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The Sweep 26 Week 13: Club Ties for Vice Presidents Day
- Cornwood Cricket club
- Jul 28
- 8 min read
Words: Simon Travers
Match Photos: Ivor Thomas
This week’s round up starts with a celebration the Tier 1 Under 13s team. They are champions of DYCL Group 2 with an exceptional win against Paignton on Monday. There are three reasons why this win was incredible. First, the Under 13s have gone from worst to first in their division in a year, unbeaten in 8 matches. Second, Plymouth and Paignton both were considered heavy favourites coming into the season. Third, the win against Paignton heroically bucked the statistical odds. Since 2024 across DYCL Tier 1 Under 13s, only 8 teams in 75 attempts have batted second and chased a total above 130. Paignton batted first and despite a great spell of 3-13 from Marriott, they recorded 155-5. That target should have been out of sight, but the Under 13s demonstrated a squad depth advantage chasing Paignton down with 4 balls to spare. Yasser got things moving with a 35 ball 50*. The Cornwood middle order kept finding the boundary with Marriott, Tarun and Aalee all making massive 20s. Paignton brought four main bowlers, each of whom bowled well. Cornwood stayed patient through that challenge and then punished the other 4 overs for 52 runs. It was a stellar way to cap an incredible year. Congratulations to the boys, Jon Way and his team of coaches.
Saturday welcomed many familiar faces across the course of a clubhouse lunch for Vice Presidents’ Day at Oak Park. While the guests tucked in, Cornwood were in a local derby against bottom of the table and win-starved Plymouth. Robin Dart kicked off the Cornwood innings positively with 39 from 46 until he was gently flambéed by Teddy Haffenden’s run out as Stanley Baker refused a sharp single. Mohsin Khan pushed the tempo in the first half of the innings with 49 from 41, while Matt Skeemer marshalled the second half with 52 from 56 before also being run out by Dan Goodey. The rest of the team were able to build around those knocks and, with a liberal helping of 40 extras, Cornwood batted their overs for a total of 258-9.
Plymouth’s powerplay restrictions benefitted the fielding side as Skeemer and Khan were able to tie down the openers. When Elliott Staddon bowled Surya Suresh in the 15th over, the score was only 37-2. On a lightening outfield, James Webb (33) picked up the pace and then Hallam Kerton and Dan Goodey (41) put on 55 for the 5th wicket. Matt Skeemer returned the favour from earlier by running out Goodey and the Ones looked ahead as Plymouth needed 103 from 81 balls. Hallam Kerton’s wealth of experience equipped him to put his team on his back. The match turned as Kerton hit 6 fours and 4 sixes on the way to a total of 86* from 74. The game was slipping from the Ones with every big shot, as Plymouth made 35 between the 46th and 47th over. The equation stood at 16 needed from 18 balls with 4 wickets remaining. Mohsin Khan (3-31) demonstrated his value to the side as a bowler by removing the set Callum Williams next ball. That opened a gap for Sam Griffiths to claim a run out 2 balls later. The only boundary in the 49th over was from byes before Elliott Staddon bowled Ben Smith when he had freedom to swing.
Last over: Khan from the Lutton End, Kerton facing, 8 to win. Octogenarian Jason Degg at the non-strikers end, so boundaries needed. First ball, a leg stump yorker Kerton could only block back to the bowler. Second ball, Kerton connected with the off drive but refused the single that would leave him off strike. A game of cat and mouse developed as batter and bowler made each other wait, then bang, Kerton made space and played inside out to send a leg side ball to the cover boundary. 4 to get 3 to go. Kerton played the same shot but was cut off in the deep as the batters scampered two. Khan walked back to his mark, rushed in with a slightly shorter length that Kerton mistimed. 2 to win from the last ball. The batters schemed in the middle, Khan charged in before halting the run up in the delivery stride, keeping Degg honest with the threat of a Mankad. The last ball went directly into the blockhole and Kerton could only squirt it into the offside for a single. The match closed tied on 258-9.
That is the third tied match in Ones DCL history, the last being against Abbotskerswell 3 days short of exactly 8 years ago. Both teams earned 15 league points. The dropped points hurt Plymouth more as they remain bottom by 4 points, 10 points behind Hatherleigh in 8th. The Premier Division title race was rocked this week by news that Exeter had been penalised 60 points for repeatedly selecting a player they had been advised had immigration issues. Paignton are now top by 17 after beating Sidmouth, while Exmouth dropped their fourth in five games against Tavistock. Exeter underlined the futility of their situation with a 159 run win over Hatherleigh, while Bradninch & Kentisbeare had too much for Sandford. The Ones rise to Third.
The Twos lost their third match in a row away by 5 wickets at Abbotskerswell. The team were on the back foot all day after an effective opening spell from Jay Hussain (9-3-26-2). Matt Puttock (29) and Noah Carlisle (44) both got in but then got themselves out. It took the experience of Jason Hall to steer the side from 77-5 to a defendable 207-9 in the 50 overs. Jason batted an hour and 45 minutes for a resolute 50* from 69 balls.
