Devon Cricket Board - Small ready to wield axe after Plymouth disaster

Small ready to wield axe after Plymouth disaster

PLYMOUTH are on the up in the Premier Division after beating bottom side Heathcoat by nine wickets in the only game played to a finish.

Rob Bennett and Matt Hooper were the men of the moment for Plymouth as Heathcoat were skittled out for 73 in the 36th over.

Bennett took four for 20 and Hooper two for 16, following up behind pacer Sam Stein, who had a couple at the top of the order.

Heathcoat were in trouble right from the start as opener Sam Smith gloved a rising ball from Stein into the hands of Hooper in the gulley.

Jack Menheneott drove Stein on the up to George Stephenson at mid-off, Jake Luffman ran out Jack Maunder for nine and when Bennett opened his account by having Heathcoat skipper Chris Small caught behind for a duck, the visitors were 28 for four.

Wickets continued to tumble until Tom Drake came out to join Ned Menheneott at 36 for seven.

Drake (7) hung around while Menheneott (22no) played a few shots as the pair put on 28.

Skipper Whittaker brought back Bennett to finish things off and he responded by removing Drake, Matt Hague and James Drew one after the other.

Plymouth had the runs knocked off inside 18 overs with James Toms leading the way with a brisk 36.

Toms was the only man out in the chase, caught on the boundary trying to hit a long-hop for six.

Ben Stein (12no) and Jack Bryant (14no) took Plymouth over the line for their third win of the season, which lifts them out of the bottom two and up to seventh in the ten club division.

Heathcoat were the only side below Plymouth, who have now gone past Budleigh Salterton and Sandford.

Plymouth skipper Callum Whittaker agreed it was a good toss to win on a wet day, but claimed that wasn’t the reason his side won.

“Heathcoat had the worst of the conditions, but it certainly wasn’t soaking wet when they batted,” said Whittaker.

“Rob Bennett and Matt Hooper bowled superbly. The only better spin attack in the Premier this season is Exmouth’s - and I don’t think there is a lot in it.

“We bowled well and capitalised on the way Heathcoat batted. They played too many attacking shots for the conditions and we capitalised.

“In some of our earlier games this season we didn’t get much luck, so the serious points we have take from Heathcoat help to balance the books.”

Meanwhile, Heathcoat captain Chris Small is threatening to wield the axe for the up-coming game against Sidmouth.

Defeat leaves Heathcoat 30 points adrift at the foot of the table and up to their necks in the relegation more.

“We did ourselves no favours by batting very poorly except for Ned Menheneott,” said Small.

“We were easily beaten and there will be many changes.”

SIDMOUTH head for bottom side Heathcoat on this Saturday still smarting from ‘the one that got away’.

Bradninch were on the canvas and about to be counted out last Saturday when the weather gods intervened to rob Sidmouth of a win.

Skipper Will Murray had taken three for eight and Matt Cooke two for six as Bradninch had been bowled out for 63.

Sidmouth were 19 short of victory with eight wickets in hand when the deluge set in.

Bradninch captain Gary Chappell knew it was only a question of time before Sidmouth won, so he was delighted to come away with six points for an abandonment which he would not have had.

Opposite number Murray was as phlegmatic as he could be under the circumstances.

“Had we been able to play on and win the game then we would have been third in the table,” said Murray.

“Whether we deserve to be third is another matter, but I would have taken it.

“We were close to getting back one of the three games we have lost recently as no one else played apart from Plymouth and Heathcoat.

“Three or four more overs would have done it and you look back in hindsight and think if only we had done this quicker or that a bit sooner.

“I suppose we should be grateful for 11 points, that’s five more than everyone else apart from Plymouth, but I was struggling to see it that way for a while.”

Chappell said Bradninch struggled to get into the game from the start and he was glad to come away with anything.,

“It was a waste of time,” said Chappell. “The wicket was a joke as it was just so wet and muddy.

“It felt like playing in a Sunday match and not the highest standard there is in Devon.

“It was one of those days whoever wins the toss wins the game.

“We didn’t bat well but it was hard to score a run, especially against Murray, who was moving it all over the place.

“The only way to bat was to tee off. Sidmouth came out and hit a few quick boundaries then the gods above saved us!”

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