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The Clean Sweep 26 Week 10: Skeemer hat-trick upsets league leaders
- Cornwood Cricket club
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Words: Simon Travers
4XI Match Photos: Ivor Thomas
It may not have been the kind of stormy opera that leaves Harry Kane speechless at the Azteca, but late Saturday afternoon unfolded a hazy summer drama over Oak Park as each of Cornwood’s DCL teams in turn clinched victory to ensure a clean sweep was coming home.
The Ones were perhaps the unlikeliest of winners as they took down top placed Exmouth at The Maer. Exmouth came in the match favourites with home advantage, league position and the memory of bowling out Cornwood for 79 last August. Matt Skeemer won the toss and batting. The Cornwood innings was marked by players getting starts and not capitalising on their hard work. Seven batters made double figures, but nobody scored higher than Charles Finan and Mohsin Khan with 26. Lawrence Greenway broke the innings open for Exmouth with a spell of 3-42 that reduced Cornwood to 85-5. Once Elijah Pyne trimmed the bails of Mohsin Khan’s stumps, the Ones were in trouble. Seamer Dan Pyle cleared the Cornwood tail to tune of 3-2 and the innings closed on 138.
Cornwood defended totals of 156 and 154 against Exmouth in 2009 on the back of honours board performances from Aizaz Cheema and Michael Wood, but 138 is roughly 70 short of a par total at The Maer and Exmouth had already chased 139, 201 and 235 at home this season. However, this year’s Ones team never know they are beaten.
The comeback spirit kicked in with the first six balls as Lee Baker pinned Ed Butler LBW for a duck. Three balls later, Mohsin Khan delivered the same fate to Devon captain, James Horler. Five balls after that, Lee Baker again curtailed Louis Morrison’s attacking instincts by bowling him with the score on 16-3. Cameron Kidd and Dan Pyle countered with seven boundaries between them, before Kidd was run out by Adam Goodliffe. That wicket prised another opening for the Ones and Mohsin Khan (3-43) exploited it with two more quick strikes. Even then, Finlay Marks stabilised Exmouth progress to reach 93-6 in 19 overs, only 5 runs below the DLS par. Matt Skeemer to delivered the coup de grace, first by bowling Peter Turnbull in the twentieth over. Then in the twenty-second over, with Exmouth needing 36 to win, Skeemer closed the match with a remarkable hat-trick. First, he bowled Lawrence Greenaway, then he got an LBW against Oliver Cave, and finally crashed the stumps of Elijah Pyne for figures of 4-22 with the Exmouth score on 103. That is a stunning calling card victory on this season’s CV. You cannot write this side off. They are not the most consistent but they can beat any side on any given day, apparently by force of will.
Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Exeter go top after bowling Paignton for 104, Sidmouth continue to improve and are now only 3 points south of the dropzone with a big win over Hatherleigh, Sandford chased down Plymouth, but Tavistock are now bottom as they fell 15 runs short of Bradninch & Kentisbeare. The Ones are currently fifth in the Premier Division table.
The Fours recorded the second win of the day away at Harbeton against Ivybridge 4XI. Marc Whaley won the toss, avoiding a calendar year toss losing streak by one week. Whaley elected to bat in the heat and while Ivybridge were able to make early headway through Andy Statton (3-44), the match was decided by a 191 run 5th wicket partnership for Cornwood’s 6 Music Dads fraternity of Julian Burrows and Duncan Cumberland. Smashing boundaries and then trading notes between overs about the new Boards of Canada album, Julian (84 from 86) and Duncan (85* from 99) set a new highest partnership record for the Fours on the way to a total of 249-5.
That set the platform for Burrows junior and Neel Shivane to take the new ball. Neel delivered fine figures of 5-2-6-2 but Tommy starred by claiming the third Fours’ five-fer in three matches. His spell of 5.1-2-10-5 ensured that none of the Ivybridge top seven made more than three. Simon Garland kept the pressure on with 3-15 and Ivybridge were skittled for 56, 193 runs short. That is the Fours third win on the trot and they are comfortably fifth in G Division West.
With the away teams done and dusted, it was time to focus on events at the Lords of Dartmoor, Oak Park. After a few weeks of uphill struggle, the Twos were looking to get back on it against South Devon. Their captain Jack Allen won the toss and batted but the opening spell belonged to the Twos. Charlie Cawardine removed an opener for a duck in his first over for the third week running. Aviral Srivastava found the right areas for two early wickets and South Devon were 41-3. The Twos would then have to wait another 56 minutes and 15.1 overs for their next breakthrough as Jalal Ahmad (46) and Jack Allen put on 83 for the fourth wicket. Allen came out swinging and it paid off to the tune of a 38 ball 50. He almost converted that into a ton but was bowled by Alex Robinson on 98 trying to manipulate a single. The Twos found themselves in a similar spot to last week against Kingsbridge as South Devon were 192-6 with 4 overs to go. This week they kept control and took the last wickets for a total of 212. There was a brace of wickets for Josh Goodliffe, Jason Hall and Alex Robinson.
