Devon seconds D West

Bridestowe seconds v Chelston and Kingskerswell secs

IN the increasing gloom at Millaton and with plenty of rain forecast, it was an important toss to win and skipper Lee Juston duly obliged and it was the visitors that would have to bat first.

The game started on time and as usual, the opening pair of Lee Jutson (9-3-21-1) and Tim Shaw (9-2-22-1) were miserly in their opening spells of six overs each.  Visiting openers Ibbotson and Webster were solid and while few runs were flowing, the pair successfully negotiated the good opening spells with no loss.

It was hardly chanceless but mis-timed shots either didn’t go to hand or rocketed past keeper and slips with nothing held. 

A well-forecast rain interruption took six overs out of the game but good use of the covers meant that the excellent pitch was kept dry but it played a part in the visitors not generating any momentum.

First change bowlers, Dale Harris (5-0-29-1) and Corey Holliday (6-0-12-1) both made breakthroughs pretty early in their spells with Harris the first to strike when a full toss was top edged by Ibbotson and pouched by Dave Jopling.  Jutson rotated his wealth of bowlers with Ebby Vallance (4-1-12-1), Gideon Pritchard (2-0-19-0), and pick of the bowlers Dave Jopling (7-0-26-2) all turning their arms over. Wickets fell at regular intervals and the return of Tim Shaw and Lee Jutson contained Chelston and Kingskerswell and despite not bowling them out, Bridestowe were pretty happy at tea time having limited the visitors to an eminently gettable 156-7 with extras top score at 35.

After tea, Batstone and Shaw strapped on their pads to lead the Bridestowe reply.  What followed demonstrated what the seconds have been missing at the start of the season as Batstone and Shaw ticked along at three runs per over to see off the opening spells of Lewis and Karssons.  As the skies cleared the sun shone as the pair passed the 100 partnership for no loss and there were high hopes that it would be the first time in many seasons that the seconds had seen off a total without loss. It was not to be as Baststone finally top edged a wide ball to finish up on an excellent 30 with the total on 127-1. 

Ian Jutson joined Shaw at the crease and did well in rotating the strike to allow Tim his first hundred of the season.  It was fitting that it was Shaw (105 not out from 100 balls) that took the winning runs with a trademark pull to the boundary.

This was a good win for the seconds and a lesson in patient batting from the returning Batstone.