Countess Wear CC vs. Bridestowe CC

We travelled to Countess Wear for the last game of the season with it all to play for. We started the day in 2^nd place, 14 points ahead of the Wear who were in 3^rd and our main challenges for the second promotion place. This meant that effectively we needed 8 points to secure promotion whereas Countess Wear required a comfortable win to overtake us. Boother returned with Pat taking up the umpires coat.

For the 4^th week in a row the toss didn’t go our way and we were put into bat, Jacko replacing Sam at the top of the order after last weeks performance. This looked like a good move as he hit early boundaries off openers Singh and Byles. Conditions meant the ball was nipping about and coming off the pitch quite slowly and when the ball was put in the right areas it caused some problems. The pitch wasn’t involved in Jackos dismissal though, a wide full toss from Byles that he went after but could only find gully who took a sharp catch. Jopling joined Tom as the bowlers began to find their rhythm. Tom was waiting for the ball well and pushing runs of the back foot. The pair ran smartly and punished the odd loose ball as they put on 30 together. Byles (6-1-20-1) and Singh bowled 6 each before the change in bowling came and proved the downfall of Jopling. He went after the first ball from Downes but could only get a thick edge and send the ball high towards mid-off who made ground to take a good catch. Sam came in at four with the score at 50-2 after 14 overs. He punched J.Bendell to the cover boundary before Downes dismissed him. A straight ball that he looked to smash over mid-wicket but was clean bowled. Phil was out next ball to cap the mini collapse, though he was terribly unlucky. He played a big forward defensive but the ball hit bat followed by pad and then continued to trickle towards the stumps where it hit leg stump and dislodged one of the bails. James took to the crease in a familiar position of 59-4. Tom was now in and began taking a liking to J.Bendell, striking him for numerous boundaries including a brilliant whip over mid-wicket. Byles was bowling consistently and gave little away early on. James and Tom safely took us to drinks with the score at 80-4. Tom then struck Byles down the ground for 4 and reached his 50 whilst James struck J.Bendell (8-39) for 6 over cow. We reached 100 from 28 overs giving us our first point and laying a solid platform to try and reach 175. Disaster then struck, James pushed new bowler Marsh into the off side and set off leaving Tom in a bit of trouble, he put in the dive but it was to no avail as a sharp pick up and throw into the keeper meant he was run out. A very good 66 from Tom who had anchored the innings and set a great platform as wickets fell around him. Butler strolled out purposefully looking to push the score along. He swatted his first ball from Marsh for 4 on the leg side beating the fielders on the rope, a couple of balls later he did it again before Marsh had the last laugh. Butler went to defend one but it turned in and bowled him leg stump. James and Mark faced out the rest of a solid spell from Downes (9-2-30-3). James then struck Marsh for a couple of boundaries before he was also gone, he looked to sweep a full ball from Marsh but didn’t quite get there and was bowled. This brought Dan Fog to the crease with the score at 127 with 12 overs to go. He hardly faced a ball for a good 3 overs before he struck a full toss from Marsh to the fence. With the score at 140 with just 6 overs to go every run was vital with the main target being 175 for batting points. There were some slight doubts setting in that we weren’t going to make it but Dan had other ideas. He and Mark took T.Bendell (5-22) for 11 before Mark was on his way back. Dan was looking for a third run and rightly called Mark through, but Marsh received the ball and then threw down the stumps. Lavis took to the crease having been limbering up on the side-lines for a good few overs. The score was 165 with 3 overs to go when Dan took Marsh to town. First he struck him off the back foot for 6 and then smashed a full ball over the fence as well, the over was taken for 18 as we flew past 175 and towards 100. The returning Singh (8-1-34) was then struck down the ground for two 4s and we were on 194 with one over to go. Dan was striking the ball beautifully and smashed Marsh for another huge 6 over cow corner taking us to 200 and securing full batting points, this was followed up with another 4 and a couple of singles meaning we had batted our full 45 overs and posted 208. A well timed innings, Tom (66) laying the platform supported well by James (27) and then Mark (24) going well with Dan (50 n.o) who had smashed the ball to all parts making a 50 off just 26 balls, so quick that we didn’t realise he had made a half century until we were all back in the changing room.

As it stood we were now 15 points ahead, meaning that we needed 4 wickets to gain promotion and Countess Wear needed to win in 40 overs. Bovey and Bogue opened the batting and Tom and Dan both started their spells with maidens. Bovey gave an early chance off Tom but Jopling couldn’t quite hang on to the catch at mid-wicket. Bovey used this chance and struck Tom for three 4s in a row to get the scoreboard moving. Both batsmen looked to hit the ball hard and take their chances in order to stay up with the rate. Dan and Tom were bowling well though and 3 maidens in 4 overs put the pressure back on the batsmen. The score was 45 from 14 overs as Dan finished a good opening spell. Bovey was riding his luck hitting balls in the air but nothing was really going to hand. Tom did get the vital breakthrough though, bowling Bogue (22) with a great yorker. Lavis took over from Dan and had a wicket in his first over, Bovey (25) looked to go after him but didn’t time the ball and this time it did go to hand, Jacko taking the catch at mid-wicket. With two new men at the crease we turned up the pressure once again and it told in Toms (9-3-27-2) final over as he dismissed Marsh LBW for a duck. 51-3 from 17 now as Lavis settled in to his rhythm bowling tight areas and beating the bat of Ballinger numerous times. Boother took over from Tom and he also started economically bowling his natural areas to the two left handers. At drinks Countess Wear were on 57-3, under the rate seeing as though they needed to chase it in 40 overs. Jarvis obviously got the call to go for it after the break and began striking the ball well. Boother (4-24) got some tap from Jarvis in his fourth over and was replaced by Sam. It was Lavis though who broke the 40 run partnership trapping Ballinger in front LBW. We had the 4 wickets we were after; meaning we had all but sealed promotion, it was just about winning the game now. We took a step closer as Sam got rid of the dangerous Jarvis (35). He was going for it once again, attempting to pull a ball short off a length but could only get a top edge and send a catch back to Sam. Harkness put up a bit of a fight finding the boundary off Sam and Lavis before Lavis got rid of him. He went to strike the ball straight but picked Sam out at mid-off where he took a simple catch. An over later and Sam had another wicket himself. T.Bendell went for a big shot down the ground but sliced it skywards over the ring, Jacko turned and set off keeping his eye on the ball it looked certain to drop safe but Jacko put in the dive as the ball came over his shoulder and he took a fine catch. Lavis (9-3-24-3) finished a great spell as Dan came back on to try and finish the job. He pretty much did, bowling J.Bendell first ball with a loosener and then getting rid of Downes, a good catch taken by Lavis swooping round from mid-on. Dan (8-3-25-2) wasn’t allowed his last over as skipper Butler warmed up looking to get in on the act. He did just that, bowling Byles with his third ball top of middle stump to fittingly win the game. We had bowled them out for 122 to seal and emphatic win and promotion to the D division.

There was a sense of relief in the changing room after a shaky few weeks and so much to play for but we had managed to perform in the last two weeks without too much drama to secure promotion. We also found out later in the night, after many a jug at HQ, that Kentisbeare had lost to Kenn meaning that we had won the league going up as champions, something we felt we deserved having been leading the league for a number of weeks!

A great season all round for the club finishing as Evening League, E Division and Tavi 10/10 champions. Thank you to all involved with the club for making it a successful season, particularly the committee, players and supporters.

The final E Division standings: