A second successive nine wicket victory enabled Sidmouth’s 2nd XI to leapfrog rained-off Exeter and take a three point lead at the top of the Premier 2nd XI league, writes Fionn Wardrop.
With most matches in Devon failing to finish, the mystical Sid Valley once again managed to deflect most of the showers that streamed through the county, giving the 2nds the chance to play a 42 over match with Cornwood.
Cornwood won the toss, elected to bat first and got off to a good start, raising 42 without loss from their first 10 overs.
Nick Mansfield produced a two wicket burst for Sidmouth and Dec Lines took a wicket in his first over to put Cornwood on the back foot.
Old heads Duncan Boase and Dave Tall batted 13 overs to add 30 runs before Charlie Dibble produced two wickets in two balls and gave himself the chance of a hat-trick. His hat-trick ball clipped bat and pat, trickled back onto the stumps and narrowly failed to dislodge the bails.
Dibble’s frugal spell ended soon afterwards and Greg Chaplin joined Dec Lines. Between them the two teenagers ran through the remainder of Cornwood’s batting line up with Chaplin finishing with two wickets and Lines returning his best figures for the 2nd XI in taking 4 for 28 from his 12 overs. Chaplin removed Cornwood’s last batsman with the final ball of the innings, giving Sidmouth the maximum five bowling points.
On a damp wicket, the Cornwood total of 122 could have proved a test but some positive batting from Matt Hewer, Luke Bess and Zac Bess saw Sidmouth race to their target in just 19.3 overs.
Luke Bess was the chief run scorer and carried his bat for an unbeaten 63; his 50 arriving in just 37 balls. Hewer continued his good form with 32 at the top of the order and Zac Bess efficiently finished the job off with an unbeaten 20.
Sidmouth took the maximum 20 points from this encounter and can consider themselves very fortunate to have played when no other game in the division reached a conclusion. Thanks are due to our groundsman, Big Colin Whitehall, and the topography of The Valley.
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