Devon Cricket Board - Smith steers North Devon to victory

Smith steers North Devon to victory

EXMOUTH skipper Richard Baggs didn’t hold back after his side dipped to their second successive defeat – a three-wicket reversal at lowly North Devon.

No one made more than opener Sandy Allen with 30 in Exmouth’s total of 211 for eight in 48 overs – there was rain about at Instow – although five other batters got into the 20s then got out.

Best of the rest were Gary Chappell (28), Trevor Anning (27) and Mark Orchard (25).

North Devon didn’t get a great start – former Exmouth opener Barney Huxtable was out first ball after tea – and at 47 for four the game could have gone either way.

Anning (4-19) took all of the wickets to fall during the opening spell.

A stand of 82 between Tom Allin (49) and Jason Smith (99) saw North Devon over the hump and they went on to win with more than nine overs to spare.

Baggs was unforgiving, saying: You don’t win games if you bat and bowl badly.

“It was simple. We played too many bad shots and bowled too many short balls.”

While Baggs was down in the dumps after Exmouth dropped back to third in the table, opposite number Matt Dart was in spirits at getting out of the bottom two.

“I have got to praise Matt Westway for bowling up the hill and into the wind – which he doesn’t normally do – and getting the big wickets of Sandy Allen and David Lye,” said Dart.

“Having Tom Allin home from Warwickshire gave us an added dimension batting and bowling and whatever he did he looked a class act.

“I would not have wanted to chase too many more than we did on that pitch with the wind blowing across.

“It was one of those days when you needed someone to bat through and make a score, and Jason did exactly that.

“Jason has been threatening a big one for a while and finally got one. It was a shame for him he got out lbw on 99, but there wasn’t much doubt about it.”

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