Devon Cricket Board - Hicks gets Exeter over middle-order slump

Hicks gets Exeter over middle-order slump

BUDLEIGH Salterton’s losing streak is up to eight games in the Premier Division following a four-wicket defeat at Exeter/

James Burke top scored with 58 – it came off 83 balls and included one straight six which cleared the pavilion high on the bank behind the bowler at the County Ground – in a Budleigh total of 169 for nine.

Burke went after spinner Harry Booker in a big way, hitting him for 16 in one over – but Booker had the last word when he enticed the batsman into playing on.

Skipper Joel Murphy came in at 97 for six and wrung 72 runs out of the lower order before he was the last man out/

Booker took three for 30 for Exeter – he was the bowler smashed over the pavilion roof - while there were telling spells from Billy Searle (2-27) with the new ball and spinner Adam Gribble (2-24).

Gribble really did yank the brake on during the middle overs when Budleigh had to work for every run.

Exeter’s run chase wasn’t a formality it looked like at 55 for one with Will Steward (26) and Miles Lenygon whittling away at the target,

Murphy (1-31), Burke (2-43) and Dawson (1-45) all took wickets as Exeter slowed to 65 for four.

Lenygon held out – despite playing and missing on a regular basis – and stayed there while Matt Hicks made in serious inroads.

Hicks batted on for 71 not out off 82 balls with eight fours and a six to seal victory with more than seven overs to go.

Budleigh are rock bottom without a win so far and 28 points adrift of safety.

Exmouth went past inactive Plymouth – they were rained off against Cornwood – into fourth place.

Budleigh skipper Murphy said compared to the 10-wicket hiding handed out at Torquay seven days earlier, the result was an improvement.

“We were rank against Torquay, but against Exeter we looked a lot more together,” said Murphy.

“I don’t like losing but I can accept it if we are showing signs of getting better, and I think we are.

“We didn’t get enough runs, but another 30 or so would have made us much more competitive. It only needs one batsman to get a score and we are there.

“On another day Lenygon would have got a nick – he played and missed several times – and had we got him it was a different game.”

Budleigh’s position does not look good, but Murphy says there is time to turn it round.

“We’ve got Sidmouth this Saturday and that’s a derby game that always brings out the best in us,” said Murphy.

“Ours is a young and largely inexperienced side which will only get better by playing.

‘We have to keep believing and I feel it will only take one win for us to start moving in the right direction.

That’s three wins on the bounce for Exeter, whose own phalanx of youngsters – Searle, Ben Green and Will Steward – seem to be taking to Premier cricket like ducks to water.

Tom Viljoen, who is continuing to deputise as skipper for the injured Jon Tipper, saw a slightly different run chase to opposite number Murphy.

“Chasing 170 looked below par and we seemed happy to chase it, but that was far from the reality,” said Viljoen.

“The Budleigh bowling was strong and the ball seemed to be doing a lot.

“We had to shuffle our order a bit due to an injury picked up in the field which meant our opener Andy Hicks couldn’t’ bat.

“Will Steward got us a decent start but it was a battling innings from Miles Lenygon that was the concrete our other batsmen could work from.

Matt Hicks came in having lost a couple of quick wickets, and using a good variety of positive batting shots, managed to get us home.”

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