Sidmouth went out of the Servicemaster Devon T20 competition, beaten by a margin of 10 runs at Bradninch.

Originally, the plan had been for a day of three T20 matches with A Division Ivybridge making up the trio of teams with Sidmouth and hosts Bradninch. However, Ivybridge withdrew the evening before which meant a one-off T20 between the hosts and Sidmouth to decide who progresses to the second round of the competition which was formally known as the Devon senior Cup and contested over 50-overs-per-side.

Sidmouth, without their Devon contingent – all in action for the county side in a Unicorns fixture against Dorset – were skippered by Liam Lewis and he won the toss and invited the home side to bat first.

The opening attack of Matt Cooke and Will Murray had no joy, but al that changed with the introduction of Miles Dalton who promptly had Bradninch skipper Gary Chappell stumped by wicketkeeper Dan Powell for 15 with the score on 31.

The home side then saw an excellent partnership develop between Dan Hardy (45 from 27 balls with two fours and two sixes), and the Mid Devon men’s overseas player, Australian Matt Foster with a run-a-ball 30. However, another astute bowling change from Lewis saw the introduction of Nick Mansfield who promptly saw the end of both batters – and a third – in the 11th over.

Bradninch did not recover, and limped their way to a close of 143-8. That might have been 10 fewer had Charlie Miles not put down a chance to end the Ross Acton (15no) cameo – the catch was dropped on the boundary edge the ball going for six – the unfortunate Miles had also put down the home side’s overseas player when on two!

Nick Mansfield (3-32 from four overs), Will Murray (2-19 from four), Charlie Miles (1-26 from four) and Miles Dalton (1-21 from two), were the successful Sidmouth bowlers.

The Sidmouth reply was launched by Matt Cooke and Anthony Griffiths and the pair looked very comfortable as they sailed to 45 without loss after five overs – well on course for a successful run chase.

However, home skipper Gary Chappell introduced himself at one end and Aussie Foster at the other. Chappell sent down successive maidens – claiming the wicket of Cooke (16 runs from 17 balls with two fours), to a Thom Bunker catch in the deep for the opening wicket, and Foster’s two overs went for five. That meant, from a ‘ahead of the clock’ 45-0 after five overs, Sidmouth were suddenly ‘behind the asking rate’ on 50-1 after nine overs. They were not to recover, despite a battling 41-ball six boundary 45 from Griffiths and a run-a-ball 34 from Lewis, an ‘ask’ of 18 off the final over was just too much and Sidmouth closed on 133-5, losing the contest by 10 runs.

During the game, Miles Dalton sustained an injury while fielding that necessitated a trip to hospital to check the nature of a problem with his elbow. That meant teenager Jordan Fowler, who had travelled to watch the match, coming on as a substitute fielder.