The Sweep 25 Week 1: Cornwood Defuse A North Devon Bombshell
- Cornwood Cricket club
- May 5
- 8 min read
Words: Simon Travers
Photos: Ivor Thomas
With the 2025 cricket season now in full blossom, welcome back to The Sweep. If you’re new to Cornwood cricket as a colt parent or passer-by, hopefully the Sweep can help you find your feet in the rich tapestry of club life. Match reports come with the odd stat now and then, the exceptional photo work of Ivor Thomas, and a warning from the umpire if there’s more than one dad joke per over.
It was a long winter made longer by the news of the passing of two members of Cornwood’s cricketing family, Dave Bailey and Ted Lambert. Dave’s club debut was in 2019 and in 52 games he scored 680 runs at 14.17, including a 61 and a share of a 100 partnership with Phil Gibson against Ipplepen 3XI in 2020. Dave was gentle and resilient like a hardy perennial in the garden he loved. Ted Lambert’s involvement with life at Cornwood goes back further. Ted loved being at Cornwood and was also celebrated as a certified Oddballs legend. As Oddballs’ umpire, they didn’t call Ted ‘Trigger’ for nothing. Both men will be deeply missed.
Cornwood’s First XI start the year confident they can beat any Premier Division side on their day. Their first challenge was newly promoted North Devon at a resplendent Oak Park. North Devon took their spell in A Division as an opportunity to bring through younger players, and are hoping to cement their place in the Division. It’s eleven years since North Devon last won at Oak Park, when a young Jamie Overton hit 51 from 29 and took 5 for 15 in a 74 run win.
Put into bat by Elliott Staddon, North Devon shook their hosts with an extraordinary first powerplay. Ten boundaries in the first 3 overs of the season rocketed the visitors to 50-0 in 20 balls. This was not careless slogging but power precision modern batting. By the end of over 10, Jay Rothery had scored 70 from 35 in a partnership of 106 before he was caught by Matthew Butterworth off Ben Privett. Momentum shifted immediately as both captain Jack Moore and last year’s player of the season Jack Whittaker were out first ball next over. Whittaker fell to a run out from Ryan Rickard. Man of the match Lee Baker capitalised (9-2-34-5) on that momentum with his second Premier Division five-fer. Lee hit his line and length with nagging accuracy to remove North Devon’s other opener Fred King (54 from 49) in the 19th. He then claimed the big wicket by bowling Roshan Lakmal, North Devon’s Sri Lankan who scored 3 centuries and a double in back-to-back first-class innings this February. The five-fer was completed with a sharp stumping from Samarpit Joshi before Elliott Staddon cleared the tail. North Devon took an unusual route to a typically Oak Park par score of 209.
The visitors also had the best of the Cornwood powerplay as it only took 6 overs to dismiss both openers and Joshi. At 34-3, any new panic that the opening game would detonate in the Ones faces was dispelled by their middle order bomb-disposal squad. Chris Parker helped maintain momentum before Matt Skeemer and Ryan Rickard came together at 76-4. Both batters provided a clinic in game management as they calmly approached their target. North Devon’s bowlers could not apply enough pressure as Rickard in particular pounced on any deviation in line or length. Matt Skeemer reached his 50 first in 82 balls, while Ryan made his from 61 balls. The few chances that were offered by the pair were not taken and the innings progress became serene. The Ones reached their target with both Matt and Ryan unbeaten on 68 and seven overs spare. Their 135* partnership becomes a new First Team DCL record for the 4th wicket beating Duncan Boase and Kevin Willcock’s 125 stand against Bideford in 1998.
Elsewhere in the Premier Division, four other teams share first place with the Ones by claiming the full 20 points. Exmouth scored too many for Plymouth to chase. Bradninch & Kentisbeare comfortably beat Heathcoat. Exeter suggested their quality with an away win at Sandford while Paignton did well to get a close win at Sidmouth.
The Ones were also in action the previous Sunday with a dramatic one run victory over Truro in the ECB National Club Championship. Put into bat, Cornwood’s innings was anchored by Samarpit Joshi who made 74 off 87 on his Cornwood debut. Ben Beaumont’s 38 from 39 also contributed to a total of 194-8 in 40 overs as Truro’s Freddie Bose took 4-54. Matt Skeemer and Alex Shutt made that target larger with tight opening spells. Truro were 22-2 after 10 overs. The Cornishmen came back into the contest with a 56 from 66 from Adam Price. The Ones were in control as Truro needed 53 from the last 5 overs, but Murray Wyatt took the game to the last ball with an explosive 42* from 23. It took a Ryan Rickard run out on the last ball as the visitors scampered for the tying run to claim the win. That result qualifies Cornwood for Round One of the cup, where they will face Penzance away next Sunday.
