Bradninch slip out of top flight

BOVEY Tracey ground out a two-wicket win at Bradninch to seal third spot in the final Premier table and send their hosts back to the A Division

Bovey were third last season and the one before that, so no one can accuse them of not being consistent!

As in 2012 they were leading at the halfway stage, but unable to hold on to top spot after the turn.

If there has been a plus point for Bovey this season it has been the emergence of youngsters such as Sam Wyatt-Haines and latterly Brad Causey as 1st XI players of the future.

Bovey were in playful mood at Bradninch, even allowing wicketkeeper Ben Ayres to have a bowl for six overs.

Skipper Peter Bradley donned the gloves, which created a vacancy for an opening bowler filled by Andy Fairbairn.

Bradninch were playing to win as that was their only hope of staying up. They had to pull one off and hope Cornwood were well and truly stuffed by champs elect Exmouth.

Cornwood lost –not heavily – but so did Bradninch, which sent them back to the A Division after five years in the top flight.

Ross Acton – a cert for any Premier Division Team of the Season – top scored for Bradninch with a run-a-ball 81.

Acton and Dan hardy (44) put on 77 for the fourth wicket after Jackson Thompson (30) and Tim Piper (38) had given Bradninch a 68-run start.

Skipper Piper declared five overs early, going for the two extra bonus points on offer which might have made a difference.

Matt Golding with two for 30 against his former club and Causey (2-20) were the pick of the Bovey bowlers.

There seemed to be an element of pot luck to the Bovey bating order with Ayres opening up with tail-ender Chris Bradley while runsmen Damian Bourke and Neil Hancock were in the bottom half.

The shake up seemed to work after a fashion as Ayres (20), Bradley (36), Fairbairn (42) and Golding with 61 off 60 balls got Bovey ahead of the clock.

Hancock slammed 31 off 13 balls – five fours and a six – and at 229 for five it looked like a romp,

Acton (4-44) and Will Squire (3-85) took three wickets for as many runs, but Bovey still had opener Peter Bradley to come and he safely negotiated the last 16 needed for victory.


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