Devon Cricket Board - A Division - Wessels back for Lewdown + Cann on move again

JOSH Cann will play for his third club this season when he goes behind the stumps for Sandford against Bideford tomorrow.

Cann replaces super-veteran Nigel Ashplant behind the stumps having signed from Honiton this week. He started the season with Bradninch, having left Feniton for Kensham Park during the close season.

“It's good to have Josh on board,” said skipper Jamie Palmer.

“Things didn't work out for him at Bradninch but he obviously has a lot of talent and is keen to be playing a standard of cricket that will develop him best - I'm glad that's with us.

“When we played against him earlier in the season he kept and batted very well so I'm looking forward to seeing him do that for us.”

Bideford are propping up the table and in danger of an imminent return to the A Division.

Palmer said that is no excuse for taking them anything other than seriously.

“It's a very important game this week and one we will go into fully prepared,” said Palmer.

“I know the Bideford side reasonably well and they have a talented group of players with match winners like Roach, Heard and Ford.

“Their league position doesn't reflect that and we will not go in expecting an easy victory.

“I'm looking for the batsmen to take responsibility in batting the whole innings. Less rash shots and better decision making is required.”

Other Sandford team news is - Brian leach and Tom Williams return to add bowling options. Shaun Hawkins in after his 142 not out for the 2^nd XI.

Biddy team news is that Matt Shephard, Will Barratt, Alex Hannam and Mike Lemmings all come back in after missing last week

Josh Atkinson is unavailable.

BARTON captain Adam Parker wants to avoid a potential slide down the table before it starts.
Defeats by Sandford and Hatherleigh have dropped Barton from front-runners to mid-table going into the meeting with Tavistock tomorrow.
“We need to re-group quickly if we are going to get back on track,” said Parker.
Barton lost by 74 runs to Hatherleigh, failing to cash in on a bright start.
Parker said lowing three players from the selected side didn’t help.
He added: “We didn't bowl badly but they batted well and we aided them with a couple of costly drops...
“Batting was the real disappointment. We needed a good start, which we didn't get due to some brilliant catching.
That was one of the real differences, they took there chances and we didn't.
“Once that happened we were always chasing the game and the more and more we got behind the run rate the more we had to play shots.
“The wrong shot selection was our biggest downfall and lost us the game.”
Dave manning and Ian Gray are missing from the Tavistock side this week.
Marc Webber the 2nd XI captain comes in to keep wicket for Manning.
“We're happy with our position and look to finish the first half of the season with five wins on the board,” said skipper Shaun Daymond.
“Barton are always a tough game especially down at their place, but we will be backing ourselves to win.
“Key for us is to keep scoring runs... The rest will look after itself.”

HATHERLEIGH – away to Bradninch – will be without batters Gareth Tidball and Andy Bennett.

Charlie Nielson and Andy Collier come in.

“Just looking to continue on from last week get another positive result and build momentum into the second half of the season,” said skipper Mark Lake.

BRIXHAM captain Andy Pugh believes his table-topping side are there to be shot at by everyone they encounter.

Chasers Cornwood visit Boundary Park tomorrow for a top-of-the-table clash.

Coming next are second-placed Budleigh Salterton, whom Brixham didn’t play earlier in the season due to bad weather.

“We are playing well but every game is a cup final now,” said Pugh.

“We will see how good we are after the next two games.”
LEWDOWN have had a boost ahead of the meeting with high-flying Budleigh with the return of South African all-rounder Johan Wessels.

Wessels had to return home for a funeral and missed the derby defeat by Tavistock last Saturday.

Lewdown are hovering just above the drop zone and skipper Harry Geering admits it is tough getting away.

“To be honest we just need a bit of luck,” said Geering.

“Last week we should have been chasing 100 less, but when you are near the bottom decisions seem to go against you, albeit the way we batted we wouldn't have chased that.

“So this week we just need to get back to batting the overs and hope we get that bit of luck with decisions.”

One the opposition he said: “I hear mixed things about Budliegh so not sure what to expect.

“But, at the end of the day, every games a tough one in this division and the team that turns up on the day seems to win.”

Budleigh have been flying since the arrival last month of Zimbabwean Cehpas Zhuwao.

“With a win over Plymstock in the Devon Senior Cup that is now six wins on the spin and momentum is building at Budleigh,” said skipper Lloyd White.

“We only ever take it one game at a time and we will not underestimate Lewdown away on Saturday. “