Words: Simon Travers
Match Photos: Ivor Thomas
President’s Day, Cornwood’s yearly celebration of players and volunteers who have invested in the club’s story across decades, arrived on Saturday with a local weather forecast that suggested the festivities might be washed out. Dozens of familiar faces gathered for a lunch served by Helen and the hospitality team, with coronation chicken taking top billing. On the pitch, each of the four DCL teams had a distinct story to tell as the clock turned across Saturday afternoon.
The Twos knew as they made the hop across to Yelverton Bohemians it would take a committed effort to get the game on. Dartmoor was shrouded in the kind of fog more suited to a highwayman arranging an illicit liaison with Bess the landlord’s daughter than any kind of cricket. The light improved quickly, but there was little local enthusiasm for the work needed to manufacture a 20-30 over match beyond the Cornwood dressing room. Yelverton, currently experiencing an availability shortage that has cost their Threes two concessions in two weeks, seem settled to their fate of relegation to D Division with Plymouth 2XI. When the rain returned around 2pm, the efforts made to get the game on were halted and handshakes were exchanged. 8 points for the no-show, go-slow, yo-yo bohos, and the last rites for any long-shot hopes the Twos might sneak back into the promotion race.
There were no weather problems at Babbacombe 2XI as the Threes were the only team to start on time. The Threes needed to cash in on the Wall’s Hill pinball machine to solidify their place at the top of the F Division West table. Put into bat by their hosts, the first half of their innings was steady as she goes. Babbacombe opening bowler Reuben Niles struck early for the first of three wickets (3-34). Charles Knight and Ewan Horner both did the groundwork of building a platform for the team. When Charles departed with the score on 61-3 from 17.2 overs, Mike Hodge and Josh Whiting joined together at the crease.
As the day set up at Babbacombe, and the Twos were packing up and heading home to Oak Park, the Ones got the game on against Heathcoat. With the teams starting the day sixth and seventh in the table respectively, the match was powered by momentum, resilience and pride rather than points for placings. The visitors won the toss and put the Ones into bat. Almost immediately, the rain struck again. The wet stuff was thick enough to be miserable but light enough for the umpires to allow play to proceed. Heathcoat’s opening bowler James Boyle was as delighted as a child making mud-pies as he looked to have decided the game in the first 9 overs. Last season, Boyle was one of the top 10 Premier bowlers in the county. His stats have dropped this year but he rose to the occasion, taking 7-2-25-5. After inviting an edge to the keeper from Matt Skeemer, Boyle skewered the Cornwood batting order with four wickets in seven balls including a hat-trick across an over. The Ones were 34-5 in a storm without an umbrella.
Max Finzel and Elliott Staddon persisted like the rainfall and put on a vital 38 runs for the sixth before a communication breakdown caused a Finzel run out. Another 33 runs were shared between Elliott Staddon and Matt Butterworth before the Captain departed on 31. At 115-7 from 24 overs, the umpires had seen enough, the covers were rolled on, tea was taken, and that looked to be that.
Over at Delamore Park both the Fours and Ipplepen 3XI were raging against the dying of the light, defying the odds in hunt of points to assist their respective relegation and promotion battles. Ipplepen did the sensible thing in winning the toss and fielding. However, with a predominantly spin based attack, the conditions were not as in their favour as on the bottom pitch. Openers Barrie Fitzpatrick and Charlie Farmer buckled down and got to work, putting on 90 for the first wicket. Fitzpatrick was bowled by Adrian Toomey on 49 with a ball that floated and dived like a swift, except the swifts were too sensible to be skirting the Delamore Park boundaries in this weather. Charlie Farmer kept the momentum rolling with his second fifty of the year. Eventually he fell on 65 to an exceptional caught and bowled from Dom Durman. Julian Burrows hammered 42* from 35 to earn the Fours four batting points as they made 167-2 in their 30 overs. At close of innings, the captains conferenced in the outfield and agreed that enough was enough; the ground was now unplayable. No sooner had the abandoned result been entered into play cricket than the sun came out. The positive news for the Fours was with Whitchurch’s match also abandoned, the Fours batting had opened a slender 3 point buffer between the teams.
