WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13
PAIGNTON’S long, unbeaten run in the Meek Mortgages Twenty20 competition finally came to an end when they lost by 19 runs to Torquay.
Paignton have won the competition in each of the two seasons since it started in 2005 — and hadn’t lost a game in all that time.
Torquay posted 122 for five in their regulation 20 overs wtih Usman Malvi the top scorer on 28.
Matt Bulbeck (23) and Ed Yeo (21) gave Torquay a 46-run start, three wickets fell for 17 runs as Paignton got back in the game, then Malvi and Mike Pugh (24) got Torquay going again.
A stand of 53 got Torquay back on track, helped by a couple of big overs, during which Riaan Jeggels was ht for 14 and 12.
Paignton got just the start they didn’t want with Scott Baldey and Gavin Ewing both out with just a dozen runs on the board.Seb Benton (42) and Jeggels (25) put on 47 in a stand that ended when Benton was bowled by James Hudson (3-18).
Keeping up with the run rate was Paignton’s problem as they struggled to get going against Hudson, Malvi (2-18) and Bulbeck (2-4).
A target of 51 to win off the last five overs proved to much for Paignton, who ran out of overs on 103 for eight.Torquay 122-5 (U Malvi 28, M Pugh 24, M Bulbeck 23, E Yeo 21; R Jeggels 2-41), Paignton 103-8 (S Benton 42, R Jeggels 25; J Hudson 3-18, M Bulbeck 2-4, U Malvi 2-18). Torquay bt Paignton by 18 runs,