This coming Saturday (June 13) would have been matchday seven of the 2020 Tolchards Devon cricket League campaign.

In recent years, matchday seven has seen total success for Sidmouth Cricket Club’s senior XIs.

Indeed, not since the 2013 season has a Sidmouth senior XI lost a matchday seven fixture!

Back in 2013, the 1st XI went down by a single run in a meeting with a Plymouth side that included current Australian Test star Marcus Labuschagne. On the same day the Sidmouth 2nd XI beat Plymouth II by 84 runs while the 3rd XI lost by eight wickets to Ottery St Mary III.

However, since the 2013 season, on each matchday seven of the last six Devon League campaigns, all three of the club’s senior XIs have won their respective matches.

Season 2019

The 1st XI were 15-run winners over North Devon. Batting first, the Fortfield men were led to a close of 217-8 by Alex Barrow (74) and then Zak Bess (5-32) and Will Murray (3-27) combined to bowl the men from Instow out for 202. The 2nd XI were emphatic 220-run winners of their meeting with Barnstaple & Pilton. Elliott Rice (118) and Matt Cooke (64) top scored in the Sidmouth score of 300-5 and then Charlie Dibble took 3-7 in six overs and there were two wickets each for Byron Knowles and Jash Patidar as Barum were bundled out for 80 in 30.5 overs. The third XI were 112-run winners of their fixture against Ottery St Mary 2nd XI. Tom Clay (98), Dylan Hurst (84) and Isaac Thomas (49) were the principle scorers in a total of 296-9 and then George House claimed 4-38 and there were two wickets each for Lee Clayden and Ben Fisher as the Otters were bowled out for 184.

Season 2018

Matchday seven was played out on June 16 and the 1st XI had two centurions in there 202-run win over Bovey Tracey. Luke Bess scored 119 from 135 balls, hitting 13 fours and three sixes while Avive Mgijima faced just 88 balls and hit 11 fours and seven sixes in a knock of 132. Zac Bess joined in the fun, plundering 54 from just 26 deliveries and Sidmouth closed on a huge 369-4. All five Sidmouth bowlers claimed wickets with the best return being the 3-57 from third change Charlie Miles. The 2nd XI defeated Ottery St Mary by 14 runs in a close encounter. Nick Mansfield (27), Tom Wainwright (26), Anthony Griffiths (22) and Fionn Wardrop (15no) were the principle run providers as Sidmouth limped to an all-out total of 151. That was enough to win the match though, thanks to Tom Simmons (3-28) and Ed Hurley (3-26), as the Otters were bowled out for 137. The third XI beat Honiton 2nd XI by 165 runs. Thomas Moore (88) and Ben Sapiecha (63) led their side to a close of 308-8 and then Lee Clayden (3-22), Jordan Fowler (2-14) and Luke Raistrick (2-48) got amongst the wickets as Honiton were bowled out for 143.

Season 2017

The 1st XI beat Heathcoat by 70 runs. Josh Bess (69), Zac Bess (40) and a 31-ball unbeaten 49 from Nick Gingell helped see Sidmouth to 231-7 and then Charlie Miles (5-48) and Scott Barlow (2-27) combined to bowl the men from Knightshayes out for 143. The 2nd XI were 132-run winners over Plympton. Dec Lines scored 132 - hitting 23 fours and one six in his 112-ball stay at the wicket - as Sidmouth closed on 290-9 and then Charlie Dibble (3-33) and Fionn Wardrop (2-26) combined to bowl Plympton out for 158. The third XI defeated Seaton 2nds by 36 runs. Having been 21-3, Sidmouth closed on 258-3 thanks to a 237-run stand for the unbroken fourth wicket between Byron Knowles, who hit a run-a-ball 124 with 22 boundaries, and Graham Munday, who faced 116 deliveries for his 93 with 16 boundaries. Sidmouth then used eight bowlers to contain Seaton to a closing score of 222-8 with Jordan Fowler returning the pick of the figures with his 2-18.

Season 2016

The 1st XI needed just 28 overs to complete a nine-wicket win over Brixham in a Premier Division game. Brixham were bowled out for 63 in just 17.3 overs with Australian Kyle Brockley the main architect of their downfall, with his impressive return being 7-27. Matt Cooke then hit an unbeaten 38 as Sidmouth raced to victory in just 10.3 overs. The 2nd XI were also comfortable winners as they bundled out Plympton 2nds for 63 thanks to the efforts of Daley Holmes (3-8), Fionn Wardrop (3-14) and Tom Simmons (3-14). They then eased their way to a seven-wicket success on 65-3. The third XI were 11 run winners of their meeting with Upottery II. In a low-scoring affair, Sidmouth had number four bat Graham Munday (62) and Anthony Dibble (28) to thank for their closing total of 138 all out after 44 overs. However, that was sufficient to rack up another win as Anthony Dibble (3-24), Bruce Robson (3-31) and Toby Seldon (2-28) combined to bowl the villagers out for 127.

Season 2015

The 1st XI had a 55-run win over Plymouth. Batting first, Liam Lewis carried his bat for a 139-ball unbeaten 103 and the ‘best of the rest’ was a knock of 33 from Harvey Sargent as Sidmouth totalled 266-6. Andrew Mathieson then claimed 4-31 and there were two wickets each for Matt Cooke and Charlie Miles as Plymouth were bowled out for 211. The 2nd XI were seven wicket winners of their 2nd XI Premier Division meeting with Alphington and the 3rd XI defeated Clyst Hydon by six wickets.

Season 2014

The 1st XI thrashed Exmouth by nine wickets. Josh Bess (4-18), Daniel Babula (4-21) and Scott Barlow (2-18) saw Exmouth hustled out for just 62 in 23 overs and then Josh Bess (29no) and Anthony Griffiths (29no) saw their side over the winning line. The 2nd XI were even more emphatic winners of their meeting with Exmouth 2nds! Nock Mansfield (69), Nick Gingell (67) and Saju Patidar (64) combined to see their side to 258-6 and then Fionn Wardrop claimed 4-21 and there were two wickets each for James Pickard, Miles Dalton and Charlie Dibble as Exeter were bundled out for 65 in 23.1 overs. The third XI also won, beating Plymouth Civil Service & Roborough by 140 runs. Robbie Powell hit a stunning unbeaten 166 and Graham Munday plundered an equally impressive unbeaten 148 as Sidmouth III chalked up a score of 325-1 and then Steve Fowler (3-44) and Rob Tasker (2-14) combined to limit the Plymouth side to a reply of 185-8.