Devon Cricket Board - B Division review - Stephens brothers sink Bideford

B Division review - Stephens brothers sink Bideford

JOSH and Jamie Stephens produced a priceless knock just when it was needed most to set Tavistock on course for victory at Bideford and top spot in the B Division.
Tavistock were wobbling badly at slipping to 96 for six with Dave Manning just out for 28.
Josh and Jamie put together a stand of 75 for the seventh wicket, which took Tavvy in sight of their final total of 185 for seven.
Josh made 43 and Jamie 26 not out.
South African speedster Thokozani Peter then proved a bit too quick for the Bidford top order – picking up three wickets as they slumped to 83 for six in reply.
Paul Heard led the fightback with 40 and Ian Hayter chipped in with 21 as Bideford nibbled away at the deficit.
Lee Baker (2-26) made inroads into the lower order, but Heard kept going until Peter returned for a final spell and had him caught behind to break a last-wicket partnership that had already put on 25.
Victory took Tavistock past Thorverton, Bideford and inactive Ivybridge into top spot.
Skipper Shaun Daymond said the Stephens lads made a big difference and he would love to see more of them.
“Jamie plays when home from university and it is pity he isn’t home more often.
“Josh has exams and hasn’t picked a bat up since last August, but agreed to help us out as Ian Gray and Jamie McGahey were not available.”
Bideford skipper James Ford said it was a disappointing result, not helped by his side’ own shortcomings.
‘We had them in trouble, then let them get 40 runs too many,” said Ford.
“The Stephens brothers played very well to get them a decent score.
“Our batsman need to look at the way they played. Not every ball needs to race to the boundary.”
Shobrooke Park captain Phil Anning promised changes in the wake of his side’s defeat by Bideford – and Plymstock were on the end of a new-look performance from a new-look side.
Said Anning: “The changed batting line-up worked better.
“Players who came in did well, plus players batting in new positions took their opportunities.
“Once again the bowling and fielding was really good.
Hopefully, we will take the confidence from this game into Stoke Gabriel at our place this Saturday.”
THORVERTON’S meeting with Ivybridge was rained off.

BRAUNTON picked up their third win of the season in the B Division when they routed struggling Stoke Gabriel by nine wickets.

Stoke were thin on the ground player-wise, so much so they had to cancel their second-team game against Yelverton.

Take away Mark Gilmour’s 49 and there wasn’t a lot from Stoke in a total of 86 all out.

There were two wickets each for Alex Hodges, Alfie Huxtable and Joe Barnes.

Skipper Ian Roberts led the chase with 42 not out, putting on 69 for the first wicket with Rob Collier (29).

Braunton can expect a tougher test this Saturday when they play fancied Thorverton.
PLYMSTOCK skipper James Nichols was furious with the lack of application shown by his batters in a 58-run defeat by Shobrooke Park.
Shobrooke made 197 for eight, which represented a decent comeback by Plymstock’s bowlers after the visitors had raced to 70 for one in the first eight overs.
Plymstock were bowled out for 139 in reply – Dean Falco lacking the necessary support to see the job through.
“It only needed one batsman to hang on in there and we would have won,” said Nichols.
“We have had the same problem before this season, we struggle to put partnerships together and we when we lose wickets we lose them in clumps.
“A 10 per cent improvement all round would make a massive difference – and that’s not just the batting.
“We bowled both sides of the wicket, we dropped a couple of catches in the field and ended up chasing 40-50 more than we should have.
“Once we got the spinners on – myself, Seb Jordan and George Barnicott – we slowed them right up. We took seven wickets between us for a hundred runs.
“The rapid start killed us. Without it they would have struggled to make 150.”
Jon James (68) and Dan Pyle (32) got Shobrooke away to their flier before Nichols (3-40), Jordan (1-29) and Barnicott (1-32) got the brake on.
Dave Orchard (2-32) was tidy as always
Falco (58) had an appetite for the chase and Jordan (22) chipped in for a while.
Shobrooke's Aussie attack of Chris Simpson (3-24) and Nick Prell (3-22) where at the root of Plymstock’s problems, exacerbated by Phil Anning with two for 24.
Defeat leaves Plymstock sixth in the table and needing a win at bottom side Barnstaple this Saturday to avoid being sucked closer to the drop zone.

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