Devon Cricket Board - Wilkinson stays cool to see Exeter into semis

HEATHCOAT put their miserable league form to one side as they romped into the last four of the Devon Cup following a 12-run win over Budleigh Salterton in the quarter-finals.
The stars of the show for Heathcoat were Joe and Sam Smith, who put on 162 for the second wicket.
Sam blazed away to make 115 off just 102 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
Joe was a little more cautious in his approached, but went on to make 74 from 116 balls with six boundary hits.
There was a wicket each for Matt Plowman, Charlie Morris and Neil Murrin.
Budleigh were soon in trouble at 48 for five – Paul Elliot (3-16) doing early damage – and from then on were only interested in respectability.
Acting captain Lloyd White made 50 and was ninth man out in a tally of 94.
Tom Drake, Matt Hague and Jack Menheneott had two wickets each.
Waiting for Heathcoat in the last four are cup holders Sidmouth, who accounted for Cornwood by 103 runs.
CORNWOOD captain Craig Harris said the 103-run defeat by Sidmouth in the Devon Senior Cup had been something of an eye opener.
Sidmouth, the cup holders, are a Premier Division side, which is what Cornwood would like to be next season. Currently, the Corns are second in the A Division behind runway leaders Exeter.
Cornwood did well to limit Sidmouth to 190 for six when they batted – Josh Bess making a patient 79 to pull them away from a troubling seven for two.
What was a let down for Harris was seeing Cornwood bowled out for 87 in reply.
“At home and considering the way we have been playing this was a disappointing result,” said Harris.
“I felt we bowled pretty well but it was clear there was some distance between us when we batted.
“It wasn’t that we batted that badly, but Sidmouth were disciplined when they bowled and fielded and that put pressure on us.
“What has been highlighted by this game is the areas that need to be upped. There are seven or eight weeks left this season and some hard work ahead.”
Bess, in cahoots with Anthony Griffiths (33) and Sam Anderson (29) got Sidmouth up to 150 for four during the recorvery.
Cornwood’s leading wicket takers were Mike Wood (2-24) and Adam Goodliffe (2-45).
Cornwood were soon in trouble on the chase, slumping to 53 for five in reply with Jason Hall (15) the only batter to linger long.
Bess (2-7), Anderson (4-11) and spinner Miles Dalton (2-14) bowled Cornwood out with the minimum of fuss.
Premier side Plymouth went out by four wickets in a far closer affair away to A Division leaders Exeter.
Exeter are a Premier side in waiting – unbeaten and 34 points clear at the top of their table – so the result was not exactly a shock.
Only for balls remained in the game when Exeter scrambled the winning run.
Plymouth captain Callum Whittaker was downcast but not broken hearted by the outcome.
“We batted poorly in our last 10 overs and it cost us,” said Whittaker.
“Bowling wise we were superb, but Exeter batted well and got over the line. All you can say is well played Exeter.”
Plymouth’s 141 all out with 11 balls to go was constructed around a knock of 57 from Jake Luffman on his return to the 1st XI and 22 for James Toms.
Spinners Callum Stittl (5-21) and Adam Gribble (2-29) did most of the damage during a spell when Plymouth lost four wickets going from 105 to 106!
Exeter were made to work for their runs and at 90 for four with 12 overs to go it was not a done deal.
The man of the moment for Exeter with an unbeaten 59 off 107 balls was Mike Wilkinson.
BOVEY Tracey captain Peter Bradley felt his game plan worked out just fine to deliver a 68-run win over Paignton in the quarter-finals of the Devon KO Cup.
Neil Hancock top scored with 77 off 67 balls as Bovey picked up the pace in the last 10 overs to reach 199 for seven.
An all-round bowling effort – two wickets each for Tom Dyer, Matt Kidd and both Bradley brothers – saw Paignton home and dry with almost five overs to spare.
For a long time it seemed Bovey wouldn’t post a challenging total, but skipper Bradley was always confident.
“Something close to 200 was what we needed, but getting it in the conditions we have been having was something else,” said Bradley.
“The strategy was for Hanks and my brother Chris to bat through until the last five overs as that gave us our best chance of reaching our target.
“They put on 80-odd before Chris got out and in the last five overs Hanks hit out and James Fulner made a very brisk 15 of eight balls.
“Paignton have a decent batting side, but with Seb Benton not playing they were not as strong as they could have been.
“The bowlers put it in the right spot and once we got Chris Kelmere out I couldn’t see Paignton getting back in the game.”
Peter Bradley missed out with the bat when Bovey batted – George Benton cleaning him out for a second successive duck – then Lewis Hammett (23) and Sam Wyatt-Haines (21) pottered along to 60 when both fell in the space of three balls.
Delon Mullins was in and out for four, which brought Chris Bradley in to join Hancock.
Their stand of 81 in 14 overs was the launchpad Bovey needed, as were a couple of huge blows by Hancock that did little for George Yates bowling figures!
Paignton had problems keeping up with the clock from the start, which were not helped by losing opener and captain Andy Kingdon in the third over.
While third wicket pair Kelmere (36) and Brady Barends (30) were together Paignton were still in with a shout.
Kelmere went caught behind to Ryan Bougourd, next man in Ollie Higgs only made three and Barends followed him four balls later as Paignton slumped to 95 for five.
Only Richard Ashworth of what was left made a double-figure score as Paignton slid to 131 all out.
Waiting for Bovey in the last four are old rivals Exeter, who put out Plymouth in a last-over finish.

Heathcoat 222-3 (J Smith 74, S Smith 115), Budleigh Salterton 94 (L White 50; P Elliot 3-16, T Drake 2-27, M Hague 2-24, J Menheneott 2-3). Heathcoat bt Budleigh by 128 runs.
Sidmouth 190-6 (J Bess 79, A Griffiths 33, S Anderson 29; M Wood 2-24, A Goodliffe 2-45), Cornwood 87 (J Hall 15; S Anderson 4-11, M Dalton 2-14, J Bess 2-7). Sidmouth bt Cornwood by 103 runs.
Bovey Tracey 199-7 (N Hancock 77, C Bradley 25, L Hammett 23, S Wyatt-Haines 21; S George 3-41, B Barends 2-32), Paignton 131 (B Barends 30, C Kelmere 36; P Bradley 2-23, M Kidd 2-41, C Bradley 2-7, T Dyer 2-17). Bovey Tracey bt Paignton by 68 runs.
Plymouth 141 (J Luffman 57, J Toms 22; C Still 5-21, A Gribble 2-29), Exeter 142-6 (R Holman 32, C Still 21, M Wilkinson 59no; S Stein 2-21). Exeter bt Plymouth by 4 wkts.
Semi-finals: Bovey Tracey v Exeter & Heathcoat v Sidmouth. To be played on Sunday, August 12.