The Clean Sweep 25 Week 12: Ones, Twos and Threes are in the mix
- Cornwood Cricket club
- Jul 22
- 7 min read
Words: Simon Travers
Match Photos: Ivor Thomas
The Oak Park weekend lit up with a massive bang on Friday night as eighty colts, their parents and coaches came to celebrate Awards Night. Ayaan was named Colt of the Year and full coverage of all the awards is available in the Colts’ Special edition of the Sweep.
Things kept getting better with a Cornwood clean sweep across all four DCL matches played on Saturday. The Ones made the shortest trip of the season to Mountwise to take on Plymouth. After a few quiet years, Plymouth have looked to reassert their club credentials as a force at every level. Since an early win at Oak Park, Plymouth have been inconsistent. They’re capable of big performances against the likes of Bradninch & Kentisbeare, but Sandford are out of the drop zone because they did the double over them.
Cornwood have become a steady, efficient batting unit that get enough runs on the board for their bowlers. Samarpit Joshi led the way on Saturday with his third half century in four innings. He reached 50 in 78 balls with six fours before falling to Hallam Kerton. The Steins, Ben (3-42) and Sam (2-33) looked to apply pressure to the middle order, but the Ones built partnerships through each phase of the innings. An observer might scan the Cornwood scorecard and note that everyone got a start but nobody kicked on. On this day, four Cornwood batters scored between 20-29 while the Plymouth top five were all out in the teens. Like a rugby match, the cumulative weight of runs in the pack made the difference up front. Plymouth too may also reflect on their bowling generosity in gifting 28 in wides as the Ones scored 229-9.
After tea, it was not long before Matt Skeemer broke through Plymouth’s top order. Matt manufactured the first subsidence of the innings with three quick wickets (10-3-24-3). Both openers gave edges before Jack Ormsby took a sliding grab at mid on to remove Hemu Hirani. With the pressure mounting, it was Baker, Staddon, Baker then Ormsby who broke the innings open. 60-3 became 69-7 in the space of five overs as the Ones took their chances. Captain Sam Stein counterattacked for 44, but after the choking pace off of Ormsby and Baker, it was time for speed with a brace for Alex Shutt. Elliott Staddon bowled Stein as Plymouth reached 132. Cornwood were the best in West Devon to the tune of 97 runs and that’s seven wins on the bounce.
The win had a bitter-sweet flavour though as it was Jack Ormsby’s last game in a Cornwood shirt. Jack is moving back up country for family reasons. Jack’s contribution has been colossal since moving to Cornwood in 2023. He has played 36 of a possible 48 Cornwood 1XI DCL matches in his time at the club. Jack’s final First XI career figures are 246.5-34-881-39. That gives him an average of 22.59 and a remarkable economy rate of 3.57. Of bowlers who have taken 10 wickets in a season, Jack had the 8th best Premier Division economy in 2023, the 18th best in 2024, and the 5th best so far in 2025. You won’t find his name on the honours board, but Jack has 5 hauls of 3 or 4 wickets, including a club best 4-10 vs North Devon in 2023. He keeps improving. 2025 saw Jack bowl more overs and take more wickets than the two previous seasons. Beyond the stats, Jack has added so much value to the Ones and wider club. He brings wisdom, clarity and a commitment to help the players around him get better. As Elliott Staddon remarked in a presentation at the Midsummer Social, Jack has helped get the best out of many players at the club and the club wouldn’t be in the position they are now without his contribution. Everyone wishes Jack well with every success that is heading his way. He will be missed.
Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Bradninch & Kentisbeare made it look easy against Sandford, Sidmouth won a relegation battle with Heathcoat, it was Exeter’s turn to beat North Devon and Paignton missed a low chase at home again against Exmouth. Bradninch are still two wins ahead at the top of the table, but Paignton are just 3 points ahead of the Ones and it can all change next week.
At Oak Park, The Twos got the comfortable afternoon they needed against a beleaguered Paignton 2XI side at risk of relegation. The game was close to wrapped in the first ten overs as Will Sharp (9-6-12-3) flooded the defences of the Paignton top order. Carl McFarlane (41 from 57) and Harry Roberts (30 from 44) looked to score for the visitors, but the rest of the seasiders parked the Stagecoach Gold with a collective strike rate of 21.62. Jason Hall capitalised with figures of 7.5-1-16-4 as Paignton were all out for 131 in 40.5 overs. 47 in 40 from Robin Dart meant the Twos breezed through to their target in 18.3 overs with 8 wickets still in the bag. The Twos remain top of C Division West but things remain tight. Ashburton and Teignmouth & Shaldon are still both within 7 points of Cornwood. C Division West is building to an almighty climax. Every game is must win now and the season will be decided as the top 3 teams play each other in the final three weeks of the campaign.
