SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
HISTORY beckons for Newton Tracey Cricket Club who have now two to play in the North Devon Cricket League and if they can overcome the two sides who have already been relegated out of the top flight, Barnstaple & Pilton and Ilfracombe, then they will be the champions of the First Division just 12 months after achieving similar in the Second Division.
Never before has a side taken the Division Two title and then followed it 12 months later with the North Devon League's top honour, but a seven-wicket win at home to the current Champions, North Molton, has taken Newton Tracey to the brink of their first ever First Division Title.
Their success is all the more remarkable because this season is only their third in the top flight. They previously played in Division One in 1996, finishing second from bottom and they ended up rock bottom the year before and they stayed in Division Two until last year's title-winning campaign.
The season could get see the Club gain even greater silver ware for they are due to meet Holsworthy at Raleigh Meadow next Sunday in the Final of the League Knockout Cup, 24 hours after they play their penultimate Division One game against Barnstaple & Pilton on the same ground.
In the game at the home of current champions North Molton the nine-man hosts were bowled out for 102, three wickets for Phil Steward and Steve Barter, Julian Moore than hit 32 as the seven wicket victory was confirmed in one ball short of ten overs.
The top-flight game at Filleigh where doomed Ilfracombe were appearing was hit by rain. The weather closed in mid way after the home side had plundered 408-4 with Simon Prideaux cracking a magnificent 115, that in stark contrast to his brother Mark, the two Prideaux's opened together and whilst Simon stayed there and went on to three figures Mark returned to the Pavilion without troubling the scorers!
Godfrey Tucker then chipped in with 28 before Jaz Kalsi put bat to ball with great effect smacking 115 and Martin Collier showed the bowling precious little mercy with five 6's in a rapid fire 93.
Sandford were beaten at Bideford in a thrilling game that was won by the home side with their last pair at the wickets and the contests final over being bowled. Richard Foan (90) and Charlie Hancock (26) were the principle scorers in the visitors offering of 194, three wickets for Matt Bettis and Mike Clements, two also for Chris Luxton.
Luxton who was the match winner for his side with the bat for he and Jack Perham came together as the Bideford final pairing with 27 runs needed for victory and they knocked off the runs, crossing the winning line in the final over. Earlier, Keith Bettis top scored with 60 and son Matt chipped in with 32.
With Newton Tracey on the brink, they have those two to play and the relegation matters sorted the top divisions, ‘who wins what' is all but decided and so too is the issue as to which two teams will replace Barnstaple & Pilton and Ilfracombe in the top division and they are now going to be Bradninch and Lynton & Lynmouth both of whom could conceivably win the First Division title and go up as champions.
Both have two to play and are separated, in favour of the Mid-Devon side by .60 in terms of points average.
Lynton & Lynmouth ended any hopes Victoria Park had of going up with Bradninch when they beat them by two wickets. Colin Bettis hit the top score for his side with 43, but their total of 191 was passed by the home side for the loss of eight wickets.
Shobrooke Park had been bowled out for 211 and hosts Bratton Fleming were 92-1 when their Division Two game was washed out but they played a full game at Westleigh where the home side posted a healthy 211-7, 61 from James Ford, 39 from Dan Donovan and 24 from Danny Tresgaskis and then Barnstaple & Pilton II were shot out for just 59 with John Brewer taking 4-11 in nine overs and Richard Pearson, who also sent down nine overs, returned figures of 2-13.
In Division Three Bude, were well and truly beaten by visiting North Devon II, the home side being blown away for just 56, a total the visitors cruised past.
It wasn't much different at Morebath where the margin of victory over Holsworthy for the home side was eight wickets. The visitors hit a decent 212-7, Lyndon Piper top scoring with 81 and Richard Godfrey hitting 48, the home side winning at a canter, Lee Hopper hitting 91 and John Chilcott striking a quickfire half century.
In Division Five the sum total of victories for Barnstaple & Pilton III and Westleigh II prior to their meeting at Barum was just two for the entire campaign, its now three with advantage to Barum who won by six wickets. Simon Wheatley took 4-28, George Elnough 3-20 and Peter Gleave 2-27 as Westleigh II made 157, Eric Beer then struck a superb unbeaten 72 as he and Simon Pym (34no) added an unbroken stand of 108 to take their side to a six-wicket win.
Two games were played in Division Six, both featured the top two of Weare Giffard and Halberton and both ended in abandonment's due to the weather.
The biggest ‘winners' to the rains arriving were leaders Weare Giffard who managed to preserve the only remaining 100% record throughout the league when their batsmen took the offer of light from the umpires at Bradninch with the game having just six overs to play and the Weare Giffard reply at 226-7 facing the home offering of 313-8.
Zimbabwean Ryan Butterworth hammered a whopping 161, a knock that included three 6's and 23 fours. He and Dan Hardy (61) put on 173 for the first wicket, the Weare Giffard reply was set to end in defeat when bad light and drizzle offered some salvation as they trooped off with the board showing 226-7, Mike Hedden top scoring with 86.
Halberton were hoping that Weare Giffard might slip up at Bradninch and this allow them to take the advantage in the race for the title with a win over North Molton II but after scoring 296-5 led by skipper Dan Coles's 103, Tommy Cole's 62 and Andrew Birt-Mitchell's 41 the heavens opened at tea and no further play was possible. Of scant consolation to Cole and his side the fact that they are going up in their first season in the league.