A LARGE crowd witnessed Sidmouth fall well short of the standard they have set themselves this season as they slipped to a 65-run defeat by Sandford in the final of the Devon Senior Cup.
A LARGE crowd witnessed Sidmouth fall well short of the standard they have set themselves this season as they slipped to a 65-run defeat by Sandford in the final of the Devon Senior Cup.
Having restricted the Mid Devon side to 166-8 with an excellent fielding display, when at one stage a total in excess of 200 looked likely, Sidmouth were confident of lifting the cup for the first time since 2002.
But the well-prepared County Ground pitch at Exeter, though dry on top, had a soft underbelly and Sidmouth found runs difficult to come by.
At 36-4, with Josh Bess, Trent Ovens, Neil Hancock and Nick Gingell dismissed, there was still some hope if Anthony Griffiths, involved in a running mix-up that accounted for Gingell, and Louis Talay could put together a stand.
They put on 50, but the runs were not free flowing and, when Griffith dragged a ball back from former Zimbabwe paceman Doug Hondo on to his stumps, there was massive pressure on the late middle order. They couldn't resist it and the side capitulated at 101 all out with eight of their 40-over entitlement still remaining.
The plus points for Sidmouth came in their bowling and fielding, which retrieved the situation after Sandford got a flying start as Adam Dibble struggled with his radar.
Despite his directional problems, Dibble got an early breakthrough when Matt Theedom skied a ball into the heavens. Gingell, at mid- wicket, chased back, circled a couple of times and finally dived full-length to hold the catch to the astonishment of the spectators.
Scott Barlow, Louis Talay and Will Murray all sent down their eight overs for under 20 runs.
One of Talay's victims was opener Adrian Small, whose 60 on a day when bowlers were on top, won him the man of the match award.
The miserliness displayed by Talay probably prompted Sandford to employ left arm spinner Simon Ashplant from the start - an astute decision that brought the wicket of Hancock.
Two more left arm spinners, Richard Foan and Richard Coupe, were in the Sandford armoury and Sidmouth were never able to get the scoreboard moving against them.
By John Goodwin
Devon Senior Cup final
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