SIDMOUTH must negotiate a semi final away to Heathcoat if they are to reach the Devon Senior Cup final which is this year being staged on the Fort Field, writes John Goodwin.

They reached the semi-finals with a 103-win at Cornwood in the first cricket the side had played for three weeks.

The visitors totalled 190 in their 40 overs, a respectable effort on a pitch showing every evidence of the monsoon summer. Indeed, the visitors had to recover from a slippery start at 7-2.

Josh Bess returned to batting form with 79 and got support from Anthony Griffiths, with 33 including a switch hit six, and Sam Anderson with 29.

There was a tumble of wickets as batsmen sought to inflate the score as the innings headed for the close, but they need not have worried because the bowlers did a clinical job in shooting Cornwood out for 87. Anderson led the way with 4-11, Bess took 2-7 and Miles Dalton 2-14. Will Gater and Matt Cooke maintained the pressure with tight spells.

In the other quarter finals, Heathcoat beat Budleigh Salterton by 128 runs after racking up 222-3, Exeter passed Plymouth's 141 with six wickets down and Bovey Tracey beat Paignton by 68 runs, former Sidmouth player Neil Hancock making 77 of the victors' 199-7 total.

The semi finals take place on August 12.

?All Sidmouth’s three sides hope to return to Francis Clark Devon League action after two completely washed out Saturdays.

The 1st XI travel to Plymouth hoping to avenge a Premier Division home defeat. The reciprocal 2nd XI match takes place at the Fort Field and the 3rd XI entertain Plymstock 2nd XI at the Bicton College ground.

?On Sunday the delayed McKinley White Exeter Twenty20 competition takes place at the County Ground with Sidmouth up against Alphington in the second semi final starting at 2.30pm.

Exeter and Exmouth contest the first semi at 11.30am and the final is scheduled to start at 6pm.

The winners go on to meet Tavistock for a place in the county finals at Exmouth on Sunday, July 29.

?With the season already past half way Sidmouth was able to get a midweek match under way on Tuesday when Old Tauntonians were the visitors. Previous midweek games had been victims of the weather.