Devon C West

Chagford v Bridestowe

BRIDESTOWE lost a thrilling game at Chagford by just one run. Chagford won the toss and batted first on a wet pitch.

The visitors started well with the ball as Tom Fogerty had Fulner caught at first slip by James Ewen and Dan Fogerty captured the other opener, caught behind in the next over. Divan Marais and Will Lammonby rebuilt the innings, with Marais clubbing a series of shots to the off side boundary. The score moved along to almost 100 before Marais holed out to Tom Fogerty from the bowling of Alex Jopling for a quick fire 58. Del Lammonby pushed the ball around well and struck a few boundaries off Jopling’s last over to put Chagford in a good position.

Tom Fogerty (4-21) made the breakthrough as he bowled Will Lammonby for 45 and had Del safely caught for 31. With a few key bowlers away, Mark Butler stepped up and bowled a tidy spell of left-arm seam and also picked up a wicket. Ryan Dennis also claimed two wickets near the end of the innings, both through catches taken by Griffiths at short third man. The Chagford tail end managed a few lusty blows and the score finished on 205-9, which seemed around par.

The Bridestowe chase started well through Tom and Mark Fogerty, with Tom smashing anything short to the boundary and Mark working the ball into the gaps. The score raced past 50 and it took a stunning catch by Will Lammonby to remove the in form Tom Fogerty (39) from the bowling of Rowlands.

Mark and James Ewen then played defensively to the accurate Rowlands, and looked to pick up runs at the other end. After surviving a simple chance at cover, Mark was bowled off his pads for 31 by Gardener to break the partnership. Two more wickets fell as Griffiths was trapped leg before wicket and Jopling was caught at slip, both off Gardener (3-44). Ryan Dennis was then given out stumped off Rowlands to put Chagford ahead of the game.

Pat Ewen managed to find the boundary before he was bowled by McKenna-Smith and James was quickly running out of partners. Dan Fogerty, though, was able to stick around and Bridestowe looked to be getting themselves back into contention as the score past 150.

After an expensive first spell, Del Lammonby returned and took the wicket of Ewen for 37. Mark Butler was straight on the attack, and he and Dan looked to be cruising until he set off for a quick single and was stranded, with both batsmen ending up at one end.

Smerdon played and missed at a few balls but then guided a couple of shots through third man, bringing the required rate below a run a ball. When Butler hit two boundaries in the penultimate over, it seemed as though Bridestowe would claim the win, with six needed from the last over and two wickets in hand. Lammonby bowled Smerdon with the first ball, leaving six needed from five.

Matt Dennis strode out and smashed his first ball to the square leg boundary for four. A dot from the next ball meant that two were needed from the last three balls. Lammonby finished things off as Matt again tried to find the fence but missed and was bowled to give Chagford the win by just one run.