DON'T you just love it when a plan comes together? Sandford skipper Richard Foan definitely did after his side defeated Sidmouth by 65 runs in Sunday's Devon KO Cup final at Exeter.
Sandford made 166 for seven in their 40 overs – opener Adrian Small top scoring on 60 – then bowled Sidmouth out for 101 in reply.
Foan wasn't sure his side had enough runs on the board to worry Sidmouth, who went into the game chasing a treble of the Devon League Premier title, the cup and the Devon Twenty20 crown.
But tactics honed in the semi-final win at Brixham seven days earlier, worked second time around for Sandford.
“We were looking for anything between 160 and 200 as a decent total batting first as it looked like a difficult wicket, but you couldn't be sure how difficult it would be,” said Foan.
“What we got was at the lower end of our expectations, but if it was hard for us to score runs it wasn't going to be any easier for them.
“Early batsmen like a bit of pace on the ball, so I opened with spinner Simon Ashplant at one end as a foil to Trevor Anning at the other. It worked at Brixham, and it worked again against Sidmouth.
“Simon bowled his eight overs for 18 runs – and got the wicket we wanted when he got Neil Hancock out.
“Hanks is the most destructive batsman in Devon – he hits the ball a long way once he gets going – so to get him out for six was a huge bonus.
“When Hanks went they were 26 for three, then 36 for four after Matt Theedom's brilliant run-out of Nick Gingell.
“The asking rate was creeping up to five an over by then, I kept the spinners on which made it hard for them and once we got Anthony Griffiths out the game was just about won.
“Griff really does like some pace on the ball, but take the pace off and, fine player that he is, he doesn't like it.”
Veteran spinner Richard Coupe (3-26) cashed in at the end as Sidmouth's last four wickets went for just five runs.
Earlier, Sidmouth captain Will Murray had used his medium pacers, and tricky spinner Louis Talay, to keep Sandford under control when they batted.
“Hanks is pretty quick when he bowls, but the rest rely on accuracy and with the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps most of the time we couldn't take any liberties,” said Foan.
“Sidmouth probably have the best outfielding side in the Premier Division. When you add it all together it is hard to score runs against them.
“Adrian Small's knock was absolutely crucial to us as it was almost exactly the difference between the two sides. Not only that, he got them quickly.”
Sandford have won the Devon Cup three times in the past four years and are getting a reputation as 40-over specialist. Foan can see why.
“We have plenty of aggressive cricketers in our side who can change a game in the space of a few overs if they get going,” said Foan. “That's why we seem to be more effective in the shorter version of the game than we are when it is 50 overs on a Saturday in the league.”
Sandford 166-7 (A Smalll 60, R Foan 23, M Bettis 23; L Talay 2-26), Sidmouth 101 (A Griffiths 33; T Anning 2-25, D Hondo 2-9, R Coupe 3-25). Sandford bt Sidmouth by 65 runs.