Devon Cricket Board - A Division - Paignton back at full strength

PAIGNTON are back at full-strength for a big weekend of league and T20 action.
Bottom side Chudleigh visit Queens Park tomorrow, then it is off to Exeter on Sunday for the Devon T20 finals day and a lunchtime date with North Devon in the semis.
Paignton have been operating a few players down recently due to suspensions, captain Connor Bryan and seamer George Benton were out, and but all the bans have been served now.
Chudleigh have started winning games recently and skipper Ed Foreman hasn’t given up on hopes of dodging drop.
Foreman is the first to admit though that getting much at Queens Park will be a tall orer.
“Considering we haven't won away all season, and that Paignton are one of the best all round sides in the division, Saturday will be tough,” said Foreman.
“It is made tougher by Shaun Newland being out for a week due to a building-related injury.
“However we are starting to build a little momentum and have already beaten two good sides this season. Stranger things have happened.
“In the two games we have won we have performed to the best of our abilities and that's what we need to keep doing and then we will see what happens?”
BARTON and Brixham clash at Cricketfield Road with more at stake than meets the eye.
Both sides were expected to feature in the promotion mix this term but have lacked the required consistency
Whoever loses will probably be out of the running for good.
“It should be a good game as both sides are middle of table, but should be in running but have been inconsistent all season,” said Brixham captain Andy Pugh.
George Northcott, Rich Wward and Tim Robinson are at John Lamswood’s stag do so Chris Sleep, Rory MacDonald and Will Lewin come in.”
ABBOTSKERSWELL need a win at Bradninch to halt the headlong plunge that has seen them drop into the bottom two.
Runs – the lack of them – has been the issue and one skipper Richard Acton has tried to tackle.
Callum Stanley, Guy Harrison-Roberts and Matt Beasant are all back this week, so Charlie Mitchell, Tom Andrew and Owen Penrice return to the 2nd XI.
“The team has been strengthened by the changes, especially our batting,” said Acton.
“Everybody knows we have to score more runs, so its time for people to stand up, myself included, and make that big score to set up a win.
“We beat Bradninch last time so we can take confidence from that.
“They are a very good team who are towards the top of table, but we know that a good performance can see us come away with a win.”
HATHERLEIGH, at home to Budleigh, believe they are close to securing their A Division future for another year.
“Two more wins should do it and it would be nice to get one on Saturday,” said skipper Mark Lake.
“We don't know a lot about Budleigh but I expect them to be one of the toughest teams we have played this season.”
Rob Cockwill and Andy Bennett are missing so Gareth Tidball and Andy Collier come .
LEADERS Plympton take in Lewdown looking to get over the defeat by Budleigh that trimmed their lead over Bradninch at the top to seven points.
Skipper James Carr feels that defeat may just have been a blessing in disguise.
“We let ourselves down with the bat which we haven’t over the past 6 weeks and our bowling and fielding has slipped as well,” he said.
“I think it is what we needed as a team, a kick up the backside to take us over the line.
“It is ours to lose now, every club will be looking to beat us as we are top and we now need to prove to everyone why we are top, starting this Saturday against Lewdown.
“We will be pushing hard from now on as if we don’t get promoted or even win the league, we only have ourselves to blame now.”
“At their place we were crap, plain and simple! We have a point to prove to them why we are top and we will be looking to do so.”
Lewdown’s results have been a bit hit and miss since Marco Marais went home to South Africa due to an injury.
Plympton captain James Carr isn’t reading much into that.
“We will certainly not be taking them lightly as they proved against Barton they can win without Marco,” he said.
“At their place he only got 70 out of 230, so they can obviously play.”
Lewdown skipper Harry Geering remembers the last meeting with Plympton in detail – and isn’t reading much into it either!
“Obviously, Plympton demand respect being top,” he said.
“We are not sure what they'll be like as at the home fixture we were 225-2 off. 38 overs.
“From what I have been told, and from seeing where they are in the league, they must have strengthened a lot so we know we are on for a tough game.
“The last two weeks we have experienced the highs of winning before tea and the lows of losing before tea.
“I'm just hoping we bat for 50 overs, with more people chipping in, and bowl with aggression again.”
Pacer Ben William is back in after injury but Gary Sizmur is away.