The Sweep 25 Week 3: Cornwood Ones not quite up to par on a busy weekend
- Cornwood Cricket club
- May 19
- 8 min read
Words: Simon Travers
Match Photos: (1s & 3s) Ivor Thomas (Women’s Firsts & 5s) Simon Travers
It was a roller-coaster Oak Park weekend with six matches in two days and a full roster of colts training on Friday night. This week’s round up starts with the resumption of rivalries between the Ones and Plymouth. Plymouth are back in the Premier Division after a two year rebuild in A Division. Two losses in their first two games suggest their target is survival but they have recruited purposefully over the winter and are somewhat of a bogey side for Cornwood. The Ones have only won 3 of their 20 DCL encounters against Plymouth and the Jay Bista propelled win of July 2022 was their first win in 23 years.
Elliott Staddon won the toss and chose to chase. Plymouth’s openers Ben Stein and Rahul Randev (34) were comfortable through the first powerplay to reach 48-0 in 10 overs. Staddon (10-1-31-4) introduced himself into the attack and struck early. Randev played one too many aggressive shots and bottom edged to the keeper. Wickets kept falling as Matt Whalley mistimed a drive to mid on and Ben Beaumont parried a chance from Teddy Haffenden into Samarpit Joshi’s gloves. Beaumont took a classy diving catch at midwicket to give Jack Ormsby a wicket before Staddon found South African Mekyle Pillay’s off stump. Plymouth were 92-5 at drinks.
Wickets kept tumbling until Hallam Kerton (35) and one of Plymouth’s new recruits, Ethan Guest (42* from 58), united for an Eighth wicket stand that took the visitors from 109-7 to 169-8. Each time Cornwood have beaten Plymouth in the DCL, they’ve bowled them out for 155 or less. Plymouth kept enough air in their sails to find port with a closing total of 195-9. The last wicket to fall was an exceptional athletic take from Ryan Rickard, falling backwards and making a one-handed grab at backward point. Ryan deserves full credit for his shift in the field, saving more than 20 runs with increasingly outrageous diving stops.
With the visitors posting 195, let’s pause to ask the question of what is a par score at Oak Park? It’s an interesting question in our new era of pink ball, coloured clothing cricket that was recently asked by the groundstaff team. Obviously, a par score is a subjective idea, shifting weekly dependent on complex variables including weather, pitch preparation, availability, the humanity of players and umpires, and the type of ball used. However, if you visit a decade of history for multiple current Premier teams, a pattern seems to emerge. A notional par score would give a team batting first roughly a 50/50 chance of winning, where below that total, the chasing team win roughly 75%, while above that total the setting team win roughly 75%. At Oak Park that total is roughly 200, so Plymouth, like North Devon two weeks ago, reached an Oak Park par total.
A score like that meant both teams could feel like they held the match momentum. Plymouth certainly talked the talk as they looked to create pressure in the field. Their fast bowlers walked the walk trapping both of The Ones openers LBW. Matt Skeemer anticipated Matt Whalley’s (10-1-25-3) first ball as a Premier Division bowler would spin away, but it cut in and hit middle and leg. At 72-4, Ryan Rickard (41) and Elliot Staddon looked to calm things down and tilt the balance of the innings. They managed to get ahead of a DLS par with 118-4 by drinks. However, the match tilted back dramatically towards Plymouth with Whalley’s last over, removing Elliott Staddon and George Thompson within three balls. Wicketkeeper Ollie Parsons took a sharp grab in the next over and suddenly it was 137-7. The tail-end fought to pull the game back but ended 12 disappointing runs short on a Hallam Kerton run out. On a par score kind of day, Plymouth won the 50/50 moments that tilted the match.
Elsewhere in the Premier Division, 2 points separate the top 3 unbeaten teams as Bradninch & Kentisbeare had enough to chase down Sandford, Paignton impressed against Exmouth, and Exeter comfortably outbatted North Devon. Sidmouth scored a crushing first win against Heathcoat. The Ones are seventh in the table.
The Twos took a while to hit their stride at Paignton 2XI before turning in another strong performance for a comfortable 52 run win. Chris Parker (47) just missed out on a 50 when he skied young leg spinner Arthur Ray (3 for 53) to extra cover. Five of the Twos batters got starts they couldn’t capitalise on by getting out in the teens. It took 46 from 45 including 3 hefty sixes from Matt Puttock to get the score to 223-8 in 45 overs. That turned out to be plenty for the Twos overpowering bowling squadron to defend. Will Sharp and Josiah Caunter continued their form but the key wickets went to James Richardson (7-0-54-3). He removed opener Brenton Pedley on 44, before getting the experienced hands of Carl McFarlane and Neil Hancock cheaply. Late resistance from Paignton was abruptly halted by Alex Robinson on golden arm duties, taking 2 for 2 to close the match. The Twos have started impeccably with three 20 point victories to top of C Division West.
