Lewdown II 227 all out, Dartington & Totnes II 181 all out.
Lewdown (20points) beat Dartington & Totnes (9 points) by 46 runs.
Lewdown recovered from 24 for 3 to post a challenging total as Dartington & Totnes let them off the hook with catches going to ground. A fine second wicket partnership of 91 between Gavin Colegate and D&T’s man of the match, Liam Bligh, put the home side in a strong position before D&T’s batsmen ran out of steam.
D&T got off to a dream start as Pete Glen struck in the third over to bowl Martyn and Mick Rusling bowled Hayden in the next over, when Lewdown were 3 for 2. Glen (2 for 16) bowled Squire for 6 to turn the screw further. Skipper David Carter had a team packed with bowlers and, deciding that variety was the spice of life, brought himself and Richard Sugden into the attack. Opener Olly Brown found a willing partner in the more attacking Gibbs and the pair resurrected the innings and by the mid-point they had brought up the hundred.
Sugden was unlucky when Brown was dropped at slip- the first of several chances off Brown which weren’t taken and ultimately cost D&T the match.
Spinner Tom Petherick joined the attack and finally got the breakthrough when young debutant Charlie Life caught Gibbs for 60. Petherick then bowled Wilson with a beautiful turning delivery, which the astonished batsman couldn’t believe had hit his stumps. 140 for 5 gave D&T some hope but Brown remained a thorn in their side and when he top-edged Jono Colegate gently to point it seemed his time was up. The chance wasn’t held and Brown continued to punish the bad delivery. A steady stream of extras helped with 24 wides in the innings.
Life took his second catch when Clements was dismissed for 14 off Petherick (3 for 34). Will King, another young debutant, came on to bowl at a difficult time and had a baptism of fire from well-set batsmen. Brown sportingly offered two more difficult chances, which weren’t held, before being caught by Petherick at mid-on for 80 off Carter-returning to the attack despite his troublesome back.
After a long rest, Rusling returned to the attack and promptly knocked over numbers nine and ten in his first over. He bowled Gribble and then removed Butler when Sugden took a fine one-handed catch at silly mid-on. Rusling (3 for 21) was disappointed not to bag a ‘fourfor’ when last man Vernon spooned the ball to mid-on but the chance wasn’t held. Vernon’s reprieve was short-lived however, as Carter (2 for 47) demolished his stumps in the next over.
228 to win seemed a daunting task but openers Gavin Colegate and Sugden seemed undaunted until Sugden (5) edged slow bowler Butler to slip. With no regular wicket keeper available, Liam Bligh had stepped in for D&T and performed creditably. If he was hoping for a rest he didn’t get it, coming in to bat at number three. Bligh showed no sign of fatigue and batted with great fluency and skill. Colegate and Bligh were in complete control and it was the turn of Lewdown’s bowlers to toil.