Bradninch & Kentisbeare claimed a thrilling three run win in a classic close contest when they travelled to Sidmouth on Matchday Three of the 2024 Tolchards Devon League Premier Division campaign.
The home team won the toss and were swift to ask the visitors to bat first.
An 88-ball 47 from opener Tim Piper – he was the seventh and final wicket to fall in the B&K innings, together with important contributions from Jon Triner (34), skipper Gary Chappell (21) and Theo Lamey (20), were the key offerings in a 25 over total of 158-7.
B&K were four down with only 31 runs on the board after one ball of the 15th over. Mitch Pugh Pugh (9), Yuvraj Singh (4), Dan Hardy (0) and Justin Wubbeling (0), were all back in the hutch when Theo Lamey joined Piper and the youngster became the fifth wicket when he fell for a 30-ball 20 to leave the score on 66-5 after one ball of the 24th over.
Jon Triner was next in and he helped Piper take the score to 108-6 when the teenager became the sixth wicket, but not before he had contributed an important 25-ball 34, hitting two fours and three sixes.
Piper was then the seventh and final wicket to fall, leaving skipper Gary Chappell (not out 21 from 20 balls) and young South African Nicholas Bayly (not out five from seven balls) as the not out batters in the B&K total of 157-7 from 35 overs.
A revised target of 153 from 35 overs was set for Sidmouth and Yuvraj Singh bowled an exceptional set of seven overs at the start of the home reply. Indeed, in those seven overs (42 balls), Singh delivered no fewer than 35 dot balls and went for just six singles whilst he also knocked over the stumps of number thee bat Taylor Ingham-Hill, dismissed for a five-ball two.
That proved to be the second Sidmouth wicket, taken with the score on 18, one ball into the ninth over. The first wicket had been one for Mitch Pugh thanks to a catch held by Josh Farley to send back Charlie Gaywood for a 19-ball three.
Jon Triner claimed the third wicket, the teenager trapping Luke Beaufort, out for a four-boundary 31-ball knock of 22. After 19 overs, Sidmouth were 59-3, still needing another 94 runs from 16 overs – a required rate of almost six runs per over.
Young Bayly picked up the fourth home wicket, having Jamie Baird caught by Tim Piper to leave Sidmouth on 96-4 after 27 overs, now needing another 57 runs from eight overs with the rate creeping up to just over seven runs an over.
The pressure was kept on as Mitch Pugh sent down the 28th over which went for just four runs and then five were gleaned from the 29th, sent down by young Bayly.
As the 30th over began Sidmouth needed 48 more runs from the remaining 36 balls! Home hopes seemed to rest on the shoulders of opener Sam Elstone who was still there on 47, scored off 74 balls during a two-hours-plus stay at the wicket. It was Jon Triner who sent down the 30th over and just five runs came from that which now meant 43 from 30 deliveries…….
Over 31 was delivered by Bayly and the Sidmouth batters managed to get eight runs – now it was a case of 35 runs required from 24 balls.
Skipper Gary Chappell delivered the 32nd over and, leading from the front, the skippers six deliveries only went for three singles which all mean that, with three overs and 18 balls left in the contest, Sidmouth still needed 32 runs. It was now a case of the home team, knowing that the skipper would still send down one more over and, with wickets in hand, it had to be a case of all-out attack.
Over 33 was sent down by young Bayly and home opener Elstone hit a six and a four as part of the 15 runs that came from the over. It all meant that, as the penultimate over of the contest began, Sidmouth required 17 runs to win. Skipper Chappell bowled it and, after a single and a dot ball, he claimed the wicket of Will Price, caught by Theo Lamey and sent back for a 17-ball 9.
The fourth ball went for a single and the fifth for a dot ball before the final ball went to the boundary for four byes which meant, as the final over of the game began, Sidmouth were 142-5, needing 11 to win and with the new batsman facing!
B&K skipper Gary Chappell threw the ball to Dan Hardy – who had earlier got a duck with the bat and who had not turned his arm over in the game. His first ball went for a single, the second was deemed to be a wide and the third was a wicket ball as he trapped Ben Way leg before. The next delivery saw nee bat Will Murray get a single and the fifth ball saw the batters scramble a leg by. It was down to two balls to come and seven runs were required.
for two and the third was a dot ball.
That all meant that seven runs were now required from three balls! Ball four was a single and ball five deemed to be a wide – now the ask was down to five runs from two deliveries. However, the penultimate delivery forced a run out and the final ball could only glean a single for the home side to leave B&K winners by a margin of just three runs.