Devon Cricket Board - Premier round-up: Heathcoat dodge drop

PREMIER DIVISION

HEATHCOAT dodged relegation by the skin of their teeth thanks to a losing draw at Exmouth.

The Tiverton side were involved in a straight fight to stay up with Plympton and could not have cut it any finer.

Both teams finished level on 176 points, which meant getting the regulations out. Games won is the deciding factor and Heathcoat had one more than Plympton.

Heathcoat were back in the Premier Division for the first time in a decade, having dropped down into the C Division at one stage then working their way back up.

For skipper Liam Lewis, who missed the game due to suspension, staying up was the only priority.

“We had a tough first year back in the Premier,” said Lewis. “Lot’s of things went against us, but we showed some real fight at the end.”

Lewis singled out keeper-batter Pete Randerson, bowler Jack Meneheneott and seamer Paul Elliot as his men of the season – and with good reason.

Randerson has flourished since dropping down the order to five, his 43 against Exmouth taking his tally to 440.

Menheneott (27) and Elliot (19) top the bowling returns for the club.

Justin Williams (59) and Sam Smith (56) were the other main run getters for Heathcoat as they made 261 for seven chasing Exmouth’s 264 for nine.

Skipper Richard Baggs took his tally for the season to 669 with a century.

David Lye made 22, which meant he was nine runs short of 800 for the season. No one has made more.

BOVEY Tracey went down byseven-wickets to Sidmouth in their final game of the season, yet still finished a respectable third in the table.

On a bad day to lose the toss, Bovey Tracey were put in on a damp Recreation Ground track and bowled out for 121 in the 34^th over;.

The best stand was the first one between openers Lewis Hammett (9) and skipper Pete Bradley (20) of 37 and once wickets started to fall there was no saving the game.

Chris Bradley (14) and Ryan Bougourd (20) added 26 for the ninth wicket after Matt Kidd had gone first ball to Will Murray (5-58).

Kidd made an impact by nipping out Anthony Griffiths, Neil Hancock and Will Gater as Sidmouth dipped to 30 for three.

Any fanciful ideas of snatching an unlikely win were shattered as Josh Bess (61no) and Ben Gledhill (41no) knocked off the rest of the runs unhindered.

Bovey have flattered to deceive from time to time this season, but with 10 wins only champions North Devon have more.

Captain Bradley is happy enough with third place, commenting: “We have been third or fourth in all of the last three season by playing enjoyable cricket and I’ll settle for that.”

BUDLEIGH Salterton came of second best by exactly 100 runs when they entertained champions North Devon.

There was no end-of-season air to proceedings as North Devon racked up 210 for nine in 50 overs.

Craig Overton top scored with 63, but was eclipsed by twin Jamie with a whirlwind 50 off 22 balls with four sixes and two fours. Rob Gear (25) and Mike Hedden (22) both chipped in.

Scott Barlow took four for 39 – that first five-wicket haul continues to elude him – and James Hudson had three for 58.

Glen Querl’s opening spell was too lively for Budleigh as he nipped out Burke, Barlow, Morris and Hudson on this way to four for 19.

From 32 for five – Bob Dawson was Matt Westaway’s lone victim – Budleigh recovered to 71 for six with Sandy Allen (26) and Elliot Rice (42) digging on.

Jamie Overton (3-33) dispatched Allen and was downhill ever after to 110 all out.

PLYMPTON were counted out of the Premier Division by the rule book after their game against Bradninch at Harewood Park was abandoned due to bad light.

Umpires Ian Devine and Graham Curson took the teams off once due in the gathering gloom as Plympton chased 197 to win.

Back they came for a another attempt and Plympton were well placed at 167 for three with seven overs left when a second break proved terminal.

Plympton had to get ahead of fellow strugglers Heathcoat to avoid being relegated, but found themselves on level points in the final totting up after the Tiverton side drew a high-scoring game at Exmouth.

It came down to games won and Heath coat had an advantage of one, which kept them up.

Plympton’s disappointed skipper Andy Walter said there the umpires were right to take the players off at the end, despite the outcome.

Another over on the field may have been enough to save Plympton’s skins, but Walter said you could not think of it in those terms.

“Another seven runs would have got us up to 175 and a fourth batting bonus point – and that would have been us safe and sound,” said Walter.

“The fact of the matter is though it wasn’t about what happened against Bradninch, but what had gone before in the previous 17 matches.

“Over the season I can think of three or four games we should have won, or could have done better in.

“We should have won at Bovey Tracey, Exmouth at their place was another where we got into a winning position and we ought to have beaten Plymouth in one of our games against them.

“The opportunities have been there and we should not have been in the position we were on the last day of the season.

“Sometimes you have to take a step back to go forwards and we will be looking to get out of the A Division as quickly as possible.

“Although it has not been a great season, younger players like Josh Mailling, Chris Bunney and the Skinners have really come on this season, which can only be good for the club.

Bradninch totalled 196 for nine in their 50 overs with Gary Chappell (44) and James Street (34) leading the way. Their stand of 69 got Bradninch moving again after Imran Ali Pasha (4-53) had reduced them to 49 for three.

Street was caught off the top edge having a swing at Keith Donohue (3-44) while Chappell was caught at full leap on the straight boundaryby Mailling off the same bowler.

Although Mailling went cheaply, Walter (25) and Dave Wrench (64no) had maneourvered Plympton into a winning position when the light went.

PLYMOUTH beat relegated Paignton by nine wickets in a high-scoring affair at Queens Park.

Opener Jake Luffman stroked 83 as Plymouth hoisted 258 for seven in their final league outing of the season.

Along the way there were stands of 56 with James Toms (26), 50 with Doug Hewitt (29) and 62 with Ben Stein *26).

After Luffman junior was caught on the boundary at 184 for four, dad Steve hit 29 to keep the board ticking over.

Steve George (2-53) and Tom Field (2-71) were the most successful Paignton bowlers.

Winless Paignton had nothing to lose by going for it – and did just that!

Connnor Bryan was out to Dave Burke’s first ball after tea and George went soon afterwards, also to Burke who went on to take five for 69.

Seb Benton (89) and Andrew Kingdon (94) had Plymouth chasing leather as the target came down.

Benton went caught behind to the returning Burke in his second spell while spinner James Nicholls persuaded Kingdon to hit one in the air.

Wickets tumbled at the end with Nicholls finishing with four for 47 as Paignton dipped from 243 for six to 249 all out.