HIS name is Warne, he s Australian, bowls wrist spin and is likely to be performing at the Fort Field tomorrow against Sidmouth, weather permitting.

HIS name is Warne, he's Australian, bowls wrist spin and is likely to be performing at the Fort Field tomorrow against Sidmouth, weather permitting.This Warne is Mickey, cousin of Shane, who has been signed by Bideford for the forthcoming Francis Clark Devon League campaign.If he does play he will be following in the footsteps of his illustrious cousin, who played at the Fort Field for Bristol Imperial in the 1980s during his first trip to England as a 17-year-old.Sidmouth and Bideford meet in a friendly on the last Saturday before the league season begins. Sidmouth are fielding two sides, the other making the short trip to Seaton. On Sunday Sidmouth play host to Clyst St George.Just over a quarter of a game was possible last weekend, with Saturday's home match against Exmouth and the away game at Axminster called off in the morning. Sunday dawned clear and the game against Water Orton from the Midlands got under way on time, with little indication of the monsoon that would descend on the ground at around 4pm.By then Water Orton were nudging the 100 mark off 25 overs for the loss of two wickets. Their openers had the knack of hitting aerial shots just out of the reach of the home fielders and scampering through for singles, which, added to some authentic attacking strokes, saw the scoreboard ticking along.The opening attack of Scott Barlow and Zak Bess failed to make a breakthrough but Fionn Wardrop struck with his first ball when Anthony Griffiths held a swirling, skied, mis-hit drive at square cover.Water Orton continued to favour the aerial route for their shots and Wardrop saw five chances, none of them easy, spurned by Simon Sobczak, Barlow, Nick Gingell, Matt Cooke and Miles Dalton.The latter generated some prodigious turn during a spell of bowling, but was unable to exert sufficient control and was replaced by Graham Munday.No sooner had he announced his arrival with a first over wicket than one of the most intense showers ever seen at the Fort Field swamped the ground. The accompanying wind made the futile act of putting the cover on the pitch a difficult task for the players, but an hilarious one for onlookers.Cooke risked being carried away to some distant part when he laid flat on the cover in a bid to prevent gusts gathering it up.With the cover finally secured, the drenched players returned to the pavilion and swiftly agreed that, with much of the ground awash, the match should be abandoned.