The Sweep 26 Week 7: Devon’s best bowling attack edges Tavistock in 6 run thriller

Final Wicket Celebrations Begin

Words: Simon Travers

Match Photos & Videos: Tavistock CC Livestream

All of Cornwood’s DCL teams were back in action after last week’s curtailed weekend. The Ones headed to the Ring for their first league match against Tavistock since 2019’s A Division campaign. Club history suggested a low scoring game might be in the offing. In fifteen fixtures between the clubs, the team batting first has only made 200 six times and The Ring has the lowest notional par score in the Premier Division at 185. Since Covid, teams batting first at The Ring with scores between 101-200 have a positive 10-9 record. Of course, you don’t need history to know it was going to be tough for the batters on Saturday. Welcome to Dartmoor cricket when a fortnight of rain only started drying up on Thursday.

Tavistock put The Ones in and the heat was on early as Cornwood’s openers both departed at 22-2. Things got tougher as George Thompson was forced to retire with a knee injury. Tavistock turned the innings over to spinners as Elliot Hamilton and Tom Clarke began to make the innings an endurance test. After George retired with the score on 47, the next 20 runs came in 80 balls at the expense of two more wickets. It was only then that Mohsin Khan was able to break out and start to find the boundary. Mohsin’s 50 from 67 balls showed another facet to his game that pushed the team beyond 100. In the match context, Sam Griffith’s watchful innings proved valuable support to Mohsin. Both batters fell to Tavistock’s giant offie Shaun Daymond (4-12), who wrapped up the Cornwood innings on 125.

Sam Griffiths

Back in 2023, totals of 140, 131 and 125 were all defended successfully at The Ring. The Ones knew that they would need early wickets and so focussed on their main bowling attack options, messrs Skeemer, Khan, Staddon and Baker senior. They had to be patient for 12 overs before a communication breakdown left James White at the wrong end and Robin Dart with the easy throw for a run out from mid off. Lee Baker’s introduction into the attack, as it often is, was the pivot point of the innings. Lee knows how to bowl at The Ring, taking three five-fers in his spell at the club in 2021. Baker struck with the first ball of his second over, beating Rhys Davies’ defensive prod to get the LBW. An over later, Pakistani Under 19 international Ahmad Hassan took a moment to comprehend he had mistimed a loopy one to midwicket. Elliott Staddon clipped the top of Will Scott-Munden with a sharp off break at the other end before Lee Baker picked up two in two balls, deceiving Charlie Barriball with flight for a second LBW and removing Matt Petherbridge first ball with a good short cover grab from Matt Skeemer.

https://youtu.be/KbZdZPlBO-g?si=6_sLocgMg5Njz2Bc

Lee Baker highlight reel

It was 77-6 but key wicket Eliot Hamilton was still plugging away. Hamilton brought up his fifty and the team’s 100 with a slog sweep to midwicket. The sweep was Hamilton’s go to scoring shot but he reached for it one too many times and was trapped LBW on one knee by Lee Baker. Hamilton made 52 from 100 but his wicket was Lee’s fifth of the day. That is Lee’s fourth five-fer for the Ones and his third in his last 22 games. In a repeat of last season, only Paignton’s Ayabulela Gqamana stands above him in the Premier Division wicket takers list.

William Barriball kept trying to get the hosts over the line, but a wicket each for Mohsin Khan and Matt Skeemer closed out an impressive bowling performance. Tavistock were all out for 119, 6 short of the Ones. With bowling bonus points as a rough guide, there is a strong case for the Ones to claim they continue to shade Paignton as the best bowling attack in the division, with clear daylight between them and everyone else so far this year.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Exmouth remain unbeaten with a five wicket win against Exeter. Hatherleigh got their first win of the year by 2 wickets against Sandford. Paignton outclassed Plymouth in all departments, and Bradninch & Kentisbeare put Sidmouth more than 20 points adrift at the bottom of the table. The Ones are third, nine points behind Exmouth, and 26 points clear of a nervy log jam as just 7 points separating fifth and ninth.

The Twos came into Saturday knowing availability was against them as well as Brixham. There were plenty of positives and learning arising from the match that resulted in a 25 run loss, but the end of day disappointment was real. That sinking feeling was less the knowledge the gap to Ipplepen has realistically grown too large to challenge for promotion. It was more due to losing to the type of disagreeable muppets that Sabrina Carpenter has a word for. The low point of the season so far was watching grown men rolling on the floor, incontinently foaming about an LBW decision when it was clear from the scorebox the ball had clipped the top of the batsman’s pad and was obviously too high. Umpire Stuart Mansfield got that one right and had a very good day as a lone umpire for 90 overs in blazing sun and 74% humidity.

