Devon Cricket Board - B Division - Rowe hat-trick boosts Alphas + Lewdown in crushing form

CHUDLEIGH lost more ground on the leaders in the B Division when they went down by 15 runs to Alphington.
The gap behind leaders Lewdown has widened to 11 points, not that skipper Jon Martin is too concerned.

“It was one of those days where it just didn't quite go right,” said Martin.

“We let them score too many through a combination of poor bowling and fielding in phases, but chasing 185 was more than gettable.

“Once again two or three got starts and didn't go on and get a big one.

“A combination of bad shot selection and a couple of debatable decisions cost us a game that we should of won.

“Hopefully two losses on the bounce will give us the incentive to change for the better.”

Alphington recovered from losing both openers for ducks – to make 184 all out.

With the Alphington score at 69 for four, Mike Shepherd (89) and Dave Haysom (25) formed a good partnership by first blunting the Chudleigh attack and then cashing in on some loose bowling.

Haysom finally fell, lbw to Vittles (3-41) after a partnership of 79.

The visitors’ middle and lower order put up very little fight and Chudleigh wrestled back control of the game.

Holmes (4-23) was particularly impressive by bowling full and straight to dismiss both Lee Rowe and James Knight.

Chudleigh started badly, as Dan Britcliffe was well held at slip off the bowling of Neil Maud (2-39).

Matt Heather (48) and Ed Foreman (42) set about the run chase until Foreman’s wicket instigated an almighty collapse that saw Chudleigh slip from 92 for one to 148 for eight.

Lee Rowe (4-22) took a hat-trick after Stuart Shaw (3-33) had got amongst the wickets.

The home side were left wondering how they lost a game they had control of for most of the match.

They will be hoping to get their promotion push back on track away to Tavistock this Saturday.

For Alphington captain Stuart Shaw it was a corner turned – hopefully – after a patchy start to the season.

“I felt the only difference between the two sides were we wanted it more,” said Shaw.

“Let’s hope that's the changing point in our season.”

Shaw said he was worried his side were 20-30 runs short then thanked the bowlers for turning the game round.

“Neil Maud, making his first team debut took a wicket in his first over to settle things down,” said Shaw.

“We had to wait a long time before the next wicket as Chudliegh built a good platform to go on and win the game.

“Lee Rowe turned the game on its head with his first-ever hat-trick. Had Chudleigh’s overseas stayed cool instead of spilling a shot to mid-wicket they might still have won.
“Once he went I felt we had the game under control.”
BARNSTAPLE were a long way second best at Ivybridge, where they lost by 111 runs to the B Division front runners.
Andy Johnson cracked 87 and Jeewan deSilva 92 as Ivybridge amassed 235 all out with seven balls to go. Only one other player – Harry Soloman (15) - made it into double figures.
The bulk of the wickets were taken by the McEndoo brothers – George (4-52) and Henry (3-38) as Ivybridge lost their last five men for 30 runs.
Barum’s top order was shot away by Jamie Bullock (2-22) and Soloman (3-32) with James Roe (56) offering the lone resistance.
Sri Lankan deSilva (3-7) got in on the act as well as Barum were bowled out for 124 – their last five wickets going for just 10 runs.
Ivybridge are second, a point behind Lewdown, while B&P are three off the bottom with just eight points between them and Stoke Gabriel in the second drop spot.
Skipper Gareth Andrews could barely be happier.
“It was an excellent win, all ours plans are working at the moment and everyone is contributing.
“Having young George Thompson behind the stumps now he has joined us from Cornwood made us much improved in the field.”
It’s Lewdown away for B&P this Saturday, which won’t be any easier after the leaders knocked off 229 to win in 23 overs with eight wickets intact at South Devon last Saturday.
KRIS Davis helped himself to a century as Stoke Gabriel clinched a four-wicket win at Tavistock with three balls to spare.
Ian Gray had made an unbeaten 112 for Tavistock, who had set Stoke 244 to win.

