.png)
The Sweep 26 Week 17: Ones break Exeter Streak, Simpson hits new heights
- Cornwood Cricket club
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Words: Simon Travers
The Ones came into the weekend with work to do after a turbulent August. The bunched up, anyone can beat anyone, nature of this year’s Premier Division meant a win at Exeter would guarantee mathematical safety but a heavy defeat would land the team squarely in the middle of a relegation arm-wrestle they have avoided all year. Like Mordor, you don’t just walk into Exeter. The Ones’ record at the County Ground in 26 years before this match was played 11, drawn 1, abandoned 1 and lost 9.
Matt Skeemer won the toss and Mohsin Khan made the best of the powerplay with a bright 47 from 36 balls before being bowled by Sam Read. The heart of the Cornwood innings was a stand of 80 for the fourth wicket between Noah Carlisle and Matt Skeemer (48). The pair batted for 21 overs together across an hour and a half stretch that pushed the team to 156-4. Exeter started to equalize the contest as Seb Linnitt (3-38) dismissed Matt Skeemer and opening bowler Tom Simmons (3-47) picked up late wickets. However, Chris Parker and James Richardson were able to do enough to gather four useful batting points with a total of 202-9.
Mohsin Khan (4-32) and Matt Skeemer (2-17) came out of the traps roaring with the new ball. Exeter have the most batting points in the league with three players already over 400 runs for the year. However, they were helpless as the top order stumbled to a score of 23-5 in the powerplay. While Devon’s Sam Read was at the crease, there was a chance Exeter could recover, but Lee Baker (4-23) drew the false stroke that saw Read depart with the hosts still requiring 148 to win. The Ones took their chances in the field. There were two catches for Noah Carlisle, Adam Goodliffe and Stanley Baker. Stan claimed the final wicket of the match with a grab from his dad’s bowling and the Ones were home dry with 19 points by a whopping 99 runs, their first ever win away at Exeter.
Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Paignton confirmed their title by demolishing Tavistock but the drama was happening at the bottom of the table. Sidmouth are now 15 points adrift of safety after they allowed Sandford to recover from 123-7 and chase their total of 241 with one wicket remaining. Plymouth are 10 points below the water line after edging an 8 run victory against Bradninch & Kentisbeare. Hatherleigh remain eighth after another close game beating Exmouth by 3 wickets. The One are third and a win against Hatherleigh next week would ensure a best ever Premier Division placing, and make Cornwood the first West Devon team to finish in the top three since 2021.
Back at Oak Park, the Twos welcomed back regular umpire Stuart Mansfield after an enforced break for family duties but made heavy weather of their derby against Plymouth 2XI. Bowling first, there was early success for Tommy Burrows and Sam Gibbs, but then the team found it hard to break partnerships of 60 and 59 built around a quality innings of 69 from Saiesh Reddy. To some extent, the Plymouth batters gave their wickets away with two catches at cow and a suicidal second run. Ewan Grewal had a good day in the field with two catches and a run out. Cornwood’s bowlers kept a decent economy as Plymouth finished on 189-7. In reply, the top order got out cheaply to leave the Twos on 28-3. Jason Hall hit 35 to try and give the innings momentum, but Plymouth applied a sleeper hold on the Cornwood batting lineup. The Twos were almost up with par and back in the game at first drinks at 56-3 from 15. By second drinks at 30 overs, they had only progressed to 89-6. Credit goes to Plymouth spinners James Hulbert (6-0-6-2) and Azir Rahamanzai (3-31). Some lower order boundaries lifted the spirit and made the score respectable as the Twos made 155.
Plymouth’s Jake Smith ensured he is a shoe in for the ‘Devon’s Worst Onfield Chat Award 2026’ for his three-hour Borat ‘wow, wow, wow’ impression. At times, Smith’s principled commitment to his atonal, dissonant, abstract exploration of how repetitive sound might dissolve and refashion concepts of time and human perception was elevated into the type of performance art you might expect if Yoko Ono fielded first slip. Mostly though, Smith’s contribution was a blunderbuss of annoyance shot wildly to ensure everyone’s day was just a tiny bit more miserable.
On Sunday, the Women’s Firsts had one of their highlights of their campaign as captain Helly Simpson made her first half-century against North Devon Tarka Ladies. Bowling first, the Women’s Firsts had to keep plugging away against one of the toughest batting line ups in Devon. Two wickets for Frankie Lee helped limit openers Lauren Bowden (30) and Annie Townsend (43), while Kiera De Villiers got Regina Lilli for another 43. However, the team couldn’t stop Kate Williams making 100* from 107 balls in a score of 280-5. Helly came to the crease early with the team in trouble. Keira De Villiers (45) had already started a reconstruction job after Rebecca Savoury (3-27) had reduced the team to 3-3. Simpson picked up the baton and ran with it for the rest of an innings of 187-7 in 40 overs. She punished the bad ball from the North Devon bowlers and repeatedly essayed a quality cover drive on the way to 12 boundaries. As the game ended, Helly was unbeaten on 85* from 94, having anchored the side for 2 hours.