It was one way traffic for the Twos as they made the short hop to Dean’s Cross for a 9 wicket demolition of Plymst**k 2XI. Even if the Hosts had been at full strength for their first ever C Division West game, the Twos would’ve have won comfortably. However, with depleted availability, Plymst**k had no answers for a fearsome bowling attack. After an early breakthrough from Matt Puttock, survival was the batters’ aim. The pressure told in the 14th over as Mamun Chowdhury top edged Josiah Caunter and Adam Goodliffe made a quality over the shoulder catch at backward point. From there, no-one had an answer for Adam Goodliffe (7-3-7-2) or Josiah Caunter (7.1-3-8-5). Caunter’s first five-fer in a Cornwood shirt was imperious as 28-1 became 31-6. Jacob Caunter also chipped in with 2 late wickets as the hosts closed on 51 all out. Robin Dart (32* from 20) survived a first ball scare to wrap up proceedings in 7 overs, all done and dusted in 2 hours 19 minutes. It was a tough batting day across C Division West, as no team batting first scored 200 and every team chasing won.
The Women’s Firsts did not have a game this week but their campaign is already underway with two difficult encounters against Plymouth. On Easter Monday, the team travelled to Mountwise for an ECB Women’s Club T20 match. A solid team bowling performance kept Plymouth to 104-5 in their 20 as Frankie Lee took 2-21 on Cornwood debut. 26 runs each for Cornwall’s Evie Privett and Spain’s Kat Frost could not quite help the team over the line as the Haffenden sisters closed out a 5 run win. Next Sunday, there was a return match at Oak Park in the DWCL. The result was much more emphatic this time as Claire Varcoe’s 3-6 engineered a team collapse as the Women’s Firsts were bowled out for 60. Varcoe then proceeded to ensure a 7 wicket victory with a run a ball 32*. Bright spots on the day were a determined 22 for Keeley Willcock and 2-22 for Shini Al Khalid.
The Threes are back in E Division West for the first time since 2021. It’s a different challenge this time as Tavistock 2XI are the only E Division West team not to have been promoted or relegated in the last 3 seasons. Both the Threes and Paignton 3XI put out young sides. Batting first, a sprightly 47 opening partnership from Ewan Horner and Evie Privett built an early platform. The backbone of the innings was provided by an imposing 106 run 4th Wicket stand from Josh Whiting (61 from 48) and Greg Thomas (48 from 38). John Bewick took 3-35 to earn the Visitors bonus points as The Threes hit 223 in 37.3 overs. Despite 36 from Paignton captain Stuart Kirkup, that total was way too high for Paignton. Evie Privett was the third player on Saturday to get their name on the honours board by leading the attack with figures of 7-1-36-5. That is Evie’s first five-fer in any form of cricket. An 85 run victory meant the Threes were one of three E Division teams to claim 20 points.
On Sunday, Threes bragging rights were at stake as a Friendly XI dispatched the Exeter University Politics Society in the inaugural battle for the Davies-Dhulkotia Shield. Cornwood scored 256-8 with retirement fifties for Samarpit Joshi and Ewan Horner and 40 for Rocky Travers. Maaz Salman was the best of the Exeter Bowlers with 4-23. Ben York hit 52* and Murray McBoyle scored 46 for the visitors out of 185-9. Credit to all of the Politics Society who made the journey to watch Joe Davies bowl 5 no balls in 2 overs and Anunt Dhulkotia get a first-baller.
With Devon’s cricketing talent pool spreading this year enough for a Central division at G level, G Division West has morphed into the Plymouth and District Derby Death Match Battle Royale. Tensions are already running so high that the Fours were forced to play their match against Plympton 3XI behind closed doors across the county line in Gunnislake. Plympton batted well for their 224-5 lead from the front by Paul Hamiton (66 from 70) and the legendary Keith Willcock (38 from 34). Captain Marc Whaley was the Cornwood bowler to find purchase from the surface claiming 3-45. Replying, The Fours started brightly with a 50 partnership for Tim Chambers (33) and Matthew Lott, before Keeley Willcock, who has joined the Women’s Firsts, took a career best 4-28. Oliver Burn (3-18) had a good spell too as The Fours, like Mark Allen at the Crucible, scored a 147.
Finally, it’s great to see the social cricket section of the club firing on all cylinders through the Fives and the P&D team. Teams have fought hard against the odds at Wembury, Yealmpton and Mount Edgecumbe. The Fives are a bit like the Men of Rohan at Helm’s Deep in Lord of the Rings, packed with men who have either seen too many summers or too few. Results are always adjacent to what is really happening here. Cricket is being handed down another generation, as Burrow’s junior and senior lead the batting and bowling at Wembury and Garland junior made sure dad didn’t get the strike at Yealmpton. At Mount Edgecumbe, Martyn junior saw off more balls, but Martyn senior scored slower. Other highlights from the first three games included an inter-team competition for creative ways to play onto your own stumps and Mick Chadwick putting in the dive at gulley in his first game in well over a decade. Small reminders that there’s some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.
It's a busy week ahead for the Club. Wednesday 6pm at Oak Park is the place to be for Devon T20 Cup action as the Ones face Exeter. The Ones will rack up 250 miles travelling over the weekend with away games in Exeter on Saturday and Penzance on Sunday. The Twos will host Ipplepen 2XI and the Fours play South Brent at Delamore. The Threes head up the A386 to Bridestowe & Belstone. The Fives welcome Harberton on Sunday and P&D action continues. Women’s Softball gets up and running with a Dels vs Oaks derby on Thursday and there is a full slate of colts games.
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