Devon Cricket Board - Premier - Murphy's stark warning to Budleigh

BUDLEIGH Salterton skipper Joel Murphy has warned his players they are heading for the A Division unless results start to improve in a hurry.
Arch rivals Exmouth defeated Budleigh by 124 runs to send leave seaside neighbours nine points away from safety in the Premier Division bottom two.
The halfway stage of the season arrives this Saturday when Budleigh take on fellow strugglers Plymouth.
Murphy said the time for excuses was over – results have to improve or else.
“I am not going to peddle the line about us having a young team that needs time to get it right as time is one thing we don’t have,” said Murphy.
“Exmouth did well to score 258 on what I felt was a 170-180 wicket, although we bowled about two overs of no-balls at them, which clearly helped.
“We compounded the problem of giving them free hits from the no-balls by bowling too many bad balls late on.
“We lacked application battingand unless we start showing it soon we will be in the A Division.”
David Lye hit 83 – he and skipper Richard Baggs (52) put on 120 for the third wicket – and with Akeal Hosein (31) and Trevor Anning (37) chipping in a Exmouth had a defendable total.
Murphy (4-35) was the only bowler to emerge with much credit apart from Gammy Amarasinghe, who had one for 35 off ten.
Budleigh quickly declined to 50 for six in reply – Hosein (3-32) and Jamie Tapper (2-26) largely responsible – but struggled on to 134 all out thanks to Murphy (31) and Lloyd Murrin (22) getting runs down the order.
HEATHCOAT’S situation at the foot of the Premier Division table took a turn for the worse when the lost on run-rate in a rain-affected game against Sidmouth.
Skipper Chris Small hit a top score of 68 not out in Heathcoat’s all-out total of 139 for seven.
Only Tom Frankpitt with 20 – he and Small put on 52 for the fifth wicket – and Paul Elliot (14) reached double figures apart from the skipper.
The wickets were shared around by Sidmouth with two each for Sam Anderson, Will Murray and Liam Lewis on his return to the club he captained last season.
Sidmouth lost opened Josh Bess for a duck in the second over and were 21 for two when Elliot (2-34) knocked over Anderson, who had scored every run so far!
Anthony Griffiths with 43 in his new slot at number three and Lewis (41no) took the total to 118 for two in the 33rd over when rain stopped play with Sidmouth so far ahead of the clock it was game over.
Heathcoat are now 40 points adrift at the bottom with the halfway stage about to arrive in the shape of a trip to table-topping Bovey Tracey.
Skipper Small said Sidmouth had a lot to thank Griffiths and Lewis for as a slip by either of them could have opened up the game.
“I thought 139 was a par score, but Sidmouth went hard and rode there luck, which they probably needed to do on that wicket.
“I don’t think the final score reflected how close in parts the game was.
“There were a couple of half chances in the field and a few shots which landed in gaps.
“It could have made it interesting if they went to hand and we had got a shot at Sidmouth’s middle order.
“Credit to Griffiths and Lewis, who batted well to see them home.”
Small added it was good to see Elliot back in action and bowling well after a lengthy lay off due to injury.
BRADNINCH skipper Gary Chappell said you have to take the rough with the smooth after his side were rained off at Plymouth.
Bradninch had reached 195 for seven in 50 overs – Max Furnie making a patient 68 on his seasonal bow– and Plymouth were 39 for two when the rain set in.
Furnie opened up for Bradninch and stayed out there for 159 minutes and 128 balls making his 68. His 50 came off 95 deliveries and included five boundaries.
Ross Acton made 25 – he and Furnie put on 38 for the second wicket - and there was a stand of exactly 50 with Chappell (34) for the fifth wicket.
Henry Bennett (4-30) finally squirmed one through Furnie’s defence at 182 for six, then followed up with the wicket of Joe Webb.
Plymouth lost opener Ben Stein for an 11-ball duck when Acton rapped him in front and James Toms soon after for five.
Callum Whittaker (4) and Chris Barr (20) were the not out batsman when the terminal downpour arrived.
Seven days earlier Bradninch had been glad of the rain for getting them off the hook against Sidmouth.
Chappell said this time Bradninch were not so lucky.
The weather ruined another game of cricket,” said Chappell.
“We did well to get 195 on a slow, seaming wicket and I feel it was way above par.
“Plymouth were 39 for two off 14 overs with Toms out.
“Unless their overseas (Jack Bryant) was going to make get 80 or a hundred, I couldn’t see them getting near 200 on that wicket .
