Devon Cricket Board - Huxtable says win over Sidmouth is statement of intent

Huxtable says win over Sidmouth is statement of intent

NORTH Devon captain Barney Huxtable said beating defending champions Sidmouth underlined his side’s intentions this season.

Sidmouth were all out for 160, which North Devon knocked off with six wickets in hand.

North Devon were widely tipped as the side to topple Sidmouth and Huxtable feels they are living up to that billing.

“To win the title we need to beat Sidmouth at least once this season – and to do it down there was massive for us,” said Huxtable (pictured).

“Away from home we don’t always get it right so to beat the champions on their own ground says something about us.

“It sends out a message to the rest of the Premier Division we are here to win it this season.

“There is a lot of cricket left to play yet and you can’t dismiss Sidmouth, Exmouth, Bovey Tracey or Torquay.

“I think it will go down to the last round of games and we intend to be up here when it does.”

Jack Popham dropped out of the Devon side to face Cornwall due to injury, but bowled fractionally off the pace for North Devon against Sidmouth.

Huxtable said Popham’s three for 15 from seven overs was his best spell since joining the club at the start of the season.

“Jack has just been told he has a full-time place on the Gloucestershire Academy this summer and the way he bowled against Sidmouth you can see why,” said Huxtable.
Sidmouth were all out for 160 in the 41^st over – and only got that many on the board thanks to a robust 62 down the order from former Devon captain Josh Bess.
Bess, currently living and working in Australia, was home unexpectedly for a family funeral and with Kiwi Andy Mathieson on international duty with New Zealand was roped in to play.
North Devon lost skipper Huxtable before reaching double figures, but were never in any real difficulties after that.
Quintin Dreyer led North Devon to victory with an unbeaten 60.
Sidmouth captain Will Murray had no excuses to offer after his side lost by six-wickets to North Devon.
“We didn’t bat wonderfully well, but credit to North Devon for a good bowling performance,” said Murray.
“Josh and Anthony Griffiths did a good job digging us out of the hole we had dug, but 160 batting first on a flat one at Sidmouth was hardly going to be enough.
“Our last five wickets went for just three runs, which was pretty bad.
“North Devon batted well, we didn’t bowl near our best and there is not much more to say.
“North Devon now have a 15-point lead at the top of the table, but it isn’t that much at this stage of the season.”
Sidmouth were three for eight after a early going over from Jack Popham (3-15) and 53 for five when Bess went out to join Griffiths.
Their stand of 104- Griffiths made 36 off 99 balls with just four boundary hits – at least gave the bowlers something to defend.
One Bess went - bowled by Josh King – Sidmouth folded with King (2-20) and Dreyer (3-40) cashing in.
The North Devon reply was founded on a stand of 65 between Callum French (34) and Max Curtis (43), which got the target below a hundred.
Curtis and Dreyer added another 50, leaving Jas Kalsi and Tom Allin to tie up the loose ends with Dreyer.

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