Devon Cricket Board - A Division - Benton rested as Paignton make changes

A Division
PLYMPTON skipper Andy Walter isn’t expecting any freebies from lowly Shobrooke Park, who have a new skipper in Jason Dollow following the resignation of Chris Ford.
“Weather permitting it's a game we need to be fully focused for,” said Walter, whose team trounced South Devon last time out.
“We can't turn up and just go though the motions. We need to do what we did last week and put in a good performance and hopefully the result will come.”
Absent are Dave Wrench, Jez Williams, Duncan Hefford and Matt Gregory. In come Harry Kandampully, Neil Tremayne, Dan Vince and Shaun Smith.
ABBOTSKERSWELL look little depleted for their trip to Braunton.
Having maintained their 100 per cent home record at Brixham’s expense last Saturday, at the end of a week which saw five players leave the club for pastures new, team spirit remains high.
Going to Braunton without batters Josh Dowling and Steve Short, as well as spinner Marcus Green who has been known to give it a whack down the order, is a bit of an ask.
In comes Andy Lock, who has been hitting the ball hard in the second team, spinner Toby Codd, experienced middle-order man Mike Pugh and promising all-rounder Noah Tobias.
Braunton, four off the bottom but only 30 points behind second place, are looking for a fresh start in the s3econd half of the season.
“Hopefully we can gain a little momentum and start to pick up some points,” said skipper Jon Baglow.
“Looking back on the first half, we played good cricket in patches but also some very average cricket as well. We need to improve in all departments.
“Availabilities should improve, which has been a major issues during the whole time I have been captain.”
BRIXHAM, at home to Cornwood, need a win after two defeats before the 15-point gap between them and second place gets any wider.
“They have some talented cricketers in there side, but so do we and we can hopefully show this against a team that look to be stretching themselves out at top for promotion,” said Brixham captain Mark Orchard.
Having been comprehensively turned over by eight wickets at Exeter last time out, Cornwood need to pick themselves up and rejoin the promotion fray as viable candidates.
“There are several things we want to put right following last week’s game,” said skipper Craig Harris.
“More disappointing that the result was the fact that we failed to give a fair representation of ourselves and our cricket was even more frustrating.
“Whilst the toss was an influence on the dictation of the game, it was not enough to secure the result, and so we have to look at ourselves for that.
“The last time we played Brixham was on the first game of the season and we only played well for half of the game.
“When we lost that match the feeling of disappointment was enough to spur us on to the form that we carried in to last week. So by losing the Exeter game our desire to succeed is now at the highest and we intend to go out and rebound in the best way possible.”
Mike Wood and Ali Craig are unavailable and so Robin Dart and Scott Mansfield come in to the team.
SOUTH Devon skipper Adrian Hewings believes if the runs start flowing there is still time to get away from the wrong end of the table.
Bottom side South Devon are away to Paignton, which, on paper, is a toughie for a side that hasn’t won a game this season.
South Devon haven’t reached double figures in the batting bonus point column yet this season – leaders Exeter have 34 – and therein lies the root of their problems.
“We know what we have to do with the bat and ball to succeed, but we need to put it together to start a run going,” said Hewings.
On Paignton he added: “Paignton have the leading run scoring in Seb Benton (423) and several others who've been touted by Devon so we know what we are up against there.
“With the ball they have a solid unit, led by Brady Barends.”
Spinner James hart isnavailable so Ian Shepherd gets another go. Hewings has a hand injury but hopes to play.
The good news for South Devon is that Benton is unlikely to play as he wants to rest a sore back ahead of a three-day game for Devon starting on Sunday.
The one thing skipper Andy Kingdon isn’t short of now is selection options following the mass exodus from Abbotskerswell to Queens Park and he has had no trouble filling various gaps.
Into the line up come keeper batter Richard Ashworth, all-rounder Chris Kelmere and opening bowler Phil Allen. Rob Shergold, who also made the switch, is in the 2nd XI.
EXETER are where they want to be going into the second half of the season and fully intend to stay there.
So says skipper Jon Tipper as he surveys the 20-point lead his table toppers currently enjoy.
“It is up to us not to slip up now,” said Tipper, who brings in Micky Wilkinson for unavailable batter Tom Viljoen.
“As we found out last season it is hard to make up ground in the second half of the season, that’s why we finished third despite having a better record than the teams above us in July and August/
“The important thing is not to get ahead of ourselves. We are scoring runs and taking wickets every time we play and need to keep doing that until the title is in the bag.”
Plymstock aren’t travelling in hope – they are going there to win!
“The 1st XI hope to continue winning ways and stretch gap between themselves and bottom two,” said team spokesman George Barnicott.
“They smashed Shobrooke in a 20-point win last week and it did wonders to keep them out of relegation danger.”
Teddy Richards and Matt Smith return to the side.