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The Sweep 26 Week 4: Back to normal up the Wood is pretty great
- Cornwood Cricket club
- May 26
- 7 min read
Words: Simon Travers
Match Photos: Ivor Thomas
After last week’s explosive action, this weekend’s cricket settled into more familiar rhythms soaked in sunshine, winning cricket, good times and boogie. The cricket is down to the players and the sunshine is in the lap of the gods, but the good times and the boogie come from the effort of our volunteers. The barbeque was able to be fired up for the first time this year, and the grill team did a stellar job of making sure everyone went home well fed. Behind the scenes, a successful DCL weekend relied on the grounds team, the bar team, the committee, scorers and umpires, social media team and the colts coaches bringing through the next generation. There is always plenty of space for anyone who wants to be part of the team.
The Ones did not have to travel far to achieve what is arguably a textbook win over local rivals Plymouth. Host captain Teddy Haffenden won the toss and put the Ones into bat and Ryan Rickard (34) and Charles Finan (32) made productive use of the powerplay with a first wicket stand of 54. Plymouth’s first change bowlers were able to exert some pressure after the powerplay. South African Kagiso Rapulana could not get the breakthrough but had an economy rate of 2.5. Sam Stein found the breakthroughs, removing Rickard, Finan and George Thompson on the way to figures of 3-30. Mohsin Khan started accelerating to 33 from 27 before being caught and bowled by Saiesh Reddy and the Ones were 120-5 at the halfway point. The innings was in the balance.
Momentum tilted slowly but decisively towards Cornwood with an 85 run sixth wicket partnership between Captain Matt Skeemer and Stanley Baker. Working together, they absorbed and diffused the Plymouth attack. In the ten overs after Mohsin Khan was dismissed, the pair put on 28 runs with a single boundary. Time was on their side and as the Plymouth bowlers started to wear down, Matt Skeemer found the boundary while Stanley rotated strike. Stan was eventually removed by opening bowler Dan Goodey for 30 from 66, which doubles the runs he has scored for the Ones in a sign continuing maturity. Matt Skeemer made it past the half century to reach 57 from 68 with 8 boundaries as the Ones finished on 236-8. History suggests that a total over 230 at Mountwise puts the team batting first as clear favourites. With five players passing thirty, the Ones as a team had done enough with the bat.
Plymouth looked to start positively with 19 from their first two overs. An early bowling switch from Matt Skeemer had instant effect as he was there to grab the edge from Alex Shutt. Shutt (6.3-0-14-2) and Mohsin Khan prevented the hosts getting away in the powerplay before Lee Baker and Matt Skeemer made life difficult. Matt Skeemer was able to prise out Rapulana while Baker delivered crushing figures of 10-3-18-1. Surya Suresh looked to build momentum for Plymouth with 54 from 87, but he edged to George Thompson when Mohsin Khan was reintroduced into the attack. With their innings in a similar balance as the Ones had been earlier, Plymouth collapsed. Mohsin took another two wickets to end with figures of 3-30 before James Richardson struck gold on tail clearing duty with a swift 3-10 in 3 overs to conclude proceedings. The Ones won by 98 runs following what feels like their Plan A, doing enough with the bat to let as fearsome a bowling attack in Devon as any defend their total.
Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Exmouth breezed past Tavistock, a Sam Reed ton meant Exeter chased down Hatherleigh with 17.4 overs remaining, it all got a bit Spursy for Paignton before they escaped with the win against Sidmouth, while Sandford bounced back nicely with a win against Bradninch & Kentisbeare. The Ones are tied for second place with Exeter on 56 points, 5 points behind leaders Exmouth.
Far in the East, there was a Cornwood alumni reunion as Saffron Walden faced off against Wisbech Town in the Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Premier League Division 1. Jack Ormsby has returned home to Saffron Walden, while Naveen Fernando, our 2024 overseas player, has been signed by Wisbech Town. On the day, Jack was much the happier of the two in a one sided 9 wicket victory. He claimed his first five-fer since 2022 with figures of 10-1-22-5 opening the bowling, including Naveen’s wicket.
The last time that Abbotskerswell visited Oak Park was May 2019, when 4-35 for Matt Skeemer and 3-12 for Adam Goodliffe meant the Ones scored 167 and still won by 115. Only one Abbots player, Charlie Hill, played in that game and against the Twos on Saturday. Abbotskerswell have been in C Division West before, 10 years ago. Their season so far looks more like a rebuild than a bounce-back.
