Fielding a side painfully lacking in batting was not what the doctor ordered as Ottery St Mary 2nd XI completed their season with a tough trip to champions, Bovey Tracey, writes Ian Townsend.

Unsurprisingly a heavy defeat ensued but nevertheless, Rick Jackson’s men can be very satisfied with a solid campaign and a fourth place finish in the A Division table.

After Ashley Causey and Will Christophers gave Bovey a useful 46-run start, the Otters produced a sound display of bowling and fielding.

Promising seamer Tom Hinch removed Ashley Causey (21) via a catch by Henry Mutter and after Will Christophers (38) and skipper Dom Whitlock (21) had added 41, Bovey lost four quick wickets with spinners Duncan Bradshaw-Smith (2-31) and Dan Jeacock (2-20) each claiming a brace to leave the score at 107-5.

Occasional bowler Joe Henkus bowled Sam Taylor (28), but Brad Causey (28*) and old hand Jerry Christophers (23) added a vital 46 before the latter was bowled by the returning Hinch (2-29) as Bovey closed on a useful 197-7.

Home paceman Charlie Hill made early inroads as the Otters replied. Having dominated a 23-run opening stand, Jeacock (21) was caught by Whitlock and when skipper Jackson (2) and Mutter (0) were both bowled, Ottery were in the mire at 30-3.

Ashley Causey (2-17) deepened the visitors’ crisis as Harry Peters (10) was caught by Jerry Christophers and Bradshaw-Smith (0) was bowled.

However, promising teenage opener, Henkus, and leading run scorer Alex Clements then put up stout resistance, both men batting sensibly as 61 were added in 15 overs before Clements (27) was bowled by Chris Golding.

Henkus battled on but after the returning Hill bowled both George Southall-Brown (6) and Tom Gardner (0), the young opener’s excellent 89-ball vigil ended at 52 (five fours) as he was last man out, also bowled by the impressive Hill (6-18), to leave the visitors 73 runs short.

Bovey Tracey 197-7 (W Christophers 38, B Causey 28*, S Taylor 28, J Christophers 23, C Golding 23, D Whitlock 21, D Jeacock 2-20, T Hinch 2-29, D Bradshaw-Smith 2-31) Ottery St Mary 125 (J Henkus 52, A Clements 27, D Jeacock 21, R Jackson 23, C Hill 6-18, A Causey 2-17). Bovey Tracey (19pts) bt Ottery St Mary (5pts) by 72 runs.