Bridestowe 2XI vs Exwick (ECS) 2XI - 02/05/15

Post date: May 3, 2015 12:23:08 PM

Bridestowe 2XI started the season in fine style as they defeated Exwick CC at the Millaton Ground. BCC captain Lee Jutson lost the toss and BCC were put into bat on a hard track. The innings started well through Charlie Ewen and Steve Batstone who were able to negotiate accurate opening spells from Machin and Bhaskaram. Ewen was the first to go, after a couple of boundaries he was caught off Bhaskaram (3-40) for 11. Things went from bad to worse for the hosts as Tom Mallet and Dean Taylor departed to the same bowler for 0 to leave them reeling at 15-3. Returning batsman Tim Shaw and Batstone provided a much needed recovery and took the score safely past 50. Shaw was looking more and more fluent after a 5 year break from the game, and was very unlucky to play on to Wilson (2-33) for a well made 27. Skipper Lee Jutson hit a couple of powerful boundaries before he too was gone, caught for 11, to take the score to 88-4. At the other end, Batstone was looking very solid, and was approaching a fluent 50. Young Kevin Burns crashed his second ball to the square-leg boundary before he departed lbw. Steve reached his half-century, but was running out of partners at the other end after Kev Yates was bowled by Mitchell (2-32) for 6. Dave Jopling supported Batstone expertly from number 9, with the pair putting on a quick-fire 36. This included a 6 from Steve which, as he informed an already disgruntled bowler, was his first for a number of years! When Dave Jopling was bowled for a crucial 17 by Machin (1-20), he was replaced by an equally able partner in Gideon Pritchard, who smashed a few boundaries as BCC looked to get maximum batting points for the 200. The pair got close, but the chase finished just short of that target when Pritchard was caught for 13 off the last ball of the innings from the bowling of Brownlow (1-7). 194-9 was still a great score, particularly after being 15-3, and the home side were confident of defending it. The highlight of the innings was certainly Steve's 83no, but a number of others chipped in well.

Exwick's chase also started badly as first Richardson was run out and then Mitchell was bowled by Jutson, both for 0. From 10-2, there was a short recovery to 23-2 before two more quick wickets fell to leave Exwick in big trouble at 25-4, Burns (2-24) picking up both wickets through good catches. Jutson was proving impossible to get away, and completed his spell with incredible figures of 9-4-8-1. Mackie was looking to perform a similar role to Batstone in the first innings and was brutal on anything short. With McRobbie, he took the score to 88 before new bowler Pritchard got the breakthrough thanks to a fine catch close in by Ewen. The required rate was now at around a run a ball which prompted some more attacking shots, and risky running, which initially paid off. Pritchard got another wicket though, as Ewen took another catch to leave Exwick 104-6, with 90 needed from the last 15 overs for victory. Mackie passed his 50 and was still striking the ball nicely; if someone could stick with him, the visitors were definitely still in the game. Machin batted well for his 14 before Dave Jopling (1-22) got a crucial breakthrough to reduce Exwick to 125-7. Another wicket for Pritchard (3-46) meant that the run-rate was climbing sharply and the visitors needed to take more and more risks to stay in touch. This pressure lead to the run out of Worth for 9, thanks to a great throw from Mallet and some tidy work with the gloves from by Kev Yates. The game was drifting away from Exwick at 160-9 with 3 overs left, but with Mackie still at the crease anything was possible. Bridestowe managed to close out the game though thanks to a great throw from the deep by Ewen followed by Pritchard calmly taking off the bails to leave Mackie stranded for a superb 84. A fine 34 run win for BCC 2XI, with a number of players playing their first games for a year or more! Next week the 2XI travel to Feniton, looking to make it 2 wins from 2.

Having had a low scoring game at Whitchurch, the First XI were in attendance at the end and in the usual post-match analysis, it was clear that both teams had been involved in excellent games played in absolutely the right spirit with both Whitchurch and Exwick being great opponents, hopefully matched by Bridestowe teams. Win or lose, here's hoping for as enjoyable games for the rest of the season.