh Farley with his return being 4-22 from eight overs. Jonathan Triner returned figures of 2-14 from four overs while Mitch Pugh, who shared the new ball duties with Singh, had figures of 2-23 from seven and the other wicket takers were Yuvraj Singh (1-14 from seven) and Andrew Buzza (1-9 from two). The sixth bowler used was the skipper himself and the Chappell return was 0-6 from five overs.
The B&K run chase was launched by Tim Piper and Mitch Pugh who put on 31 before Pugh was caught for an 11-ball, two boundary, eight. Piper was joined by Dan Hardy and they took the score to 82 when Piper was bowled for a 39-ball, eight boundary (two sixes and six fours) 41. There was to be just one further casualty in terms of the successful run chase with Yuvraj Singh falling to a catch and departing for a second ball duck. That left Justin Wubbeling, making his B&K debut against his former team, to join Hardy and see the side to a comfortable seven wicket win with the finishing line crossed at 106-3, two balls into the 17th over.
Hardy finished unbeaten on 28, scored off 34 balls with five boundaries while Wubbeling was not out 10 from the dozen balls he faced, one of which was rifled to the boundary.
The rest of the B&K batting line up was: John Triner, Josh Farley, Andrew Buzza, Ross Lawson, Eliot Acton and skipper Gary Chappell.
Great Greig and then Acton ‘Action’ guides B&K 2nd XI to first day home success
A 50-ball, nine boundary (three 6s and six fours) 58 from skipper Will Greig was the hallmark of a 30-run opening day win for the Bradninch & Kentisbeare 2nd XI against visiting Ottery St Mary 2nd XI in the opening game of the 2024 Devon League D Division East campaign.
After losing the toss and being put in, skipper Greig and Ross Acton added 54 for the first wicket – in good time also with the pair passing 50 in just the fifth over! Acton fell to a catch behind for 11, scored off 17 balls faced and that brough Sam Franks to the middle to join his skipper and they added 48 for the second wicket, being parted with the score on 102 with Franks bowled for 19, a total he scored off 27 balls.
Just four runs were added before Greig became wicket number three, caught superbly and departing for that trademark hard-hitting half century. However, from 102-1 in the 15th over, B&K collapsed to 161 all out losing their last nine wickets for just 59 runs in 72 deliveries! Ankit Badwal, batting at six, thumped a six and a pair of fours before he was out for 17, scored off just 10 balls, but the only other double figure was a 20-ball 16 scored by Connor Carthew. The other home scores with the bat were: Tom Kittow 7 (15), Chris Acton 4 (5), Billy Wakely 4 (6), Scott Chappell 1 (5), Steve March 1 (2) and Joe McQueenie 0 not out from one ball faced.
For the Otters, Dave Weeks took the bowling honours with his return of 4-32 from four overs while Sophie Branston bowled well for her return of 3-17 from five and Will Harrison, who opened the bowling, returning figures of 2-51 from nine overs.
Another feature of the first innings was a number of stunning catches held by the Ottery fielders, in particular a couple held by Steve Forbes and a ‘cracker’ held by Dave Weeks.
When Ottery replied they had a 40-run opening stand between Matt Brewster and Rickson, a partnership ended by a Connor Carthew catch to give Billy Wakely a wicket. That saw an end to the knock of Brewster and 15 runs were added before a smart throw from Wakely ran out Jackson for 27, a knock that would prove to be the highest contribution by an Ottery batsman.
Fifty-five for two became 73-3 and then 76-6 as Ross Acton claimed two wickets – both bowled. The fifth wicket rallied adding 46, but then Acton trapped John Buckland leg before and out for 19. However, two more quick-fire wickets with Acton the successful bowler, reduced the Otters to 124-6 after 30 overs and just seven more runs were added as Sam Franks and Ankit Badwal both claimed a brace of wickets to leave Ottery all out for 131 after 35 overs, leaving B&K opening day winners.
In terms of the B&K bowling returns, the best was the 4-32 from the nine overs sent down in three spells by Ross Acton – two from the Mill End and one from the Tennis Court end. Ankit Badwal sent down overs for his most economical return of 2-16 from nine and the Sam Franks return was 2-11 from three overs. Billy Wakley was the other wicket taker with his return being 1-24 from five. Others to bowl were Chris Acton (0-34 from eight) and Tom Kittow (0-6 from one).
In terms of the points: Bradninch & Kentisbeare picked up 19 points while the Otters claimed eight.
Skipper Reed bowls B & K Third XI to opening day victory.
Bradninch & Kentisbeare 3rd XI were 35-run winners when they hosted Exwick 2nd XI in a Devon League H Division East. Batting first, it was knocks of 34 from both Richard Norman and James Mills and 26 from Will Birley that played a big part in the B&K total of 141 all out in 35.1 overs. Chris Gillett chipped in with a knock of 17 and the rest of the B&K batting contributions were: James Sprague (7), Steven Ryan (6), skipper Liam Reed (3), Bobby Marsh (2not out), Lewis Coombes (1), George Holding (0) and Peter Kittow (0). For Exwick, the pick of the bowling returns was the 4-26 from the 5.1 overs bowled by S Yadu. While there was also an impressive 4-43 from the eight overs sent down by S Rahmani.
In the Exwick reply the Exeter-based side slipped to 23-3 thanks to a clean bowled by James Mills followed by a brace of wickets for skipper Liam Reed.
The fourth wicket pairing rallied, almost doubling the total before Mills struck again, this time removing number three bat Ellis for 35. Just 13 runs were added before Exwick lost a fifth wicket to a run out and now they had half their side back in the hutch with the score on 58, still some 83 runs short of their target.
The excellent Lewis Coombes, one of a number of teenagers in the side, then picked up wickets six and seven to leave Exwick on 71-7. The eighth wicket pairing added 26 to take their side to within four runs of three figures when some smart wicket keeping by young Bobby Marsh reduced the visitors to 97-8. Skipper Liam Reed claimed the ninth wicket and it was left to George Holding to wrap things up to leave Exwick all out for 106 in 26.4 overs.
For B&K the best of the bowling returns was the 3-20 from the 6.4 overs sent down by skipper Liam Reed. James Mills, who had early hit the joint top score, claimed a brace of wicket with his return being 2-23 from eight overs while young Lewis Coombes was impressive with his 2-18 from five overs while the other bowler to bag a wicket was George Holding with his return being 1-13 from two overs.
This was a fine opening day win for Liam Reed and the B&K 3rd XI and they banked 18 points for their first day efforts.