.png)
The Sweep 26 Week 15: Bittersweet Symphonies of not quites and nearlies
- Cornwood Cricket club
- 8 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Words: Simon Travers
The Ones headed east to the seaside to face a Sidmouth team with their backs against the wall. With only three wins from their first 14 matches, Sidmouth are one of three Premier Division sides trapped in the mire of a relegation battle. If they go down, it will be the first time since 2007 Sidmouth have been in the A Division, breaking a 20 year run that has included 8 championships and 5 podium finishes.
Hard, dry wickets and glass outfields do not immediately equate to comfortable batting conditions and high scores. Only Tavistock managed 200 runs in the Premier Division this weekend. Matt Skeemer won the toss and elected to bat. Three consecutive boundaries in the 9th over for Charlie Finan placed the Ones on a balanced 43-1 after the powerplay. Two quick wickets brought Charlie (65) and Mohsin Khan (30) together and they collaborated for a fourth wicket partnership of 67. At 128-3 with just over 20 overs remaining, the Ones had a platform to build on but two quick wickets changed momentum and nobody in the lower order could find a way to settle. Charlie Gaywood was the chief beneficiary taking 4-30 with a run out as the Ones tumbled to a final total of 160.
Although that total was well short of a par score on one of the traditionally truest tracks in Devon, it’s never over ‘til it’s over with the Ones this year. Mohsin Khan (3-30) and Matt Skeemer made immediate inroads in the powerplay to leave the seasiders 14-3. Then Lee Baker piled in with a spell of 4-40 that drove a dagger through the heart of the Sidmouth middle order. The win looked on when two wickets in an over from Lee meant the scoreboard read 89-8. That was when Taylor Ingram-Hill stepped to complete the quintessential captain’s innings. Ingram-Hill batted for over two hours unbeaten to make 90* from 96 with 12 fours and 2 sixes. That innings was enough for Sidmouth to scrape a win by a single wicket. That is the first time that the Ones have lost by that margin since Wet Wet Wet were number 1 with Love is All Around in July 1994 (vs Buckfastleigh). Hats off to Taylor Ingram-Hill who batted heroically to demonstrate to his team what it will take for them to pull off a great escape.
Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Paignton remain top despite Sandford delivering a cage-rattling away win against them. Tavistock cashed in on 5-28 from Elliot Hamilton to beat Exeter by 152 runs. In the relegation matches, desperation for 20 points was decisive as there were wins for Plymouth away at Exmouth and for Hatherleigh at home to Bradninch & Kentisbeare. At the moment, Sidmouth and Hatherleigh are walking the plank come end of season, but Plymouth are only 6 points clear in 8th spot.
Matt Butterworth composed a bittersweet symphony of an innings as the Twos comfortably beat Chudleigh by 64 runs to break a four-game losing streak. Matt helped the Twos reach a dominant position with partnerships of 78 with Harry Woolway (41) and 98 with Aaron Richards (34). He absorbed the best that Chudleigh’s fifty shades of right arm seam attack could offer and delivered 16 fluent boundaries. Ever the team man, Matt took greater risks as the overs counted down to push the Twos beyond reach. He was dropped in the 80s at deep midwicket and holed out to long on for 92. That score is both a new highest score for Matt in competitive matches and an agonising 8 short of the first league ton he has waited two decades for. Matt Puttock struck three sixes to close the Twos innings on 260-6. James Bowden’s spin for Chudleigh won him best figures of 3-61.
The Twos had to be patient for wickets and the game wasn’t truly settled until a 3 wicket burst for Adam Goodliffe (3-24) around the second drinks break. Those wickets exposed the Chudleigh lower order to the Twos teenage pacemen. Tommy Burrows got one with a quality yorker but Eoin Hewitt capitalised taking 4-35. The final blow was delivered by Aaron Richards, who caught and bowled Ben Cowling for his first club wicket since 2018. Incidentally, that 2018 wicket was also against Chudleigh when Aaron dismissed Mark Russell. This time, Mark Russell was at the non-striker’s end, having carried his bat for a personal best 79* in 131 balls.
The Threes needed to win by as big a margin possible against Kenn in an E Division West promotion tussle at Delamore Park. Adam Whiting elected to field and the Kenn innings was the proverbial tale of two halves. Cornwood were dominant as Kenn reached 68-4 in the first 23 overs. Aviral Srivastava and Charlie Martyn’s economic opening spells were matched by a brace for Ayaan Chatterjee. The second half of the innings belonged to the batting side as Chris May (84* from 114) and James Mason (66* from 65), put on an unbeaten 140 partnership to set a target of 208-4 and limit the Threes to 2 bowling points. The Threes response followed a similar pattern to Kenn’s innings. They only made 67 for the first four wickets, but then delivered key partnerships. Aviral Srivastava delivered another match-winning innings making 86* from 117 with 15 fours and a six. Aviral currently averages 125.33 in Threes’ league matches. That innings was supported by 41 from Mike Hodge and 25* in 14 from Andy Bees as the Threes won by 4 wickets. That massive win closes the gap between the Threes and Kenn to 4 points, but with Kenn’s final three matches of the season against the bottom three teams in the league, they still currently hold the racing line.
