Opting to bat first, Ottery’s openers Anthony Dean and Barry Flicker gave the home side a brisk start at King’s Field, writes Ian Townsend.

Their partnership had moved to 20 when a gut-wrenching moment saw the ball lurch into Flicker’s belly and roll back onto the stumps, bowled for 15. Captain Richard Kitzinger joined Dean and they advanced the cause to 97 with a flurry of boundaries.

Kitzinger reached a second consecutive half-century with 8 fours and a six, before he was bowled by Shashank Ranjan who nipped one away late.

Dean (48) fell just short of a deserved fifty of his own, the first of Daniel Priest’s three victims.

The youthful Ottery middle order enjoyed mixed fortunes.

Jack Katené struck some very clean blows, including some enormous sixes. He fell, however, to a stunning catch by Clare Pym for 41.

Jack Ellison scored 12, Brad Upchurch and Jack Dallyn a single apiece and 12-year-old Eddie Rudolph (8) showed great composure and promise for the future.

A late order flurry from Tom Jeacock (37*), aided by Steve Ellison (2) and Robert Bradshaw-Smith (12) took Ottery to a pleasing 262.

When Topsham batted, it was Jeacock who made the early inroads, cleaning up Alex Davison for only eight.

Then it was the Bradshaw-Smith show as the veteran showed the youngsters how to bowl, conceding a mere six runs from his seven overs and bagging a five-wicket haul into the bargain. The heart of the Topsham order was ripped out by Bradshaw-Smith’s accuracy and movement, three were bowled, one leg before and the fifth a caught and bowled.

At the other end there was some splendid leg spin from Jack Katené and especially from Jack Dallyn who should be very proud of his three wickets for 42 from the maximum allocation of nine overs.

Only 13 years old, and new to adult cricket, Dallyn gave the ball flight and turn, luring the batsmen into mistakes. That he had such a skilful wicketkeeper standing up to him as Eddie Rudolph must have been reassuring.

These two demonstrate what depth there is in Ottery’s junior ranks and the chance for them to play alongside the likes of Bradshaw-Smith and learn the game proves the worth of this exciting 3rd XI.

Ottery St Mary 3rd XI 262 (R Kitzinger 53, A Dean 48, J Katené 41, T Jeacock 37*, D Priest 3-23, M.Ross 2-51) Topsham St James 132 (R Bradshaw-Smith 5-6, J Dallyn 3-42, T Jeacock 2-28). Ottery St Mary (20pts) bt Topsham St James (7pts) by 130 runs.