The Threes travelled to Teignmouth & Shaldon 2XI looking for their first away win of the year. The Threes settled into their innings as Teignmouth’s bowlers seemed to lack a cutting edge. Alex Robinson (39), Charlie Farmer (42) and Noah Carlisle (32) all made runs in the top order, but the tempo changed at 152-4 as Ethan Carlisle headed to the crease. Ethan cleanly hit 5 fours and 5 sixes in an innings of 64 from 33. That innings was the main reason Cornwood dashed from 152-4 to 252-6 in 10.3 overs and 41 minutes. Usamah Iqbal (4-33) was the pick of the bowlers, slowing the Threes’ final push. The team finished all out on 282, not entirely sure if that was a par or above par score.
Sam Cumberland picked up three early wickets (3-47) by attacking the stumps with a fuller length. Teignmouth keeper and almost Irish crooner Daniel O’Connell (31) partnered with Ged Gillen for 55. Gillen fell to an excellent instinctive slip catch from Alex Robinson. For a while, it looked like the game would get close due to another 50 partnership between Usamah Iqbal (48 from 34) and Adam Smith. The hosts needed 148 from the last 20 overs with 6 wickets remaining. Cornwood found an effective bowling combination in Ethan Carlisle and Evie Privett. Ethan troubled the Teignmouth batters with pace and a little Saturday afternoon hostility. Evie took the key wickets with 4-46, unsettling the batters’ timing and drawing false strokes. A 42 run cameo from Scott Baxter wasn’t enough for Teignmouth and the Threes won by 49 runs. The win keeps the Threes second in E Division West. There’s a tussle brewing with third place Tavistock 2XI who are 2 points behind.
However the tea leaves shake out for the Fours at year’s end, they have the satisfaction of completing a season double over Plymst**k 3XI. Put into bat, the Fours made 226 in their 40 overs. Ewan Horner topped the batting with a classy 58 from 72 balls, while Charles Knight (48) and Josh Wood (35) get nominations for best middle order batter in a supporting role. Plymst**k looked to attack the new ball, with 30 for Jordan Spencer, but once wickets started tumbling, Cornwood’s bowlers took control. Josh Wood was impressive for 3-34 and Tom West made a welcome return with an economical spell. Luke Dennis (34* and 3-47) topped up the visitors’ bonus points, but the Fours were a step ahead all afternoon to earn the 45 run win. The Fours remain eighth in G Division West but are now 16 points ahead of the drop zone.
There were two games in the Colts section this week as the holidays arrived. The big match was between the Tier 1 Under 15s and Plymst**k. If the Under 15s won, they would win their division with a game to spare. Plymst**k elected to bat but came unstuck at the hands of Eoin who tore out the heart of their order to the tune of 3.1-0-10-5. That exceptional display meant the Under 15s were chasing 79. They did that in 10.5 overs with 8 wickets remaining due to 37 from 31 from the year’s most improved member of the squad, Ollie. The Under 15s are your Tier 1 Group 4 Under 15s Champions for 2025. No Under 15 team in Devon has won more games than they have. Elsewhere, the Under 15s girls lost their first game of the year at Paignton. They put in a creditable showing with a first 50 in Cornwood colours for Frankie and two wickets each for Frankie and Charlotte.
If you want a fun finish to a match, the P&D Team are currently serving them up on a weekly basis. This week, They pushed Plymouth College to the final over in an 8 run loss with an aggregate of 416 runs in 40 overs. Alex Shutt’s evil twin launched the Plymouth College innings with 79 from 37 including 9 fours and 4 sixes, before Azir Rahmanzai (34*) and some player called Stanley Baker (33 from 15) kept up the pressure. Highlights in the field for Cornwood were the three catches taken by wicketkeeper Harry Woolway and a pair of wickets for Matt Puttock and Oscar Edling-Hill. Chasing 212-6, Harry Woolway and Rocky Travers (36 from 22) put on 83 for the first wicket in 7.1 overs. Harry continued to score 65 from 40 before he became the first of Robin Dart’s three run out victims. The value of P&D cricket in youth development was shown again as the team's youth wing received an in-game masterclass from a senior player in the art of ruthlessly barbecuing your mates. Robin also hit 62* from 39 with 7 fours and 3 sixes as the P&D team finished on 204-5.
The Under 17s fought hard in a tough 5 wicket loss to Plympton on Tuesday. The team’s batting effort drew on their senior players. Rocky Travers responded bravely after getting hit by a Sam Ford bouncer to score 37 from 26. Captain Josh Whiting then pushed to a total of 169-5 with a 37 ball 50*. Cornwood’s bowlers couldn’t quite get the line and length right to slow Kristian King (50* from 36) and Jack Martin (52* from 30). Three wickets from Stanley Baker brought the team back into the game, but Plympton got home with 5 balls spare.
Next weekend, let's get Oak Park packed as the Ones take on Bradninch & Kentisbeare. The Twos travel to Chudleigh hungry for 20 points. The Threes host Abbotskerswell 2XI and look to put a dent in their league lead, while the Fours are at Ford Park to play Plymouth 3XI. On Sunday, the Super8s team travel to Bovey Tracey, while the Fives are at home to Plympton in the SDCL.
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