Sidmouth head for Exeter tomorrow hoping to avoid an unwanted ‘first’ in terms of life their current stint in the top flight of the Tolchards League.
Having lost a fortnight ago at home to Heathcoat and after going down last Saturday at Paignton, the Fortfield men are in grave danger of suffering a third straight league defeat for the first time since they were promoted into the top flight of the Devon Cricket League at the end of the 2007 season.
Since their first game back in the top division at the start of the 2008 campaign, Sidmouth have played a total of 203 matches. It works out at 18 a year over the past 11 campaigns, plus the five they have played so far this season.
Of those 203 matches, they have won 129, lost 37, had 10 cancelled and 15 abandoned and, when the league had 'drawn' matches, they drew 11 and had one tie. However, on just four occasions across the past 11 seasons they have lost back-to-back league games.
The first time was in 2012 when they were beaten at home by Plymouth and a week later lost at Torquay. The following season (2013), Sidmouth lost at Exeter and a week later went down at Plymouth.
Prior to this season, the most recent case of back-to-back defeats was in 2017 when they lost at home to Bovey Tracey and a week later were beaten at Exeter.
The one thing that has not happened to the Fortfield men over the past 11 seasons is three successive league defeats and that is the record they will have if they suffer defeat tomorrow at the County Ground, Exeter.
Sidmouth have visited Exeter in each of the past six seasons since the County ground men were promoted to the top flight for the 2013 campaign.
That first year Exeter won and the 2014 visit was hit by rain. In 2015 and again in 2016, Sidmouth won at Exeter, but they lost in 2017 before winning there last year.
That all means that the Fortfield men head for Exeter tomorrow looking for a fourth win in five visits. However, defeat and the current team will become the first Sidmouth 1st XI in recent times to suffer three successive league defeats!
On the positive side of things it is a mark of just how succesful Sidmouth have been in recent years that they have lost only 37 of the 203 matches they have played over the past 11 seasons and their five games so far this campaign.
Since 2008, seven defeats is the most losses the Fortfield men have incurred in a single season and that came as recently as in the 2017 campaign.
There has also been one 'invincible' season - that was back in the 2009 campaign when the Fortfield men did not lose any of their 18 matches - though that year the league still had 'draws' as a potential outcome, and Sidmouth shared the spoils in four matches that season.
Sidmouth 1st XI - game-by-game in the Devon League top flight since season 2008 to present campaign (2019)
2019
June 1 A Torquay Lost
May 25 H Heathcoat Lost
May 18 A Plymouth Won
May 11 H Exmouth Won
May 4 A Bovey Tracey Won
2018
Sep 1 A Exmouth Won
Aug 25 H North Devon Won
Aug 18 A Bovey Tracey Won
Aug 11 H Exeter Abandoned
Aug 4 A Bradninch Lost
July 28 H Hatherleigh Won
July 21 A Heathcoat Won
July 14 H Plymouth Lost
July 7 A Sandford Won
Jun 30 H Exmouth Won
Jun 23 A North Devon Lost
Jun 16 H Bovey Tracey Won
Jun 9 A Exeter Won
Jun 2 H Bradninch Won
May 26 A Hatherleigh Lost
May 19 H Heathcoat Lost
May 12 A Plymouth Won
May 5 H Sandford Won
2017
Sept 2 A Plymouth Lost
Aug 26 H North Devon Won
Aug 19 H Heathcoat Lost
Aug 12 A Exmouth Won
Aug 5 A Torquay Won
Jul 29 H Exeter Cancelled
Jul 22 A Bovey Tracey Lost
Jul 15 H Bradninch Won
Jul 8 A Paignton Lost
Jul 1 H Plymouth Won
Jun 24 A North Devon Won
Jun 17 A Heathcoat Won
Jun 10 H Exmouth Abandoned
Jun 3 H Torquay Won
May 27 A Exeter Lost
May 20 H Bovey Tracey Lost
May 13 A Bradninch Won
May 6 H Paignton Lost
2016
Sep 3 H Exeter Abandoned
Aug 27 A Torquay Lost
