Devon Cricket Board - A Division previews: Heathcoat under no illusions

HEATHCOAT captain Sam Smith is determined his players won’t get carried away by the leaders’ flying start to the season.
Going into tomorrrow’s trip to Barton, Heathcoat are 14 points clear at the top of the table and are the only unbeaten side left.

Paignton were unbeaten until they ran into Heathcoat last Saturday and suffered a 145-run drubbing.

So everything in the garden is rosy? Not a bit of it says Smith.

“We are well aware four of our first five game were against the bottom four sides and the real tests are yet to come,” said Smith.

“Barton is never any easy place to go and with Sandford and Plympton in the next few weeks it is about to start getting tougher for us.”

Barton feel confident after they defeated Hatherleigh last Saturday and will try to concentrate on doing more of the same.

“It will be a ttough test this weekend against a team who are unbeaten, but we will concentrate on our own game,” said skipper Adam Parker.

“It's important we continue from last week where we applied ourselves a lot better with bat and ball and saw the rewards of doing so.

“We got rid of few bad habits last week so it's vital that we don't let them come back into our game.”

Team news is that Jamie Peters and Andy McVeigh are having some game time in the 2nd XI and in come Steve Lewis and Chris Penner.

Hatherleigh will be looking to raise their game by 50 per cent at least when they go to Sandford.

“It will be very difficult away trip, but we will try and perform for both half of the game instead of one,” said captain Mark Lake.

“Last week’s bowling performance was by far the worst of the season.

“After setting a reasonable total at Barton, they won at a canter thanks to wayward bowling and too many four balls.

“I am looking for our bowlers to improve and make the opposition work for their runs.”

Danny Forrester comes in for Andy Collier.

Plympton – away to Brixham – show one change to the side which defeated Plymstock.

Matt Gregory is unavailable so Craig Donohue returns in his place.

Plympton got it right with bat and ball in a tight game at Plymstock and skipper Jeremy Williams wants more of the same.”

“Last week was the first time I think we really performed as a unit especially in the bowling and fielding department,” said Williams

“We are going to have reproduce that kind of form if we are to get a result at Brixham, who we know are going to be a tough team to beat.”

Abbots are looking to build on their win over Brixham when they go to bottom side Braunton.

The Kelsey men are already 18 points adrift at the bottom and the signs aren’t good.

“It is a great chance for us to put back-to-back wins together for the first time this season, which would see us moving up the table,” said captain Dickie Acton.

“Braunton look like they have been struggling this season and with the confidence we have taken from last week’s win, I am confident of returning with a positive result.

“Our all-round performance was excellent last week, Toby Codd was outstanding with the ball and Charlie Garratt found form with the bat.”

The only change is Greg French is unavailable so bowler Chris Robson-Close comes in.

PLYMSTOCK travel to Paignton after last week’s six wicket defeat to Plympton, but they are not dwelling on the defeat.
“To be blatantly honest we didn’t bat great, but we weren't helped by a poor pitch and some decisions that went against us,” said vice-captain James Nicholls.
“If those decisions had gone our way we would have been right in the game, but they didn't and we move on to this week.
“This week we go to Paington and we know they will be a good side, they had a blip against a very good side in Heathcoat and they will be looking to bounce back this weekend.
“We will have to be on top of our game and execute our plans well.
“As for us we have to show a bit more fight when we are batting our top three know we need to take responsibility which we didn’t do on Saturday as we all got in and then got out. “We have a very exciting middle order and if we can lay a platform for them, then they can do a lot of damage, especially in this form with powerplays.”
Plymstock’s season is approaching a make-or-break period with Brixham and Hatherleigh coming up.
“Both are in and around us and we must be looking to take big points from these games.,” said Nicholls,
“This is why we must put on a good show this weekend and take momentum into these games.”
“Plymstock have been forced into a few changes this weekend with Dan Robotham unavailable due to work, Hal Kerton away with some job interviews and Josh Hocken left out.
In come three batsmen in Teddy Richards, Steve Coomber and Rob Baker.
“This is the strongest team available to us and we have a lot of all-round cricketers in our side which gives us a lot of bowling options,” claimed Nicholls.
Paignton bring in Simon Edwards, who made a century in the second team last Saturday.
Richard Ashworth is back, which gives skipper Connor Bryan another batting option.
“Both will strengthen our team and we are looking forward to the game ahead,” said Paignton skipper Connor Bryan.