The Women’s Firsts got their first Division One win of the year at against Taunton Deane 2XI on a balmy Oak Park Sunday. Put into bat, Cornwood had deeper experience and skills to comprehensively beat their opponents. Evie Privett took the lead after two early wickets to score 63 from 49 with 12 fours. She put on 83 for the third wicket with Shini Al Khalid (a club HS 46 from 78), before Shini stepped up a gear with Keeley Willcock to register 77 for the fourth wicket. The Women’s Firsts finished on 216-6 from 35 overs. For Taunton, Pippa Stephens (48) offered resistance while her partners offered catching chances. Gemma Lancaster was the closer with 3 for 5, and Erica Upton (2 for 11) was nominated player of the game on Cornwood debut as the match ended in a 124 run home win. Liv Gibson got it above the eyeline for the final time in a Cornwood shirt to take 5-0-18-2. Liv has played 61 matches for the Women’s Firsts across all formats since 2015, taking 53 wickets at 22.38 with best figures of 5 for 16 against Plymouth last year. Good luck Liv with all your New Zealand adventures to come.
Earlier in the day, the Cornwood Oaks defeated Plymst**k in their Women's softball match. It was a convincing 38 run victory for the Oaks. Opening the batting, Laura Dart hit 19 from 12 balls and both Luci Atkins and player of the match Teena Fernando both made double figures. Teena was fantastic behind the stumps with 2 catches. Laura Dart, Luci Atkins and Imogen Garland combined economy with wicket taking. That's 2 from 2 for the Oaks who are well clear at the top of Tamar Division.
Over the track at Delamore, the Threes were bolstered by healthy availability for the Oak Park teams as they cruised past Teignmouth and Shaldon 2XI. After serious batting issues in their first two matches, the visitors set out to park the bus against a hostile Threes pace attack. Andy Bees (9-0-19-3) just beat Dan Skeemer (9-3-21-2) in the economy rate stakes as Teignmouth & Shaldon ended on 170-9. That proved not nearly enough as the Threes marched down the total at double-quick time. Charles Finan led the way with 50* from 38, while Josh Goodliffe and Greg Thomas both hit 28 at a strike rate above 150. It only took the Threes 19.3 overs to complete the 6 wicket victory that puts them joint second in the E Division West table.
There were seven teenagers in the Fours team that travelled to Yealmpton to battle with an unbeaten Plymst**k 3XI. The youthful bowling attack hunted as a pack and did exceptionally well to limit the hosts to 132-8 in their 40. Charlie Cawardine, Neel Shivane, Tommy Burrows all went for less than 3 an over. Lennon Way matched Simon Garland wicket for wicket in the spin department. Plymst**k 3s are a stronger bowling unit than batting and were not out of the match. Rocky Travers crafted a responsible 39 from 66 balls that got the Fours past drinks and set up a situation that the vintage wing of the Fours could tick off with 11 balls and 3 wickets spare. A great team performance puts the Fours bang in the centre of G Division West, 8 points behind the leaders, 9 points ahead of the dropzone.
Colts fans might still be adjusting to the tiered system of matches that operates in the Devon Youth Cricket League. Teams enter at three different tiers. Tier 1 is designed for teams who want to focus on competition, Tier 2 is for recreational players and Tier 3 is for softball cricket. Managed well, this should allow clubs to grow squads organically and ensure more players get meaningful, well-balanced games. The most impressive colt’s performance of the week was the Under 15s Girls who roared to a 59 run win over Ipplepen in their first match. Sara hit a retirement 25* while Lily took 2 for 15 in a strong team effort. The Tier 1 U15 boys held their nerve for an impressive 3 run away win at Plymouth, with Ayaan continuing his form with 57* and 2 wickets. Elsewhere, Harvey hit 30* for the Tier 2 U13s against Plympton and 41 in 16 against Tier 1 Plymouth, Ollie dropped bombs for a 27 ball 50* for the Tier 2 U15s but PCS&R came back for the victory, while Freddie hit 27 in a U11 cup win against Ivybridge.
In the socials, grudge match of the week was a P&D battle with Plymouth College. Lee Baker was on the Cornwood team, while Stanley wore the colours of the College. The Wood batted first and were swiftly dispatched for 63. The key moment of the game was high drama though. Stanley Baker (2-0-3-4) had caught and bowled Mick Chadwick and bowled Seb Clewer in consecutive balls. Out walked Lee Baker at number 11, one ball to face but it was Stan’s hat-trick ball for a five-fer. Stanley bowled and Lee missed. The ball rapped his pads. The appeals could be heard from Sparkwell. The umpire’s finger twitched but stayed down. It was a moral victory for the dads by the barest of margins, the barest of all margins. Stan then rattled off 26* in 21 balls to ensure he got the Hollywood handshake in the Great Cornwood Baker Off as Plymouth College won by 8 wickets.
There was a family feel on Sunday as the Fives played Modbury, with three Ways, two Knights and two Garlands. The match was one sided towards the visitors despite a 38 from Garland senior. James Sloman took 3-11 and Tom Hatch hit 44* for the visitors. In the field, it was good to see Tobey Knight back taking a wicket in a Cornwood shirt.
Next week, The Ones face an away trip to unbeaten Bradninch & Kentisbeare, the Twos look to keep pressing against Chudleigh, the Threes travel to Abbotskerswell 2XI and the Fours are at home to Plymouth 3XI. There’s a P&D match on Monday night and a full slate of colts games throughout the week.
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