The Fours came up 3 wickets short against Buckfastleigh in a high scoring match. Put into bat, Ewan Horner (37) and Charles Knight (58) got the team off to a great start with a 99 partnership. Adam Cook brought Buckfastleigh back into the game with figures of 5-40, but an energetic 32 from 22 by Julian Burrows helped the Fours reach 220-9 in their allotted 40. Three quick wickets between Toby Nix and Julian Burrows pressured the hosts on 56-3 but that brought David Walker to the crease. His 72 from 51 turned the match towards Buckfastleigh, despite a solid spell from Marc Whaley of 7-0-26-3.
It’s been as tough a year for the Women’s First team as they have faced in a decade. Two of the team’s last three games of the year are against fellow strugglers Exmouth. With only one team relegated, Sunday was a big match. Captain Helly Simpson won the toss and elected to bat but the top order struggled against a devastating spell from Bethany Holmes (8-2-15-5) who became the seventh player to take a league five-fer against Cornwood. Only Imogen Garland (27) and Kiera De Villiers (21) were able to make inroads in a partnership of 38 before Laila Escott snagged 4-35 to end the innings on 135. Kiera De Villiers created problems for Exmouth’s top order with a spell of 8-0-25-3, but Eloise Escott was able to hang tough for an unbeaten 34 that saw the visitors reach their target with 4 wickets remaining. A bottom placed finish in Division One now looks likely for the Women’s Firsts. The rewards for the hard work our young side have put into maturing and developing this year will come in future seasons.
On Thursday, the Women’s Firsts also rounded out their T20 campaign with a 9 wicket loss against Plympton. Imogen Garland (29) and Keira De Villiers (38*) sustained their good form as the side made 99-4 in 18 overs. Unfortunately, the Cornwood bowlers couldn’t force a breakthrough as Nannapat Khoncharoenkai made 65* in 40 balls with 16 boundaries. That loss means Cornwood place third out of four in their group.
The P&D team drove the party bus to Mountwise for a promotion showdown with Plymouth on Thursday. Fielding a more experienced team than usual as the colts regulars had other commitments, the P&D team took time to settle in the field. Aziz Rahmanzai hit 54 from 34 and Bob Crooks made 30 in a first wicket stand of 83. The Cornwood bowlers fought back for control in the second half of the Plymouth innings for a final total of 150-7. Adam Whiting took 4-19 including 2 stumpings off a wide by keeper Charlie Farmer. After a skittish start to the Cornwood chase, Noah Carlisle showed a combination of game management and gap finding making 53 from 29 balls. The result margins were wafer thin with the sides absolutely level at 133-5 in the comparison with 10 balls to go. Cornwood got home with 3 wickets and a ball to spare thanks to deft last over shots from Yasser Oriolowo and loanee Ryan Rickard, a combination that feels in many ways peak P&D. Mick & Rocky’s Barmy Army need one more win against Plymst**k Oaks to guarantee first place.
On Sunday, a young Fives team were back in action against the Devon Proteas, a side assembled by Charles Knight of players from across the county with South African heritage. The game was lop-sided as expected with the Proteas winning by 147 runs, but also as expected, the real winners were the camaraderie and post-match braai.
The biggest game in the colts section this week was the Under 13s Tier 1 County Final against Heathcoat at Manadon. The Under 13s were under pressure early at 37-4 after electing to bat. Captain Marriott (36) led the way with a 65 run partnership with Tarun, but a string of four run outs collapsed the team to 115 all out. Marriott was able to put some pressure on the batters with 2 early wickets, but Heathcoat responded strongly. Jack’s unbeaten 48* proved a match-winning knock, supported by Harry’s 36*. The Under 13s can’t quite make the claim to be best in Devon then, but that doesn’t diminish their incredible achievements throughout the year.
After receiving a conceded win from Tavistock, the Under 17s started their campaign in earnest with a 17 run loss to Plymst**k. There were 2 wickets each for Toby and Raff as the visitors scored 144-6 in 20 overs. Harvey took 3 catches and 2-13 for Plymst**k to win the match. Captain Lennon made 31 but the team was dismissed for 127. Earlier in the week, the Tier 2 Under 15 side beat Ivybridge away by 4 wickets as Tommy top scored with 36 from 29. The Under 13s lost to Ivybridge the day before in a friendly by 10 wickets. Aalee hit 43* from 30 but the bowlers couldn’t find the breakthroughs.
Next weekend, it’s Dartmoor derbies all around as the Ones welcome Tavistock back to Oak Park for the first time in only 2 days short of exactly seven years and the Fours host Yelverton Bohemians 2XI at Delamore Park. The Twos travel to do battle against Brixham, the Threes are away at Lewdown on Saturday and then back up to Hatherleigh for the Tidball Insurance Finals Day on Sunday.
Comments