The Sweep 25 Week 10: Doing It For The Kids
- Cornwood Cricket club
- Jul 8
- 7 min read
Words: Simon Travers
3rd Team Match Photos: Ivor Thomas
Around about 2pm, sat at Oak Park, with the rain laying heavy enough to prevent play but not hard enough to abandon hope, the best of us could be forgiven for regretting life choices that centre around cricket. What in the name of WG Grace are we doing here? Perhaps there was an answer 57 miles north at Instow as Stanley Baker became the 176 man to pull on a Cornwood shirt for the Firsts in a Devon Cricket League match. It won’t be long before Stanley starts stealing the headlines from his dad, but his success is also just part of the warp and weft of Cornwood life. It was a big weekend too for Freddie Joynes playing his first DCL match. Imogen Garland became the sixth young woman this year to debut for the Women’s Firsts. Ayaan Chatterjee made his first adult 50 while Charlie Martyn and Charlie Cawardine shared the new ball. Cornwood is a club that likes to win but loves to nurture young talent. That doesn’t come easily. This week, parents and coaches rallied to get an Under 15 team to Brixham for 6pm on a Monday at 24 hours’ notice. Each week, volunteer coaches and hospitality team make colts night at Cornwood the best night of the week. Even in the Dartmoor drizzle, that work is paying off. We’re watching Cornwood cricket being passed down to the next generation match by match.
Our match by match sweep of this week’s action starts with the Ones on the road at Instow. North Devon captain Jack Moore sensibly elected to field, looking to nurture the fledgling momentum last week’s victory at Sandford had provided. Rain meant a delayed start and there was also a short interruption at 13 overs that reduced the match to 39 a side. Cornwood very much had the best of the opening exchanges as Ben Privett and Samarpit Joshi combined to put on 90 for the second wicket. Both batsmen built through low-risk accumulation. North Devon could only record 44 dots in the 101 balls that they shared the crease together for. Ben Privett made his third 50 in consecutive weeks, hitting 60 from 69 with 5 fours. Samarpit Joshi clearly won the battle against his overseas counterpart Roshan Lakmal on the way to 70 from 82 balls. Once Sammy departed, the middle order scored 45-3 in the last 7 overs to record a total of 201-7, with 3 runs added to the target courtesy of DLS.
There would be no repeat of Jay Rothery’s Oak Park theatrics as Jack Ormsby got him edging early, but then the Ones bowlers needed patience. It was Jack Moore (45) and Dan Bowser’s (69) turn to put on a second wicket partnership of 116 in 25.3 overs. North Devon needed 79 from 81 balls with 9 wickets remaining. It was going to take something special to change the momentum and that came from stand-in skipper Matthew Skeemer. First he trapped Jack Moore LBW and then bowled Bowser with a ball as potent as a shell in Mario Kart. Those wickets set the panic amongst the North Devon batters and Ben Beaumont capitalised with four wickets in 15 balls to record figures of 4-33. The home side collapsed to 180, 23 runs short of Cornwood.
That’s five wins in a row, with a cancellation, for the Ones as they rocket to third in the table. Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Bradninch & Kentisbeare were impressive chasing down Heathcoat, Sandford had enough to beat Exeter, Paignton crushed Sidmouth, and Plymouth beat Exmouth.
Anyone hoping for a repeat of the easy win the Twos recorded over Plymst**k 2XI on opening day were to be disappointed on an edgy afternoon at Oak Park. Constant light drizzle until around 2:30 put the Twos in the worst kind of ‘wouldn’t come off for this, but can’t go on in it’ limbo. By then it was clear that the bay area teams, Brixham, Teignmouth & Shaldon and Ashburton were all playing and heading to comfortable victories. Eight points and a handshake against the division’s weakest side could have broken the Two’s season.
The weather stayed dry for long enough to get the game moving at 2:55pm at 29 overs a team. Plymst**k’s openers Dave Ling and Paul Birleson fought hard to put 58 on for the first wicket, utilising the conditions and working the ball through third man. It was only when Will Sharp shortened his run up that things started rolling towards the hosts. Will took three quick wickets (3-29) and Harry Woolway bowled another to put the visitors on 87-4 when a heavier shower descended at 4pm. That shower, and another at 4:30 which caused an early tea, combined with a dampening outfield made it hard for the Twos to regain their rhythm. Beth Hall and Mamun Chowdhury capitalised with 69 for the fifth wicket before a chaotic final seven balls saw four wickets as Plymst**k set a target of 148-8.
