KEEN bowling and fielding saw Sidmouth win a rain-ruined Devon Senior Cup final at Bovey Tracey on run rate, writes John Goodwin.

They had Plymouth reeling at 17-5 after 10.4 overs when a downpour curtailed proceedings. Plymouth’s run rate after the minimum 10 overs had been sent down in the second innings was 1.7 against the 3.9 Sidmouth had averaged in their full 40-over quota.

Sidmouth, who elected to bat after winning the toss, had staged a rearguard action to make 156-9 after Dave Burke had torn into their top order with 5-16 in his eight overs, a performance that earned him the man-of-the-match award.

Plymouth struggled in reply with James Toms comfortably caught at mid wicket by Saj Patidar off Neil Hancock in the third over with the score at five. Three runs were added when Will Murray got through Jake Luffman’s defences.

The score had moved to 17 when three wickets fell in four balls as rain threatened and Plymouth knew they needed to up the run rate.

A Dilshan scoop shot attempted by Doug Hewitt against a straight Murray ball saw him bowled.

Will Gater’s first ball after taking over from Hancock was hooked high by Callum Whittaker towards Matt Cooke who ran in from long leg to hold the catch after a bit of a juggle.

Two balls later Hancock took a one-handed catch at full stretch to his right at slip to dismiss George Stephenson. That made the score 17-5 after 10.3 overs and one ball later the umpires took the players off as rain fell heavily.

At that point Murray had bowled five overs for eight runs and two wickets, Hancock five overs for nine runs and one wicket and Gater four balls for no runs and two wickets.

Burke had been the scourge of Sidmouth’s top order, dismissing Anthony Griffiths, Nick Gingell, Luke Bess, Hancock and Gater for 37 between them. Hancock and Griffiths went caught behind, Bess and Gingell were lbw and Gater was bowled after the ball crept back on to his stumps despite him getting a full bat on it.

With Burke’s overs completed Ben Gledhill and Patidar staged something of a recovery until the latter was victim of an injudicious single call by the Australian.

Gledhill fell lbw for the innings top score of 32 and the later Sidmouth batsmen were able to get the score up to 156-9. Jamie Wardop prevented a collapse with 20, Cooke made 25 and Murray was 14 not out.

The Sidmouth total was helped by six wides which accrued when Plymouth wicketkeeper Whittaker threw the ball down in disgust after having a caught behind appeal answered with a wide call. The batsmen stole a run and a shy at the stumps went for four overthrows.

There was a wicket each for Rob Button, Charles Hill and James Nicholls but all Plymouth’s bowling and fielding efforts were dashed by the deluge.