Sidmouth 2nd XI opening bat Issac Thomas scored a superb unbeaten double century as the team chalked up an eighth straight C Division East win. In the same game fellow opener Anthony Griffiths (101) and number three bat Robbie Powell (102 not out) also scored centuries as the team racked up a whopping 443-1 against Budleigh Salterton 2nds. Over at Bradninch, Powell’s brother Dan, was five runs shy of his own three figures score – though he was put down four times – when he was out to a stunning catch. Despite it being a super Saturday for the 2nd XI, it proved to be a not so successful day for the 1st and 3rd XIs as they both lost their games. In this week’s Sunday Facebook Sidmouth CC round-up we simply have to start with that extraordinary show at the Fortfield by the 2nd XI

The three Sidmouth CC senior XI reports

Sidmouth 2nd XI

Sidmouth 2nds scored the joint third highest ever score since the Devon Cricket League began keeping records back in 1984.

The Fortfield men scored a whopping 443-1 in their Tolchards League C Division East home meeting with Budleigh Salterton 2nds.

Isaac Thomas led the run spree, carrying his bat from first delivery to last to finish unbeaten on 212.

Thomas and fellow opener Anthony Griffiths, put on 229 for the first wicket and were only parted when Griffiths had scored 101. Robbie Powell came in at number three and he was unbeaten on 102 as the ‘runs in the sun’ afternoon ended with Sidmouth sporting that huge score.

That was not the end of the drama though, for Budleigh, who had got to 149 for the loss of four wickets, then slumped to 149 all out, losing their final six wickets for the addition of no further runs!

Daley Holmes (4-38) and Max Hancock (3-34), were the principle wicket takers as Sidmouth chalked up an eighth successive win and they now top the table by 26 points from Kilmington, who stay second after they edged a single wicket win over Whimple.

Ottery St Mary 2nds, who had been Sidmouth’s nearest challengers before the Fortfield men beat them seven days before, have slipped to third after a second successive defeat when they were beaten by Alphington.

Sidmouth 1st XI

Sidmouth suffered only their second defeat of the Tolchards Devon League Premier Division season when beaten by 190 runs on their visit to North Devon.

The home side won the toss and opted to bat first, but were hit by an early leg before decision in favour of Aviwe Mgijima.

That wicket fell with only nine runs on the board at Instow, but the second wicket did not fall until the board had clicked round to 208 with a Cameron Evans-Grainger catch off the bowling of Josh Bess to remove home opener Ed Yeo, but not before he had scored a wonderful 123 off just 11d deliveries, hitting 18 fours and two sixes. As usually happens after a long partnership, both batsmen fell in quick succession and it was a case of ‘lightning striking twice’ as another Evans-Grainger catch behind the stumps accounted for Ed Yeo (72) to give Josh Bess a second wicket.

Charlie Milesbagged himself a brace, one with a catch by Nick Gingell and the other from hitting the stumps, but the unbroken sixth wicket partnership saw 61 runs added as North Devon closed on 319-5 with Josh King hitting an unbeaten 55 from the number six slot – the Devon man hitting nine fours in a 30-ball stay at the crease.

In terms of the Sidmouth bowling, the best of the returns was the 2-50 from the 10 overs of Charlie Miles and the Josh Bess return was 2-67 from 10. The other wicket taker, Aviwe Mgijima, finished with figures of 1-45 from nine.

Three other bowlers turned their arm over with their figures being; Will Murray (0-61 from 10), Luke Bess (0-56 from six) and Matt Cooke (0-36 from five).

If Sidmouth were sat at tea pondering a 300 plus run chase, then the home team’s Josh King was probably wondering how he was going to get amongst the visiting batsmen on what looked another ‘road’ of a batting track at Instow.

As to who ‘won’ the post tea argument – that was undoubtedly Josh King who accounted for the first five Sidmouth batsmen. King bowled Josh Bess for 14, then trapped both Dec Lines (14) and Luke Bess (6), leg before before catches by wicket keeper Ed yep accounted for Aviwe Mgijima (4) and Matt Cooke – the latter for a golden duck! That all left Sidmouth’s reply on 57-5.

Henry Gater, batting at seven, joined number six Nick Mansfield and they began to repair the reply, but they were parted with the total on 90 when Gater was caught for a run-a-ball 27, hitting five fours.

Just seven runs were added – all scored by Nick Gingell before he became the seventh wicket to fall and, when Will Murray was bowled for 23, Sidmouth were eight men down with 121 runs on the board.

The last two wickets both fell with the score on 129 as the Nick Mansfield 67 ball stay – no Sidmouth batter faced even half that many deliveries – was ended with him having scored 24. The final wicket was that of Cameron Grainger-Evans, who was caught for four and Sidmouth, with Charlie Miles the unbeaten bat having not troubled the scorers, were all out for a sorry 129 in 32.1 overs.

Josh King did the damage with his figures being 5-44 from 10 overs.

The defeat sees the Fortfield men slip from top to fourth place with Exeter the new leaders on 127 points, two ahead of Heathcoat and Exmouth are up to third with Sidmouth fourth, but just four points separate the top four teams in what is looking set to be one of the closest title races in recent years.

Sidmouth 3rd XI

Sidmouth III suffered only their second defeat of the season, but they so nearly chased down an imposing target before slipping to a 23 run defeat at Bradninch 2nds.

A strong home side that included five players who have had 1st XI time in the Premier Division this season, batted first and posted a good total of 260-4.

On what was a ‘road’ of a wicket in Mid Devon, the only Sidmouth bowlers to enjoy any success were Graham Munday (2-40 from eight overs) and Wesley Holmes (2-50 from eight). The other bowlers toiled away and their returns were; Lee Clayden (0-34 from eight), Toby Seldon ((49 from seven), Jordan Fowler (0-57 from seven) and Luke Raistrick (0-18 from two).

The Sidmouth reply was launched by Dan Powell and Tom Moore and they got their side off to a ‘flyer’ scoring 48 off the first six overs. However, young Moore was trapped leg before for 14 which saw Antony Cox join Powell and they took the score into three figures when, with the total on 118, Cox was bowled for 28. Louis Adey was next in, and out, trapped leg before for one and, when Jordan Fowler was bowled for five, the reply was 146-4. We Holmes was fifth man down, caught on the boundary for 11 before the wonderful innings from Powell was ended – albeit by a stunning catch in the deep. Powell had faced 93 balls for his innings of 95 runs, though he was dropped no fewer than four times!

It was soon 184-7 after the loss of Graham Munday, clean bowled for four and, at that stage, with three wickets to play with and 42 deliveries left, Sidmouth needed another 76. However, number eight batsman Lee Clayden did not think the run chase was over and he slammed a wonderful 45 from just 23 deliveries before he was run out. Clayden and Lee Adey took the run chase to 220 when Adey was run out for seven and then Toby Seldon was bowled for three to leave last man Luke Raistrick to try and secure the success. However, looking to retain the strike in then penultimate over, Clayden was run out and a brace Sidmouth run chase was over with the reply closing on 237 all out.