South Devon demonstrated why they are winless this season with a weak bowling and fielding display. They cursed their luck as chances went down but their bad luck was needing to hide half of their team. Josh Goodliffe capitalised ruthlessly with a relentless 77 from 43 balls that dispensed with any concerns that the chase might prove a banana skin. The Twos were 118-2 at the first drinks needing 3 an over. Aviral Srivastava guided the team home, batting deep in the crease on the way to a composed 75* from 73 with 13 fours and 1 six. The Twos won by 6 wickets and climb to third in the C Division West table.
There was just enough time to grab a drink from the bar before congregating on Delamore Park for the finish of the Threes match against Paignton 3XI. The Threes had been in control for most of the afternoon but as all attention turned to their match, the game was fully in the balance. Earlier in the afternoon, Adam Whiting’s decision to bowl was justified by a strong team performance that saw two wickets for Charlie Martyn, Eoin Hewitt, Andy Bees and Adam Whiting. Paignton recovered from 111-7 to reach 185-9 on the back of an unbeaten 46* from their captain Tim Ward.
The Threes response looked like everything was under control as Luke Temple-Smith and Josh Whiting put on 74 for the 4th wicket. Josh Whiting’s blistering 51 from 28 meant the team were 124-4 with needing 62 with 24 overs remaining. The innings kept progressing nicely until Luke Temple-Smith finally succumbed having made an excellent 68 from 57 with 6 fours and 5 sixes. That wicket proved to be the start of a collapse as Tim Ward again tried to wrestle the match towards the seasiders. His figures of 4-0-5-3 meant the Threes were in the last chance saloon with 11 to get. The clean sweep came down to the harnessing of Charlie Martyn’s youth with Andy Bees’ experience. Charlie defending watchfully until he could pounce on a pull to the boundary. Then in the 37th over, Andy Bees picked his moment to hit the rope at midwicket and end the match. It was the first time that the Threes have won by a solitary wicket since June 2018. The Threes push back up to third place in E Division West and the clean sweep was complete and ready to be toasted.
On Sunday, the Women’s Firsts travelled to Hatherleigh for a T20 plate match up. Cornwood’s young bowling attack showed their promise in restricting Hatherleigh to 122-5, with wickets shared between the teenagers. Sara Roberts, Imogen Garland and Charlotte Shutt also delivered an economy rate under 5. In reply, the Women’s Firsts struggled with the bat. Chloe Dennis made inroads into the top order with 3-13 and despite 3 boundaries from Imogen Garland and a battling innings from Lily Whaley-Sweet, the team were all out for 57.
Tuesday saw P&D action as Cornwood beat Yealmpton by 36 in a 16 over match. Batting first, Rocky Travers set the tone with 48 from 39 before Harry Woolway smashed 46* from 17 including 5 sixes into the field next door. Chasing 145-3, Yealmpton couldn’t handle the new ball pairing of Neel Shivane and Toby Nix. Highlight of the night, and arguably catch of the season, was a one-handed wonder-grab from keeper Freddie Joynes with something of a Matrix bullet-time feel to it. Edmund Goodwin also had a good night with 2 catches and a wicket as Yealmpton reached 109-5.
The big colts match of the week was the Under 15s Devon Cup final against Exmouth. Our Under 15s were put into bat and Noah (40) and Stanley (45) made 76 for the first wicket in 10.5 overs. Exmouth gained the upper hand in the second half of the innings as Cornwood made 127-6. The Under 15’s bowlers couldn’t stop Exmouth’s openers from reaching 50 but with colts retirements, the number of balls you face are crucial. Those openers combined for 102 balls to reach their respective half-centuries, which left Exmouth needing 12 from 8 with two new batters at the crease. Unfortunately, Exmouth reached the target with 2 balls spare but our boys take massive credit for a fighting performance and the consistency it takes to reach a countywide final 2 years running.
Elsewhere in the colts, Ned scored 50* and Marriott 40 while Freddie, Seth and Rehaan took 2 wickets each in an 11 run Tier 1 Under 13s win against Plymouth. The Tier 2 Under 13s beat Plympton on the back of 32* from Lukey and 3-7 from Alfie. Tommy took 4-29 for the Tier 1 Under 15s but two big Plymouth half centuries resulted in a monster win of 105 runs for them. Freddie hit 50* and Sam took 3-7 for the Under 12s in a 83 run cup win against Whitchurch, while the Under 11s couldn’t find the win against Plymst**k this time around.
Next week is a Paignton double-header as the Ones are at Oak Park while the Twos head to the bay. The Threes are away at Plympton 2XI, while the Fours host Barry Island West in a Delamore Park reunion. On Sunday, the Threes will be in T20 action against Paignton 3XI, while the Fives get the game on with the South Asian Society. Saturday night is a big social night at the club. It is horse race night with pizzas available. Once the races are over, the club will stay open for the England v Norway match.
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