10th July: Thirds match marred by Darren Rowe injury.

Dartington & Totnes III 210 for 4, Plymstock III 214 for 8

Plymstock won by 2 wickets.

The match was marred by a serious injury to D&T batsmen Darren Rowe who was taken to hospital after snapping his Achilles tendon.  It was wretched luck for Rowe who had been in training to climb Mont Blanc on the following weekend.

The match had started brightly with D&T openers Cliff Lowe and Myles Sydenham putting on 81 for the first wicket, with Lowe the aggressor and Sydenham (17) the supporting act.  Lowe took full advantage of some loose bowling and generous-spirited fielders-several straightforward catches were dropped. After Sydenham’s departure Darren Colegate joined Lowe and he was soon having fun until hampered by a leg injury.  Lowe continued in his merry way smiting thirteen fours before being dismissed for 69.  Mick Rusling had a brief cameo appearance for 11, Colegate was caught off Lamerton for 40 as D&T piled up the runs on the KEVICC pitch.  The Borough Park pitch has been deemed unsafe by the Devon Cricket League and play there has been suspended until remedial work is undertaken by South Hams Council.

Darren Rowe and Chris Life were beginning to go nicely when Rowe set off for a run, tumbled to the ground and had to be helped off the field.  When play resumed Life (18 not out) and Josh Thomas (15 not out) cracked quick runs to bring up the 200 and what would have been a challenging total if D&T had had 11 fit fielders. 

Down to 10 men D&T were further handicapped in the field since Darren Colegate could scarcely walk but gamely ventured out into the field, Lowe, after his batting heroics, was clearly hampered by a back injury  and to cap it all Ben Hartridge had to leave early for a social engagement.  The result being that D&T finished the game with 9 fielders, including two ‘walking wounded’.  Nonetheless, after reducing Plymstock to 159 for 8 it seemed they would win after all.  It wasn’t to be as Plymstock’s young eighth wicket pair Sumner (25 not out) and Lamerton (34 not out) exploited the lack of fielders and some inconsistent bowling to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

The innings had started well for D&T with Thomas (2 for 29) bowling both openers and Ollie Perkins dismissing Blackmore when Life took a fine catch in the covers.   Plymstock rallied through fourth wicket pair Collins and Heath taking the score to 130 before Will King trapped Collins lbw for 34 and shortly afterwards Perkins bowled Heath for 36 with a full delivery. Rusling despatched Howe and Maffey in successive balls and when Perkins (3 for 49) bowled Taper, finishing the job off had seemed a formality.

All at the Club wish Darren a speedy recovery.

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