Tavvy looking to get back on track

TAVISTOCK  entertain lowly Barnstaple & Pilton looking to get back on track after losing three of their last four games.

Tavvy remain top of the table, but their runaway lead has ben trimmed to nine points and they now have Bideford, Thorverton, Ivybridge and possibly Plymstock breathing hard behind them.

Barnstaple are one off the bottom and Tavvy skipper Shaun Daymond won’t be showing them any mercy.

“A big win is in order,” said Damond. “We need to show some character and fight in these next few games.

“Playing the teams at the bottom isn't always easy at this stage of the season. “We know Barnstaple aren't that bad a side and are surprised where they are in the table.”

Jamie Stephens is back in, but a few players are missing.

Bideford against Ivybridge is second against third so there is plenty riding on it.

Bideford skipper James Ford has never undersold his team’s aims from the start of the season, saying then he was after a second successive promotion.

That goal is tantalizingly close, but Ford agrees there are some tough games to get through.

“I believe we are capable of winning our last four games but with Ivybridge and Thorverton at home and derby games away (Barnstaple) and (Braunton) we have probably got the hardest run in,” said Ford.

“Saying that though we are playing well and we are unchanged for the fourth game on the trot.”

Thorverton have a derby game against Shobrooke Park.

Will Denford comes back in and Thors give a 1st X1 debut to 15-year-old Jamie Khan who will bat in the middle order.  

“It's all to play for with four games to go. If we win all four, we should win the division,” said skipper Graham White.

“Three out of four ought to guarantee promotion.”

 

Axminster will be without all-rounder Gary Larcombe for the meeting with Braunton.

The Laceman are just about in the clear relegation-wise, but that won’t mean going easy on Braunton, who are still in danger of being sucked down.

“Although we are looking to enjoy the last few games of the season, there are personal milestones and targets to achieve as well as accolades,” said skipper Tristan Wakeley.

Plymstock captain James Nichols doesn’t see the 22-point gap between his side and second-place Bideford as any sort of obstacle to promotion.

Plymstock take on doomed Stoke Gabriel tomorrow looking to stretch the best winning run in the division – four on the spin after beating Barnstaple last time out.

And if Plymstock keep winning they should go up as future opponents include Thorverton and Ivybridge ahead of them.

“We are in the same situation as last week playing a side fighting for survival, but also a side playing without too much pressure so we know they will be dangerous and we have to not let our standards slide else we will come undone, as they did to Shobrooke Park last week,” said Nichols.

“Our batting has really come on and we need to keep building and carry forward the experience we have gained and again as I always say our spinners have really impressed me this year.

“Week in week out they cause teams a lot of problems and take wickets regularly.

“Stoke will take a lot of confidence from last week and look like they have signed a good overseas (Gerhard Erasmus) so it will be good to test ourselves against them.

“Our team this week sees Yom te Whare come back in for Josh Hocken to bolster the seam options.

“Admittedly we are still 22 points behind second but you never know when pressure games are played whose going to come out on top so we need to make sure we take care of our results.”


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