Words: Simon Travers
Week 3 of DCL action saw the Ones welcome Sidmouth. With five Premier League teams starting the day with one win and one loss, the visitors would provide a meaningful strength test for Cornwood’s top team. In the five previous league encounters between the sides, Sidmouth had won by either 150+ runs or 9+ wickets, so a competitive performance was the first target but the Ones went much better.
The Ones put the visitors in bat and after a regulation first 13 overs with the score reaching 35/1, Cornwood’s bowlers started circling their opponents like a python. Sidmouth would have to wait another 14 overs for their next boundary as the paralysis set in at 56/2 after 27 overs. The visitors tried to break out and be more aggressive but wickets started tumbling as they fell to 85/5 and then 134/7. Sidmouth captain Cameron Evans Grainger resisted with a 29*, but a 150+ run was ruled out with a total of 167. 6 different bowlers took wickets for the Wood and Harry Woolway (10-4-17-1) and Elliott Staddon (7.5-0-15-2) both get great credit for delivering an economy rate of under 2. Staddon was unable to finish his spell due to a side strain and had to bat down the order with a runner. However, Cornwood are the only Premier side with full bowling bonus points after 3 games and they had a target they could chase.
Both Ones openers fell within 6 overs bringing Ryan Rickard to the crease at 33/2. Ryan top scored for the second week running with an important 39 before being trapped LBW by Charlie Miles (10-4-26-4). That left the Ones comparable to the visitors at 86/5, but they reached this mark 10 overs sooner. The lower order was held together with a determined cool-headed 26* from 80 balls from wicket keeper George Thompson. Needing 21 from the last 10 overs with 3 wickets remaining, Thompson and Adam Goodliffe brought the team home with 17 balls remaining. This was a big win for the Ones over Premier League stalwarts that puts the Ones second in the Premier League.
The Ones’ party rolled over into Sunday with a comfortable win over 10 man Exmouth to secure a place in the Quarter Finals of the Sunbelt Rentals Devon T20. Exmouth won the toss and batted and hit the floor hard to reach 50/2 at the end of the powerplay. 3 wickets in four overs between Woolway and Jay Bista pegged the visitors back, and Matthew Skeemer finished the tail to lead the bowling with 3-23. Chasing 139, Jay Bista brought the fireworks, scoring 89 from 44 with 12 fours and 4 sixes. That was more than enough to get the Ones over the line with 20 balls to spare.
The Ones success story was not able to be replicated across other teams. The Twos continued to find batting away from home a struggle, slipping to a 34 run loss against Yelverton Bohemians 1XI. Since last July, this was the fourth time in six away matches the Twos had been bowled out for under 120. As a unit, they had the kind of luck you get when you struggle, which is none. A chance burst through the Yelverton gully’s hands but second slip scooped it. The opposition’s wicketkeeper claimed a stumping standing back to a seamer. A top edged sweep went twenty feet in the air and would have landed on the stumps but for the keeper’s gloves. There is no lack of passion or pride amongst the Twos. They fought hard in the field to restrict the Bohos to 151. Sometimes it just takes a spark and there were sparks offered. Lee Baker (9-5-8-5) was unplayable on his way to the club’s first five-fer of the year. Ewan Grewal led well as captain making a counter-attacking 51 from 64. Other times though, when confidence is hiding, it takes a while to find it. It’ll come around for the Twos again.
However, there was no opportunity for a quick bounceback on Sunday as Hatherleigh 2XI were able to complete a weekend double with a 14 run win over the Twos in the Ivor Dewdney T20 Corinthian Cup. Ewan Grewal (4-0-30-3) was the pick of the bowlers as the visitors reached 119/8 in their 20. Wickets fell regularly for the Twos and while Noah Carlisle found 3 boundaries on the way to 20*, Adam Quick’s 4-1-6-4 was decisive.
The Threes hosted an early top of the table clash against Bovey Tracey 3XI at Delamore Park. Last year, the two matches between these teams were cut and thrust affairs, but this time the Threes landed the wrong side of a one sided encounter. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Nick Goodliffe and Duncan Cumberland joint top scored on 26. The Threes wobbled as they dropped from 51/1 to 55/4, but the major subsidence appeared when the last 6 wickets were lost for 12 runs to leave a total of 121. Andrew Williams was the pick of the Bovey bowlers with figures of 8-3-11-3. Bovey marched to the target in double time, reaching the total required in 21.1 overs with 3 wickets to fall. With their first loss of the year, the Threes drop to fourth in F Division West.
Way over in the wilds of Petrockstowe, The Fours lost another close one to Hatherleigh 3XI, falling 12 runs short in their chase. Hatherleigh’s openers put on a stand of 65 before Simon Garland picked up the opening wicket. The Fours top 3 bowlers, Anthony Goodwin, Charlie Farmer and Jon Lambert, were all economical but couldn’t break through. Captain Dave Tracey was able to pick up 2 wickets and Simon Garland caused a run out as Hatherleigh reached 149/4 in their 40 overs. Barrie Fitzpatrick (30) and Ryan Griffiths (29) led the charge in the run chase that ended on 137/9, still waiting for a first win of the season.
It would be wrong to move on from the Fours though without a shout for Anunt Dholkatia. I’ve been watching Anunt since he played for the U14s in 2019 and I can’t recall a batter who is more hardcore all or nothing, double or bust. He shapes his innings like a Napalm Death song; hard thrash with explosive energy that makes its point and leaves before you’ve noticed. For connoisseurs of Anunt’s milieu, yesterday’s innings of 18 runs in 5 balls going FOUR, SIX, FOUR, FOUR, BOWLED, is an instant classic of his genre, a masterpiece perhaps wasted on the viewing public of Petrockstowe. When pundits talk of the modern 360 batter, they mean Anunt with a strike rate in this match of 360, right?
Next week, the Ones are off to North Devon while the Twos host Plymouth 2XI at Oak Park, the Threes are by the seaside against Paignton 3XI and the Fours are home to Bovey Tracey 4XI. On Sunday, the Women’s Ones face off against Taunton Deane 2XI and Exeter for the chance to win the club’s first silverware of the season at Super 8s finals day.
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