The positives for the Twos started early with strong spells from Charlie Cawardine and Charlie Martyn. Charlie Martyn picked up early wickets but Brixham’s Timothy Robinson (78 from 100) snatched the momentum and rode his luck. The Twos bowlers squeezed the middle overs, helped by removing Brixham’s first class pro, Mohammad Shaikh, cheaply. In the later overs, Captain Alex Robinson held his nerve and got his reward with a first Cornwood five-fer, taking 5-50 including his namesake Timothy. Charlie Cawardine closed the innings strongly, bowling the 41^st, 43^rd and 45^th over for 9 runs and a wicket.

Brixham’s total of 208-9 was a stiff ask on a pitch offering lateral movement. Chris Parker helped anchor the Twos response with a considered 54 from 93 balls. He was supported well by Alex Shutt who again demonstrated his batting credentials while injury prevented him bowling with 40 from 63. Chris and Alex put on 97 for the fourth wicket and mostly blunted the spin attack of Mohammad Shaikh and Tom Blundell. The Twos were starting to reverse the pressure of the chase onto the visitors and positioned themselves to need 69 from 12 overs. Brixham’s victory was secured with a match-winning spell from Jubin Pol Albans. He was able to get the ball turning both ways and took 5 for 14, as well as two catches. The Twos were all out for 183 and drop to fourth place in the C Division West table.

Threes Captain Adam Whiting won his fourth consecutive toss to put visiting Lewdown into bat at Delamore Park. Once the opening batters were out thanks to a run out from Ewan Horner and an edge off Dan Rohde’s bowling, Lewdown misjudged the conditions with an aggressive approach that played into the Threes hands. Eoin Hewitt was good value with the new ball for 5-0-11-2, but the chief beneficiary was predictably Andy Bees. Andy is having a remarkable season in E Division West. His season figures so far are 25.1-11-42-12. That means he has an economy rate of 1.67 and an average of 3.5. Saturday saw Andy’s second five-fer of the season, taking 5 for 15 as Lewdown quickly crumbled to 73 all out. Ewan Horner (20*) and Luke Temple-Smith (31*) took care of business efficiently to ensure the 20 points were safe by tea time. The Threes are third in the E Division West table.

Fours Captain Marc Whaley wouldn’t mind a bit of Adam Whiting’s luck. You have to go back to 12^th July last season for the last time he was successful at the toss. Being put in at Yelverton Bohemians meant that the Fours were backs to the wall. Julian Burrows worked hard for his 29, but nobody else could get going. Nathan Parsons became the second keeper-batsman of the day to retire hurt with a calf problem while Toby Julyan did the damage for Yelverton with 5-30. The Fours succumbed for 91 but their young bowling attack got stuck into the host’s batting order. Sam Cumberland took a wicket with his first ball of the year and Sam Gibbs continues to develop with a quality spell that brought figures of 3-19. Yelverton got home by 5 wickets, but there are plenty of pluses for a Fours team moving in the right direction. They are a growing and improving team who will get the rewards for their work sooner rather than later.

Sunday saw a very young Fives team take on the challenge of a stronger, mature Holbeton side. Batting first, the Fives young guns ended up only 10 balls short of seeing out their overs. Yasser Oriolowo (23) opened with patience and confidence, Marriott Way (39 from 54) balanced defence and attack well and Noah Knapman (18) played with purpose. Veteran Simon Light claimed 3-8 as the Fives made 153. After a pasty, Holbeton chased the win comfortably with thirties from Michael Treneer and Zach Gilbert. Toby Nix had the best figures with 2-29, but Harvey Smith was impressively economical, Rehaan Chatterjee put the ball in the right place and Henry Moulding’s flight earned him a wicket.

The Women’s softball squad were in full force this week with two fixtures. The club has one team in the Tamar Division this season as young players move into hardball. Squad numbers are increasing though. That growth has yet to work through in results as the team await their first win of the year. On Tuesday, they were able to limit the Moorland Maidens of Buckland to 102-7, but made 88-5 in reply. At Oak Park on Sunday, the team were overpowered by a Bridestowe & Belstone team that swung hard for the boundaries.

In the Colts, the Under 15s Tier 1 team beat Plymouth by 70 runs in the Quarter Final of the ECB Cup. Noah (44) and Stan (35) set the platform, and a phenomenal team bowling effort dismissed Plymouth for 66. The Under 11s won against Kingsbridge with 3-13 for Rupert and 2-4 for Florence, and Sam, Theo and Freddie all making double figures. The Under 15s girls lost against Plymouth but Lily was effective with the new ball. On Sunday, the Under 13s won a friendly against Saltash with 30* for Lukey and 2 wickets each for Marriott and Jasper.

Next weekend, the Ones host Exeter at Oak Park. The Twos head to the big smoke against Plymouth 2XI. The Threes welcome league leaders Babbacombe to Delamore Park, while the Fours are the other side of the A38 at Plymouth Civil Service & Roborough 2XI. Sunday sees the Women’s Firsts and Fives get a seaside trip to Paignton and Wembury respectively. The Ones are back to Tavistock on Wednesday for a T20 cup game. After the cricket’s done, it will be Mexican Night at the club with live music from Phil Han Solo from 8:30.