Near neighbours Clyst Hydon once again felt the full force of Ottery St Mary 1st XI’s clutch of talented teenagers as the Salston Field side returned to winning ways with a comfortable victory in last weekend’s derby, writes Ian Townsend.

Sixteen-year-olds, Billy Rudolph and Ollie Reed starred in an Otters’ bowling display which, at one point, saw Clyst loose six wickets for seven runs before the visitors were powered to victory by excellent contrasting half centuries from the prolific Rudolph and pugnacious eighteen-year-old, Billy Reed.

After Ottery skipper Lewis Townsend inserted the home side, classy opener Ian Sutton dominated a 46-run opening stand before partner James Watson (8) was bowled to become the first victim of Ollie Reed’s impressive opening spell (2-22 from seven overs).

The youngster immediately trapped Heffin Wood (0) lbw, but from 51-2, Clyst were boosted by an 86-run partnership between Sutton and George Pawley.

Both men reached solid half centuries before falling to the ubiquitous Rudolph, Sutton being pouched by Dan Flower for 68 (12 fours) and Pawley trapped lbw for 58 (seven fours and two sixes). Chris Holmes became the second of six ducks in the innings as he too was trapped lbw by Rudolph, but Sri Lankan all-rounder Dhanuja Haturasingha was ‘teeing off’ in spectacular fashion.

The powerful left-hander launched four huge sixes to post 38 from just 18 balls, but his departure, bowled as he aimed a slog at Kevin Kelly, signalled a catastrophic collapse for the home side.

Kelly and Rudolph gave a textbook exhibition of bowling full and straight as the last four batsmen were all bowled without troubling the scorers!

Rudolph returned an impressive set of figures with his 5-21 with excellent support coming from Kelly (3-38) as Clyst posted a vulnerable looking 202 all out.

The Otters reply was faltering at 60-3 after the pacey Haturasingha trapped Flower (9) lbw and castled both Rob Crabb (5) and Mickey Wilkinson (4), but the ship was steadied by a superb stand between Rudolph and Billy Reed.

Ninety nine were added in just 15 overs as Rudolph played in typically correct fashion and Billy Reed played with characteristic freedom.

Rudolph reached a classy fifty from 53 balls (nine fours) whilst Reed reached the same landmark from just 31 deliveries as he launched Sutton for four successive maximums before being bowled.

Despite the loss of Townsend (5) and Kelly (14), Rudolph (81*) remained as calm as ever, to guide his side home with four wickets and 13 overs in hand. The precocious youngster has now this season banked an amazing 680 runs at an average of 75.6.

Townsend paid tribute to the young talent at his disposal as he afterwards enthused: “I thought we bounced back really well after last week and, very similar to a lot of games this season, it was our youngest players making key contributions. Ollie Reed nipped it around and bowled very well and Billy (Rudolph) and Kev bowled with great control. Then the Billys (Rudolph and Reed) came up with a match winning stand when we could have been in a bit of trouble – not for the first time this season, those two batted superbly”.

Clyst Hydon 202 (I Sutton 68, G Pawley 58, D Haturasingha 38, B Rudolph 5-21, K Kelly 3-38, O Reed 2-22) Ottery St Mary 203-6 (B Rudolph 81*, B Reed 53, D Haturasingha 3-28, I Sutton 2-49). Ottery St Mary (20pts) bt Clyst Hydon (8pts) by 4 wkts.

Otters Man of the Match – Billy Rudolph