Devon Cricket Board - Budleigh bowlers take a battering

Budleigh bowlers take a battering

SIDMOUTH’S 55-run win over Budleigh Salterton wasn’t enough to stop Exmouth taking the Premier title off them.

Opener Matt Cooke made a career best 96 as Sidmouth threatened to break the Premier Division batting record before skipper Will Murray brought them in five-overs early at 365 for five.

Cooke should have had a maiden Premier ton, but chanced his arm against Neil Murrin’s taking a two and was run out by a throw from the boundary.

Sidmouth needed every point they could if they were going to overhaul Exmouth – a scenario that included Exmouth losing at Cornwood.

It all came to nothing in the end as Exmouth won to preserve the 16-point gap at the top of the table.

The title wasn’t won and lost on the last day, but during the run of three defeats in four games either side of halfway to Exeter, Plymouth and Budleigh Salterton.

Had Sidmouth batted on the Premier record would almost certainly have been theirs as a consolation prize.

The record prior to the last round of fixtures was Plymouth’s 369 for eight against Budleigh earlier this season.

With five overs to go Sidmouth could easily have shredded the record.

Ironically, North Devon did break the record in the final round of fixtures as they totted up 372 all out against Torquay – Craig Overton and Dan Bowser both scoring centuries.

Cooke and Liam Lewis (59) opened up with 129 for the first wicket, then veteran Anthony Griffiths (31) added 74 more with Cooke for the second. Josh Bess took over after Cooke then Griffiths got out, helping himself to 60 off 32 balls.

The final assault on the Budleigh bowling came from Pete Randerson, who flayed nine fours and four sixes in his 75 off 34 balls as Sidmouth added 136 in 11 overs for the fourth wicket.

Budleigh’s bowlers were whacked all around the Fortfield, non worse than Matt Kidd (0-75 in seven) and James Burke (1-93 in 10).

Randerson hit Kidd for 33 in one over – including one six that cleared the sea front road and splashed into the shallows!

Budleigh, already resigned to relegation, had nothing to lose by having a go and reached a highly respectable 310 for eight in 50 overs.

Kiwi Stuart Langridge top scored with 127, which came off 119 balls and featured a six and 17 fours, while Bob Dawson made 63 in a stand off 118 with Langridge at the top.

Burke had 41 and Lloyd Murrin (27) and Joel Murphy (26) brought up the rear.

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