Devon Cricket Board - Vintage knock by Hancock not enough for South Devon

Vintage knock by Hancock not enough for South Devon

IVYBRIDGE were on the end of a blast from the past when they tangled with Neil Hancock – and still emerged victorious at South Devon.
The former Devon captain used to bully Premier Division bowlers for fun – and his double hundred for Sidmouth in a T20 game against Axminster has gone down in Devon cricket folklore.
The joints creak a bit these days but Hancock still has an eye for the ball – as he proved by walloping 138 off just 76 balls as South Devon chased Ivybridge’s hefty total of 286 for five.
With Sean Day making 50 and Mark Andrews 40, South Devon got to 284 for seven – and needed two to win off 12 balls.
They didn’t score another run. Ivybridge spinner Jeewn deSilva (3-40) and Abraham Kopparambil (3-32) took three wickets between them to give Ivybridge a two-run win.
“After losing a few games from winning positions its nice to win one we probably shouldn't have,” confessed Ivybridge skipper Gareth Andrews.
It could hardly have finished closer, yet the signs looked ominous for South Devon right from the start.
The Newton Abbot club was so short of players on Saturday morning they had to cancel the 2nd XI fixture against Ivybridge as they only had seven men.
The 2nd XI was short due to absences in the 1st XI and there was a makeshift look to the team South Devon put out.
Ivybridge were quick to cash in with de Silva leading the charge with 124.
The Sri Lankan helped himself to 11 fours and two sixes during a 96-ball stay that featured a stand of 137 with Chris Greenhouse (41).
Kelvin Trent gave it whack for 41 off 33 balls in a fourth-wicket stand of 79.
Some of the bowling figures were not pretty, although Hancock (2-29), Day (0-40) and Jon Martin (1-40) kept it below five an over when they were on.
Hancock went in for South Devon at 19 for one with Ryan Maunder just out for three.
Surviving opener Andrews made 40 in a stand of 58 with Hancock.
Hancock and Day cracked on from 87 for two to 221 for three and with 17 overs to go were favourites to win.
Ivybridge got Hancock out thanks to a catch on the square-leg boundary – he was looking to add to his tally of 16 fours and 10 sixes - but the runs kept coming from Day and Ali Wright.
The big breakthrough was having Day caught behind at 247 for five.
Wright went soon after and the spinners did the rest.

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