Gray and Tim Pople (53) put on 120 for Tavvy’s first wicket. Veteran John McGahey chipped in with 31.

Ian Coulton laid the foundations for Stoke’s chase with 73, rolling back the years to his time as a Premier opener with Exeter and Torquay.

His stand of 140 with Davis (100no) put Stoke on course and got the target down to 31 with wickets in hand.

Stoke skipper Josh Dowling said the previous week’s win over Thorverton had been the launchpad the team needed to get the season going.

“Momentum is a beautiful thing and the boys are up and about,” said Dowling.

“It was no surprise they batted on a nice track.

“I think after 15 overs they were a hundred for one and it looked like we would be chasing 300 plus.

“The team stuck together and pegged them back through some great spin bowling. Kris Davis and Seb Ansley were brilliant and we restricted them to 244.

“The chase went exactly to plan and Coults did a fantastic job to bat time and we just batted around him and hit our targets.

“It was always going to take someone to put their hand up and Kris certainly did that.

“He scored his 100 off 70 balls and we manage to finish it off with three balls to spare.”

Tavvy were a bit short handed – no Dave Manning, no Rhys Davies and no Shaun Daymond, not that skipper Daymond was complaining.

The boys put in a good performance from what I here,” he said.

“Jamie Stephens captained the side and did well.

“We showed even with five of our team missing we can still compete.

“Really pleased to see Ian Gray find some form with a great 100.

We will be back next week at full strength for the game against Chudleigh.”

LEADERS Lewdown showed South Devon little or no mercy on the way to an eight-wicket win at Marsh Road.
Bottom side South Devon found some batting form at last with Henry Burningham smacking 82 and skipper Jonty Parsons 56 in a tally of 228 for nine.

There were three wickets each for Charlie Hughes and Mark Jordan and two for Marco Marais.

South Devon had a dream start when Pat Duke trapped Lewdown opener Dave Ball in the first over – and were in high spirits after Parsons clattered Harry Gearing’s stumps.

That was 37 for two but Lewdown didn’t lose another wicket as Marias (129no) and Jordan (65no) knocked off the rest of the runs inside 29 overs.

Geering, while happy to beat the bottom side, said his side lacked a killer instinct at times.

“It was another week where we had a team three down for less than 20 and let them off the hook to get 228 for nine.

“There was some very poor fielding but again we got away with it.

“Marco Marais (129 off 77 balls) and Mark Jordan (65 off 70) entertained the rest of us chasing the total down with 17 overs to spare.

“It was a shame I lost the toss as we didn’t have the chance of declaring early and going for a 22 pointer.”

MIKE Searle came up trumps with an unbeaten 30 as Shobrooke beat Thorverton by three wickets in the B Division derby tussle.

Thorverton were led away by Paul Fielder (56) and Harry Choules posting 64 for the first wicket

Luke Boyadijian (43) and Andrew Codling (42) kept the board ticking over, although runs were hard to come by of Justin Dollow (3-36) and Pete Turner (2-35). Chris Simpson (3-56) wasn’t quite so cheap.

Thors were all out for 214, a total Shobrooke captain Dollow felt was 30-40 below par for the conditions.

Dollow probably had a re-think after Shobrooke hauled themselves over the line with just three balls to go.

Simpson (53), Dollow (39) and Richard Pyle (37) all chipped away at the deficit before Searle swung it at the end.

“That’s four on the reel now and we seem to be getting a winning habit,” said Dollow.

“It was a real road of a pitch and I thought we would be chasing 250-plus – especially after they got off to such a good start.

“Big spells by Pete Turner and Phil Anning when he turned to spin pegged Thorverton back.

“We had to work for our runs, but never gave up and had Mike at the end to nudge us over the line.”

Shobrooke Park are away to Stoke Gabriel this Saturday - a team they have not met in the league since 1998 when both were last in the B Division at the same time.