Charlie Farmer reaches 50
Back at Wall’s Hill, the Threes made a decisive move over Babbacombe. Mike Hodge dominated the bowling with his fourth fifty of the season, scoring 67 from 53. He was caught going for a third successive boundary at the end of the 32 over with the score on 150-4, a shared partnership with Josh Whiting of 89. Mike becomes the first batter over 400 runs this season in Devon Cricket League matches at an average of 68 and a strike rate of 129. Josh Whiting carried the team to full batting points through another 50 partnership with his dad, Captain Adam, in the closing overs. Josh built on his recent good form in the Under 17s to reach his first adult half-century, making 54* in 80 as the Cornwood innings closed on 208-5.
The teams were still working through second helpings of tea at Oak Park as the Threes bowlers tucked into Babbacombe’s batting. The new ball combination of Andy Bees and Charlie Martyn were ruthlessly efficient as three wickets went with only 10 on the board. Steve Broad looked to provide resistance with 35 but a partnership never threatened. As well as Andy Bees, Mike Hodge and Duncan Cumberland took a brace of wickets and Jack Lane cleared the tail for figures of 3-15. The Threes won by 95 runs and are closing in on promotion.
Meanwhile, Oak Park had survived the earlier rain intact to make play possible from 5:27, with time available for Heathcoat to match the 24 overs bowled to Cornwood. Duckworth Lewis took effect to set a target of 121 for the visitors. From the first over, it was clear that target on a drying wicket would be challenging as Matt Skeemer bowled Heathcoat captain Dylan Penberthy-Hutchings for a duck. James Richardson found the edge of Tom Hatton’s bat next over and it was game on. There were momentum shifts between the teams as Heathcoat would build a partnership and then lose wickets in clumps. Jack Ormsby took two key wickets to put the visitors 46-5, needing 75 from 12 overs.
Sammy Broomhead and Jamie Drew looked to have the power to make that a possibility as they charged to 83-5 with 6 overs remaining. Then came the decisive moment of the afternoon. Naveen Fernando took 3 wickets in an over, breaking the partnership and reaching the tail. The Heathcoat batters couldn’t live with Naveen’s pace and he finished with 5-1-13-4, a second consecutive four-fer. Josiah Caunter and Elliott Staddon completed the mop up operation to dismiss Heathcoat for 91. A challenging afternoon closed with a Cornwood fairy-tale finish.
Elliott Staddon takes the final wicket
Elsewhere in the Premier, Bradninch & Kentisbeare placed one hand on the title as they comfortably chased down Sandford in the top of the table clash. Exeter continued their form with a win over Bovey Tracey. Exmouth won a close one against Sidmouth and Plympton confirmed their relegation with a loss to Paignton. The Ones stand fifth in the table.
There was no Women’s Firsts match on Sunday as Plympton Ladies could not raise a side. However, there was plenty to play for as Cornwood’s Dels and Oaks Ladies softball teams came together for a derby match on Sunday morning. The Dels came out on top by 12 runs, which should be enough to secure them top spot in the West and book a place at Finals day on 8th September.
The Fifths made merry with bat and ball as they beat Pearce Bros by 132 runs. Ryan Hewitt got the long handle out to hit 50* from 30 with 11 boundaries. Daniel Lamb also hit 51* from 36. Noah Garland hit a run-a-ball 35 while Dave Bailey hit a strike rate of 233 for his 28*. Chasing a massive 274-6, Pearce Bros went for it at around 7 an over. A Hill made 53*. They succumbed though to the wiles of Marc Whaley’s spin, who took 3-14, and were all out for 142.
Earlier in the week, the Under 17s completed their campaign with a convincing win over PCS&R Under 17s. Winning the toss and batting, there were scores for Stanley Baker (52* from 51), Joshua Whiting (41* from 29) and Charlie Farmer (33* from 14 including a massive hook for 6). Setting a target of 176-4, Cornwood had done too much for PCS&R who were all out for 49. Harrison Hodge cashed in with figures of 4-4.
The Under 13s were also keeping busy with a pair of matches against Plymouth Mount Wise. In a 40 over game, the team were on the wrong end of a 116 run loss but there were highlights as Tommy took 3-25 and Charlie scored 46 from 85. Mason retired on 32* in the T20 matchup, as Plymouth ran out winners by 6 wickets.
Next week, it’s a Sandford double bill with the Ones at Creedy Park and the Twos at home. The Threes are home to South Devon 2XI while the Fours travel to Paignton. On Sunday, the Women’s Firsts take the short trip to Plymouth.
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