“It was bit annoying the rain came, but we got lucky last week against Sidmouth so swings and roundabouts.”
Fernie, an old college friend of Chappell’s from their time together in Bath, has played on and off for Bradninch over the past couple of seasons.
Fernie has played for Wimbledon in the Surrey Champinship as well as British Universites and is a proven run getter.
“Fernie batted superbly and will make a big difference for us if we can get him to play regularly,” said Chappell.
BOVEY Tracey underlined their title pretentions with a four-wicket win over defending champions North Devon.
North Devon appeared to be heading for a heavy defeat at Neil Hancock (4-28), with some assistance from skipper Chris Bradley (2-3) had hustled them out for 81.
When Bovey were 67 for two in reply it looked like game over: then Jamie Overton toof four wickets in five balls – including a hat-trick - and suddenly it was game on.
Hancock kept a cool head while those around him were starting to worry and smashed Craig Overton for a couple of boundaries on his way to a match-winning 47 not out.
Victory puts Bovey Tracey seven points clear of Exmouth at the topof thetable. North Devon dropback to fifth, some 35 points off the pace as the halfway stage of the season approaches.
Bovey captain Peter Bradley said control in the field was key to winning the game as North Devon remained dangerous right to the end.
“Our tactic was to strangle them from the start and I think we succeeded,” said Bradley.
“Hanks and myself kept it tight to start with and the more dot balls we bowled the more it seemed to unsettle North Devon.
“They played far too many attacking shots – we could have had Craig Overton out three times before he hit one back at Neil for three – but you never know when you have killed them off.
“That’s why at 58 for seven I had the boundary riders out, making sure we didn’t give them any more runs than necessary.
“Querl, and the two Overtons are a genuine First Class bowling attack and can change a game in no time at all.”
Bradley’s fears appeared unfounded as Hancock and Lewis Hammett (17) got the target down to 15 to win.
Then Jamie Overton unfurled his yorker to dismiss Hammett, trapped Delon Mullins lbw two balls later then castled Andy Fairbairn and Chris Bradley in successive balls.
It was Overton’s second hat-trick in as many matches as he took one against Bradninch two weeks ago the last time North Devon played.
“Hat-tricks can change matches very quickly, but Hanks came to the party for us and hit Craig Overton for a four then a huge six in the next over to see us on our way,” said skipper Bradley.
For North Devon the game started badly with opener Dan Bowser caught on the rebound by Charlie Carter in the gully after a ball from Hancock nicked his bat then rebounded at speed off keeper Hammett’s pads!
Skipper Matt Dart may just have felt then it was going to be one of those days.
“It was a bad toss to loose on a wicket that offered a lot to the seamers” said Dart.
“It wasn’t that we batted badly, they just bowled really well and Hancock showed he is still a class above most in the league.
“Had we scored another 20 or 30, the way Jamie was bowling we would have won.
“It was just one of those games and we need to put it behind us.”
SANDFORD moved two places away from the Premier Division drop zone when they beat Torquay on run-rate in a rain-affected game at Creedy Park.
Torquay were bowled out for 136 in the 44^th of their 50 overs – new signing Mark Gilmour from Brixham making 34 after coming in at 61 for six.
A succession of Torquay batsmen – Brandon Handley (24), Mawgan Penrice (17) and Matt Thompson (10) – got in, got set and got out again.
Jamie Palmer (2-19) did the early damage, Matt Theedom (3-25) accounted for the Thompson brothers and Nick Watkin, then Simon Ashplant (4-8) got among the rest.
With 17 wickets in a wet season which does not help spinners like Ashplant who relish bounce and turn, it can’t be long before Devon start looking at him as a left-arm option.
Sandford seemed to be going along nicely at 49 for one – Russ Discombe (20) and Toby Lochead (30) on top of the bowling – then trouble arrived
Someset spinner Max Waller (3-35) took three in a row, then Aqeel Ahmed joined in as Sandford plunged to 61 for five.
The rot stopped with Theedom (11) and Ben Clement (45) putting on 57 for the sixth wicket as the game swung Sandford’s way. Clement only faced 22 balls and it four of them for six and three more for four.
It wasn’t over yet though as Nick Watkin had Clement caught by Aqeel and followed up with Theedom and Ashplant as 118 for five became 125 for eight.
Luke Wright (5no) and Chris Blake (4no) held out long enough for the rain to arrive with Sandford eight runs short on paper but over the line on run-rate.