It is possible to argue that the Twos left themselves 30 runs short for the second week running, but the stats suggest a different story. Abbotskerswell looked comfortable chasing on the back of strong innings from Brayden Notman (50), Charlie Hill (46*) and Toby Codd (34). Our youngsters did their jobs, while Ethan Carlisle (2-27) looked like he was 20 years and a beard away from morphing into Lee Baker. However, the Twos bowling overall is not firing as it did last year. Comparing key metrics, the Twos bowlers share a combined average of 26.07, an economy rate of 4.89 and a strike rate of 31.97. They have taken 10 wickets in 4 of 11 games. Last year, the team bowling average was 16.14, at a 4.22 economy and a strike rate of 22.93. The team bowled sides out 13 times out of 16. Last year, the average side facing the Twos were 161 all out in 38.2 overs. This year, that same average team bats their overs for a total of 220-8. The Twos are performing a vital role for the club right now as a sort of shock absorber between a Ones team delivering a consistent high standard with variable availability and a Threes team hunting for honours. The team fought hard to stay in the match on Saturday but the going is rough at present.
The Threes kept the heat turned up at the top of E Division West with a 62 run win over Whitchurch Wayfarers. Ewan Grewal gave the vice presidents an early cheer with an opening knock of 87 from 65 balls in a partnership of 121 with Ewan Horner. From there, it was a team effort to push towards an unreachable total of 259-6. Dan Rohde made 43 from 38 and Duncan Cumberland was unbeaten on 33* from 26. After tea, the Threes were patient for the breakthrough, and when it came wickets fell steadily until Whitchurch closed on 194. Josh Whiting was in the wickets with 3-34. Credit to Ben Powell who carried his bat for an unbeaten ton for the visitors. Kenn and Babbacombe both won, so the Threes stay third just 4 points behind the promotion places.
The Fours travelled to Chagford 2XI to face the G Division West leaders on a field so barren you could make a film about rescuing Matt Damon from it. Chagford won the toss and elected to bat, but the Fours bowling unit caused plenty of problems restricting the hosts to 173-9. There were two wickets a piece for Tommy Burrows, Neel Shivane, Jack Lane and Simon Garland, while Sam Perry top scored with a patient 45. George Perry took advantage of the surface for Chagford taking 4-26 as the Fours struggled to reach their target. His first wicket was Ollie Offer who had made a smart 47 from 51. 81-2 became 103-7, and it looked like curtains when Julian Burrows was bowled on 138-9. Needing 36 to win, Tommy Burrows (24) and Neel Shivane saw the team home in a great climax to the match. Tommy hit four boundaries and scored the winning single. That is 5 league wins in a row for the Fours, who remain fifth in the table.
On Thursday, the P&D Party Bus rocked up to Manadon for the first of back to back fixtures against PCS&R 2XI. After a fast start for PCS&R where it looked like the boys might be chasing 200, Cornwood took control courtesy of 3-25 for Lennon Way. Josh Whiting also did well at the death, taking 2-10. Captain Rocky Travers claimed 3 quality catches and a run out. Rocky then kickstarted the chase with a trademark gibbed fifty (46 from 17, 4 sixes). Charles Knight continued the pressure with 43 from 25 before Dan Rohde (52 from 22) supplied the coup de grace for a 5 wicket win. Dan’s innings had a remarkable moment. The Manadon field is used for football training and there are full sized goalposts lined around the boundary’s edge. For those who know the crossbar challenge from football or rugby, Dan Rohde completed the crossbar challenge with an 80 metre pulled six to midwicket that kissed a crossbar flush with the most satisfying of pings.
As well as the Under 13s triumphs, all the Colts section was busy. The Under 15s Tier 1 beat Paignton away with a 50* from Eoin and duplicate 3-16’s for Charlotte and Oscar. The next night, they backed up that victory with a 64 run win over Tavistock with Noah G scoring 33. However, the Sunday match against South Devon proved a game too far with a 9 run loss despite 44 from Noah K. The Under 11s continue to flourish with an 86 run win over Kingsbridge that included 26* for Ellie and 2-7 for Rosie. Charlotte, Ojasvie and Sara all made retirement 30s in a 51 run win for the Girls Under 15s against Ipplepen. The Under 15 Girls also won a tournament on Thursday against Bovey Tracey and Quedgeley & Hardwicke. Tier 2 Under 13s came close in a 5 run loss against PCS&R, but there was a 31* for Seth and 28 for Tarun. The Tier 2 Under 15s were unfortunate to have their match against Ivybridge abandoned when they were 7 runs short of the win. Seth starred in that game with 4-14.
Finally, Dinner Dance tickets are now available. You can order your spot for what is always a great night out. Next week, the Ones resume rivalries with Bradninch & Kentisbeare away. The Twos are at home against league leaders Ipplepen. The Threes head to Ipplepen while the Fours are home to Plympton 3XI. The Women’s Firsts have two T20 Plate match ups this week against Plymouth on Tuesday and Plympton on Sunday.
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