SANDFORD
seldom let the Devon Cup out of their grasp as they won
it for the second year running by beating Plympton by 72
runs in the final at Tavistock.
In a low-scoring final, holders
Sandford were bowled out for 169 then dismissed Plympton
in reply for just 97.
Sandford captain Richard Foan was always confident he had
enough runs on the board and events proved him right.
The game was won and lost during a five-over spell that
saw Plympton got from 37 without loss to 45 for five and
with the cream of their batting gone there was no way back.
Three of the wickets fell to spinner Richard Baggs, who
was captain when Sandford defeated Exeter in last season's
final, and what big wickets they were.
After Trevor Anning had Dave
Walter lbw playing a forgettable waft, Baggs bowled big-hitting
opener Lee Mundell (21), rapped former Devon U21 batter
Craig Miles on the pads then had ex-Devon keeper-batsman
Jeremy Williams caught behind for a duck.
Keith Donohue, another Devon old boy, was nipped out by
Annning with a ball that jagged into him and at that point
Foan felt the cup was going nowhere.
“Any score over 140 on that pitch was potentially enough
to win it and I always thought getting 170 was going to
be a massive ask for them,” said Foan.
“Once we had Williams and Donohue out I felt we were on
our way as the only danger then was Imran Ali as he can
whack it about a bit.
“That's what he did when he came in, but there was no one
likely to hang about long with him and it was only a question
of watching him dispatch a few hits before he got out.
“Had Donners or Williams still been there it might have
been different, but we had done a good job bowling and fielding
to leave Imran on his own and he wasn't going to win it
from there by himself.
What Baggs (3-17) and Anning (2-16) had started, Foan (2-19)
and Richard Coupe (2-23) finished as Plympton were dismissed
in the 36 th of their 40 overs.
Highlights in the field were a brilliant catch on the run
by Anning to dismiss Richard Skinner off Foan's bowling
and a Adrian Small's catch to remove Imran.
Imran had just launched Coupe for six and tried the same
shot again in an area over wide mid-wicket between outfielders
Small and Neil Bettis. Small got there first and sidestepped
Bettis to avoid what would have been a painful collision.
Small had been Foan's man of the moment when Sandford batted
for a patient 29 off 71 balls that saw off the new-ball
threat and got the score up to 90 for three.
Foan had gone cheaply for seven – Danny Hawker (3-29) claiming
him caught behind – but Bettis (28) and Small got on with
it, as did David Lye (30) when he replaced Bettis.
Joel Tuccia was pushed up the order to add some impetus,
but ended up playing an anchorman role for his 29 as wickets
went down at the other end.
Once Tuccia was out no one else made double figures as Plympton
claimed Sandford's final four wickets for just 22 runs.
Sandford 169 (A Small 29, N Bettis 28, D Lye 30, J Tuccia
29; D Hawker 3-39, Imran Ali 2-36), Plympton 97 (L Mundell
21, Imran Ali 35; R Baggs 3-17, T Anning 2-16, R Foan 2-19).
Sandford bt Plympton by 72 runs.