The Threes headed to the Babbacombe bowl needing a win against the runaway E Division West leaders to carry any last flicker of promotion hopes into their final game. Like the Twos, the Three couldn’t match their success in the field with the bat. A committed team bowling performance restricted Babbacombe to 185-9 in their 45 overs. Matthew Williams and Adrian Lipton both made 33, but the Threes bowling unit kept applying pressure and every bowler took a wicket. Charlie Martyn had the best figures with 2-21, while Aviral Srivastava and Jack Lane also took two. The Threes’ response started well with a 77 partnership for the second wicket between Duncan Cumberland and Aviral Srivastava (34). Duncan went on to make 58 from 104 balls with 10 fours, but wickets started tumbling at the other end. Three wickets for Jack Smith (3-21) and Marcus Tanton (3-21) rolled the Threes down the hill as they tumbled from 82-1 to 127 all out. Six wickets in their last match next week will ensure the Threes claim third place.
The Fours took care of business against a PCS&R 2XI pushing for promotion at Delamore Park. PCS&R won the toss and got ahead of the game on a 90 run third wicket partnership between Usman Tariq (72 from 62) and Nur Ahmed (43 from 35). While Tariq kept plugging away, the Fours worked their way back into the match, bowling the visitors out for 194. Neel Shivane lead the attack with an exceptional spell of 8-1-25-3, supported by a brace of wickets for Simon du Plessis and Julian Burrows. The Fours made light work of the chase to get over the line in 29.2 overs with 6 wickets intact. Rocky Travers made early inroads with 51 from 48. Tim Chambers kept the momentum rolling with 31 from 27 before Simon du Plessis, with support from Noah Garland, rounded things up nicely with 53* from 31 including 8 fours and a six. This is the kind of win and performance that shows the strides forward Marc Whaley’s team have made this season.
The P&D team ended their campaign with an efficient 10 wicket victory over Plymstock Oaks. The night was slightly dampened as the Oaks won the toss and elected to be bowled out for 55, rather than run around conceding a high total and then be bowled out for 55. Star of the night was Edmund Goodwin who cleaned up with figures of 3.1-0-9-5. There was also a spell of 3-4 for Adam Whiting.
The win confirms that Mick & Rocky’s Barmy Army are promoted as Division 2 Champions unbeaten through the league season. Captain Rocky Travers was second highest scorer across all divisions and the cup with 273 runs at 45.50 and a strike rate of 154.24. The leading wicket taker race was tied between Toby Nix (avg 23.57, s/r 20.57), Lennon Way (avg 27.00, s/r 16.29) and Adam Whiting (avg 7.86, s/r 9.43), who were all in the top 10 wicket takers for the whole P&D, with 7 victims each. 35 players from every level of the club hopped onboard the party bus at least once for a memorable campaign of midweek cricket. Robin and Ewan’s chainsaw massacre, Freddie’s spectacular one-handed grab, Rocky hitting the roof of the Manadon Sports Centre, Charles and Charlie’s unbeaten 162* partnership, Yasser’s four in the final over at Mountwise, Dan Rohde’s great escape, me getting another wicket with the arm ball in the fog, and many, many more stellar moments; it was rare, we were there.
Sunday saw the Fives deliver the expected in the now traditional end of season jamboree against Pearse Brothers. The Fives batted first and amassed 319-9 in their 35 overs. Tino Machaka hit 55* in 30 with 5 sixes, but that was eclipsed by Yasser Oriolowo smashing 55* in 14 balls with 7 sixes. Marriott Way joined the half century party with 50* from 28, while Harvey Smith also impressed with 34 from 15. Wickets were spread across bowlers as Pearse Brothers were all out for 104. Rehaan Chatterjee and Ben Gorvin both looked good taking 2 each.
The Colts continued to play a string of friendly matches. The Under 11s beat Callington by 43 runs with Sam (18) and Samuel (11) batting well. The Under 13s won a Tier 2 match against Plymouth by 52 runs with Lukey taking 3-10. The Under 15s were unlucky when a sudden downpour abandoned a match they had all but won against Hatherleigh, as Eoin made 38 and Lukey continued his good week with 3-16. The Under 17s Girls couldn’t keep up with Plymouth but Ojasvie starred with an unbeaten 52* from 41. Plympton conceded their league match against the Under 17s, but the Under 17s were in action in a 40 over friendly against Seaton on Sunday. Ayaan and Edmund both made quality 50s in setting a total of 218. Seaton chased that down with 9 balls spare in a well played, competitive match.
Next weekend, the DCL season is wrapped up and securely in the books with a final round of matches. The Ones are at home to Hatherleigh with both teams still motivated to go full out for the win. The Twos are away at Kingsbridge. The Threes are home to Stoke Gabriel 2XI, while the Fours are on the road at Dartington & Totnes 2XI. After the matches are finished, everyone is welcome to the clubhouse for a social and barbeque with a cowboy theme.
Comments