There was a hazy summertime vibe over Oak Park but nothing about the living was easy as the Twos snuck home in an old school nailbiter. Abbotskerswell understandably elected to bat, facing a trial by spin. Only 5 of the 38.5 overs Cornwood bowled were from a seamer. Josiah Caunter removed the aggressive Jay Hussain early with the first of three keeper catches for Sam Griffiths. The Twos had to be patient as the Abbotskerswell top order remained vigilant. The turning point was the twenty-third over when Jason Hall removed the set Charlie Hill (35) and captain Thomas Heath in successive balls. Jamie Lock and Brayden Notman put on another 33 before Jason Hall removed both in the thirty second over. That opened up an inexperienced tail which was quickly dismissed for 128. Jason Hall finished with figures of 9-1-24-6, which are his career best figures in a Cornwood shirt. Alex Robinson also cashed in with 3 for 15. Jason and Alex are first and tied second respectively in the C Division West wicket taking list.
Abbotskerswell did not go away after that collapse. They bowled and fielded with a similar intensity to Cornwood, with only the difference in experience separating the sides. Between 2021-24, Jay Hussain (3-24) took 53 A Division wickets at 22.49 and he was a handful for the Twos top order. They looked to play positively, but shots that would have been runs on a different day went to hand, and the Twos were 20 overs deep into their innings at 46-5. It was going to take a resolute Dartmoor defensive performance and Harry Woolway simultaneously dropped anchor and guided the Twos home. Harry’s technique allowed Sam Griffiths to play shots in a partnership of 45 that saw the Twos reach 91-6. Abbotskerswell had four mainline bowlers available, so Harry and Jason Hall could tick off the overs knowing the visitors had to find 6 overs from their secondary options. Harry Woolway holed out four runs before the finish line but the two wicket victory was sure. Such is cricket that last week at Oak Park saw Mohsin hit 203* in 93 balls, this week saw Harry make 36 in 92 balls, and both were match-winning innings.
The Threes made short work of the Whitchurch Wayfarers to record their first win of the E Division West campaign. The youth wing of the Threes got the party started with Charlie Martyn and Eoin Hewitt both delivering quality new ball spells. Charlie took 5-1-12-3 while Eoin had figures of 5-1-7-1. Throw in a Craig Harris run out and Whitchurch were quickly at 20-5, which is exactly the time their lower order wanted to be facing Andy Bees hooping it. It took Andy five overs to record his 11th club league five-fer with figures of 5-2-10-5 with four victims bowled and an LBW. Whitchurch made 56, which the Threes knocked off in 9.4 overs with 8 wickets remaining thanks to a brisk 37* in 20 balls from Ewan Grewal.
The Fours put up a good fight in a losing cause as they fell 21 runs short of Chagford 2XI at Delamore Park. Chagford’s innings of 218-7 was powered by a solid innings from opener Jim Mawle (41), a powerful 69 from 47 from Fred Prickett, and a late burst from Otto Ursell (33 from 28). Toby Nix took two wickets but also some tap. Tommy Burrows asked the right questions with the new ball in a well controlled spell. The Fours response started well with Evie Privett (29 from 64) and Charles Knight (46 from 43) putting on 71 for the second wicket. They both fell to Rahul Brijnath who took 4-31, leaving the Fours a long way from home at 115-6 with 11 overs to go. Josh Wood (47 from 46) and Simon Garland (35 from 36) put on another 71 for the seventh wicket but the overs ran out with the Fours on 197-9.
The Women’s Firsts also visited Mountwise on Sunday to face Plymouth 2XI. In an evolution for the DWCL, there is now a full T20 Trophy and Plate competitions to stretch clubs that have grown out of Super 8s. Cornwood are in the Plate competition emphasising game time and development for our young players. Electing to bat, the highlight of the Cornwood innings was a 50 partnership for the second wicket between Charlotte Shutt (33 in 46) and Hannah Bale (25 in 21). That stand helped Cornwood reach 126-5. The Women’s Firsts came home with a welcome 38 run win as they kept it tight in the field. Lily Whaley-Sweet, Erica Upton and Imogen Garland all delivered full 4 over spells at an economy rate of 4 or less, while Nadine Harkness enacted a run out and Sadie Goodliffe let nothing past behind the stumps.
In the Colts section, the big match of the week was the Under 15 Boys facing Paignton in the ECB Cup. Eoin hit 31* from 40 and Noah smashed 23 from 14 in a team effort to reach 138-9. The Under 15s strength in depth showed in their bowling as six bowlers with DCL experience restricted Paignton to 97-5. Stan was exceptional in the field with 4-0-11-1 a run out and an assist. The team will face Plymouth in the Quarter Final. The Under 11s also kept up their dominance of Plymst**k, this time beating the B team by 51 runs. Freddie took 3-3 and Rupert took 2-6 while Arty top scored with 12 and an out.
As it is half term week, the Under 15’s boys are off to fight dragons on tour in South Wales. The P&D team are home Thursday against Yealmpton. Next Saturday, the Ones look to continue their good start against Bradninch & Kentisbeare. The Threes are at Delamore Park against Stokeinteignhead. The Twos travel to Ipplepen and the Fours are away against Plympton. It’s a busy day at Oak Park on Sunday as the Men’s and Women’s Firsts have a T20 double header. The Fives will also be facing Ashburton on the top pitch.
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