The Twos started their innings 20 minutes before the automatic cut off at 5:40pm. A positive start sound foundered as 3 wickets dropped in six balls to put the score on 38-3. The margins are so fine in C Division West, that for the first time this year, it felt like the season was on the line. Sam Griffiths stepped forward to play the match-winning knock. While Sam played positively from the off, he focussed on looking for the gaps than the boundaries and adjusting to the conditions. Sam showed mental toughness and then capitalised to score 20 in an over. His first 50 of the season arrived in 34 balls with 8 fours. That was enough to get the Twos over the line with 4 wickets and 8.2 overs spare. An impressive win that keeps the Twos top of C Division West. Also, absolute full credit goes to Plymst**k for their commitment to getting the game on and for bringing their best in a compelling game of cricket.
Unorthodox scheduling means that Sunday’s Women’s Firsts game against Paignton was their last DWCL Division 1 home game of the year. It was a one-sided affair as Paignton showed superiority with bat and ball. While there was a brace of wickets for the youth of Frankie Lee and the experience of Hannah Bale, 69 from Ella Gill powered Paignton to 198-6 in their 35 overs. That total was always going to challenge a Cornwood side who worked hard to bat their overs after early wickets fell. Katie Kirkup took 3-4 as the Women’s Firsts finally succumbed after 30.5 overs with the score on 69. The Women’s Firsts now hit the road for their last four games. Last week’s win against Exeter means the team focus can be on growing and enjoying the cricket.
Earlier in the week, the Delamores Women’s Softball team won by 19 runs away at Plymstock but lost by 8 runs to the Moorland Maidens. The Oaks are top of the Tamar Division courtesy of two recent conceded matches.
The Threes had no weather problems to navigate playing Paignton 3XI at the new and improved batter’s paradise at Torre Valley North. Put into bat, The Threes played really well to score 232 in 44.3 overs. Top of the run scorers was Ayaan Chatterjee who continued his excellent batting form to register his first adult 50. Ayaan played anchor for 57 from 103 balls, walking to the crease at 27-1 and leaving on 196-8. It was a mature knock for the club’s top runscorer so far across all ages and formats. Andy Bees hit 32 from 19 at the death to set a competitive total. It looked even better when four early wickets from Josh Cumberland (4-56) put Paignton on 56-4. However, it was one of those days when Paignton’s aggressive counter-attack paid off. Harry Roberts (39 from 32) started the offence, but it was Andy Singh (87* from 47, 10x4, 6x6) and Tim Ward (45*) that proved impossible to shift. Paignton got home in 28.5 overs as the Threes drop back to third in E Division West.
It was a different story on Sunday as the Threes reached Finals Day of the Tidball Insurance Cup with a 10 wicket victory against an underpowered Plymouth 3XI. Early wickets from Charlie Cawardine (4-18 dots-19-3) exposed the Plymouth middle order to Mike Hodge (3-7) and Andy Bees (2-13). With Plymouth all out for 70, the game already resembled an old dog that wanted taking to the woodshed. Ewan Grewal was the man with the shotgun bat to do the decent thing, hitting 47 from 17 as the Threes scored 74-0 in 4.2 overs.
The Fours did everything they could to get the best out of their encounter with Plympton 3XI before the weather won. The teams agreed to get on with it as play started around 2pm. Charles Knight made a solid 30, while captain Simon Garland held things steady with 42*. That gave permission for Max Daniels to hit the afterburners with 59 from 49 and Dave Stubbs to hit 30* from 16. 197-6 in 31 overs takes some doing on a dry day at Delamore Park and the Fours surely had the box seat. However, the heavier rain around between 4 and 5 tipped the balance in favour of handshakes and the Fours had to settle for 12 points. They remain eighth in G Division West.
In the socials, Oscar Bridge made 28 and took a wicket as the Fives lost by eight wickets against Modbury. The P&D side struggled in the field against Plymouth College, apart from an outrageous one-handed boundary catch from Josh Whiting. Chasing 242-4, Rocky Travers (71) and Charles Knight (69*) put on 134 for the second wicket in a competitive total of 179-4. On Thursday night, the dad v lads derby conclusively proved that the dads still have it as Oddballs beat the Under 15s by 34 runs. It’s a debate for philosophers and physicists exactly how Chewy held that sliding catch to dismiss Rehaan Chatterjee, but the scorebook shows he did.
Circling back around to the colts, the Under 15s had a tough loss in their ECB Club T20 Devon final against a super-strength Exeter side. The Under 15s Girls were impressive in a win against Plymouth with Frankie scoring 31* and taking 4-10. Jacob scored 25* as the Under 11s lost a close friendly against Harberton. Alfie making 51* for the Tier 1 Under 13s against Tavistock was a massive highlight in a 10 wicket loss.
Next weekend, the Ones pull double duty as they host Exeter on Saturday before heading to Sandford for Devon T20 Cup Finals day. The Twos travel to Ipplepen while the Threes host Bridestowe & Belstone. The Fours are off to Paulstone Park to take on South Brent. On Sunday, the Women’s Firsts are at Oak Park for Super8 matches against Clyst St George and Stoke Gabriel while the Fives have an SDCL match against Plymst**k at Delamore Park.
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