Aug 20 A Brixham Won
Aug 13 H Plymouth Won
Aug 6 A Heathcoat Won
July 30 A Cornwood Won
Jul 23 H Exmouth Won
Jul 16 A Bovey Tracey Won
Jul 9 H North Devon Won
Jul 2 A Exeter Won
Jun 25 H Torquay Won
Jun 18 H Brixham Won
Jun 11 A Plymouth Won
Jun 4 H Heathcoat Lost
May 28 H Cornwood Won
May 21 A Exmouth Cancelled
May 14 H Bovey Tracey Won
May 7 A North Devon Lost
2015
Aug 29 H Exeter Won
Aug 22 A North Devon Lost
Aug 15 H Plymouth Won
Aug 8 H Heathcoat Won
Aug 1 A Torquay Lost
Jul 25 H Paignton Won
Jul 18 A Exmouth Won
Jul 11 A Bovey Tracey Won
Jul 4 H Plympton Won
Jun 27 A Exeter Won
Jun 20 H North Devon Lost
Jun 13 A Plymouth Won
Jun 6 A Heathcoat Won
May 30 H Torquay Won
May 23 A Paignton Lost
May 16 H Exmouth Won
May 9 H Bovey Tracey Won
May 2 A Plympton Cancelled
2014
Aug 30 H North Devon Lost
Aug 23 A Heathcoat Won
Aug 16 A Exmouth Lost
Aug 9 H Plymouth Won
Aug 2 A Exeter Cancelled
Jul 26 A Sandford Won
Jul 19 H Torquay Won
Jul 12 A Cornwood Won
Jul 5 H Bovey Tracey Won
Jun 28 A North Devon Won
Jun 21 H Heathcoat Won
Jun 14 H Exmouth Won
Jun 7 A Plymouth Won
May 31 H Exeter Won
May 24 H Sandford Abandoned
May 17 A Torquay Won
May 10 H Cornwood Won
May 3 A Bovey Tracey Won
2013
Aug 31 H Budleigh Won
Aug 24 A Bovey Tracey Won
Aug 17 H Plymouth Cancelled
Aug 10 H Exeter Won
Aug 3 A North Devon Won
Jul 27 H Bradninch Abandoned
Jul 20 A Cornwood Won
Jul 13 A Exmouth Lost
Jul 6 H Torquay Won
Jun 29 A Budleigh Lost
Jun 22 H Bovey Tracey Won
Jun 15 A Plymouth Lost
Jun 8 A Exeter Lost
Jun 1 H North Devon Won
May 25 A Bradninch Won
May 18 H Cornwood Won
May 11 H Exmouth Won
May 4 A Torquay Won
2012
Sep 1 A Exmouth Lost
Aug 25 H Heathcoat Abandoned
Aug 18 H Bradninch Won
Aug 11 A Budleigh Won
Aug 4 A Bovey Tracey Won
Jul 28 H Torquay Won
Jul 21 A Plymouth Won
Jul 14 H Sandford Cancelled
Jul 7 A North Devon Cancelled
Jun 30 H Exmouth Lost
Jun 23 A Heathcoat Won
Jun 16 A Bradninch Abandoned
Jun 9 H Budleigh Lost
Jun 2 H Bovey Tracey Won
May 26 A Torquay Lost
May 19 H Plymouth Lost
May 12 A Sandford Won
May 5 H North Devon Won
2011
Sep 3 H Bovey Tracey Won
Aug 27 A Plymouth Drew
Aug 20 H Paignton Won
Aug 13 A Budleigh Won
Aug 6 H Exmouth Abandoned
July 30 A North Devon Drew
July 23 H Plympton Won
July 16 A Heathcoat Drew
July 9 H Bradninch Won
July 2 A Bovey Tracey Lost
June 25 H Plymouth Won
June 18 A Paignton Won
June 11 H Budleigh Lost
June 4 A Exmouth Drew
May 28 H North Devon Abandoned
May 21 A Plympton Won
May 14 H Heathcoat Won
May 7 A Bradninch Won
2010
Aug 28 A Plympton Won
Aug 21 H Budleigh Won
Aug 14 H Paignton Won
Aug 7 A Bovey Tracey Won
July 31 A Exeter Won
July 24 H Bradninch Won
July 17 A Braunton Won
July 10 H Plymouth Won
July 3 A North Devon Drew
June 26 H Plympton Won
June 19 A Budleigh Won
June 12 A Paignton Won
June 5 H Bovey Tracey Won
May 29 H Exeter Won
May 22 A Bradninch Won
May 15 H Braunton Won
May 8 A Plymouth Drew
May 1 H North Devon Abandoned
2009
Aug 29 H Bradninch Won
Aug 22 A Exeter Drew
Aug 15 A North Devon Won
Aug 8 H Sandford Won
Aug 1 A Bovey Tracey Won
July 25 H Plymouth Draw
July 18 A Torquay Drew
July 11 H Budleigh Abandoned
July 4 A Plympton Tied
June 27 H Exeter Won
June 20 A Bradninch Won
June 13 H North Devon Won
June 6 A Sandford Cancelled
May 30 H Bovey Tracey Drew
May 23 A Plymouth Won
May 16 H Torquay Won
May 9 H Plympton Won
May 2 A Budleigh Won
2008
Aug 30 A Plympton Won
Aug 23 H Exeter Won
Aug 16 A Budleigh Cancelled
Aug 9 H Paignton Cancelled
Aug 2 A North Devon Won
July 26 H Sandford Lost
July 19 A Torquay Won
July 12 A Exmouth Won
July 5 H Plymouth Abandoned
June 28 A Exeter Won
June 21 H Plympton Abandoned
June 14 H Budleigh Won
June 7 A Paignton Abandoned
May 31 H North Devon Draw
May 24 A Sandford Won
May 17 H Torquay Abandoned
May 10 A Plymouth Lost
May 3 H Exmouth Won
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