Spin is king for Barton in bounceback win at Plympton | Cowley 80 not out in winning total

Plympton

BARTON got back on track after their pasting by Bradnich with a five-wicket win in a rain-affected game at Plympton.

Teenage opener Elliot Hamilton top scored with 96 for Plympton in a sizeable total of 257 for nine.

Hamilton was the third man out for Plympton with the score on 219. To get there involved stands of 146 with Harry Kandampully – he made 68 in even time – and 66 with Jack Horton (30). Jonty Walliker chipped in with 20 in the terminal overs.

Stuart Bowker spun out three Plympton batters for 58 runs scored, but played second fiddle to off-break bowler Justin Saker, who bagged four for 13 in the latter stages of the innings.

Rain stopped play with 18 overs to go when Barton were 186 for five. As they were ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par score at the time, and no further play was possible, that was sufficient to win the game.

Shaun Needham (27) and Saker (20) got Barton off to a 49-run start then Cowley (80no) took them the rest of the way. In a stand of 66 for the fifth wicket, Adrian Lipton kept an end going for 13.

Adam Parker, the Barton captain, said it was not ‘the best way to finish a game’ but under the circumstances he wasn’t complaining.

“Naturally we are very happy with the result – especially after the first 35 overs, where we let Plympton do exactly as they wanted,” said Parker.

“We fought back brilliantly and kept them to a total that wasn't out of sight.

"Darren batted brilliantly to keep us ahead of the required score and I think we were in the driving seat if it had gone the distance,”

Alex Carr, the Plympton skipper, had no quibbles about the result.

“We knew we needed to be at our best to beat Barton and unfortunately we just didn't turn up,” said Carr. “These things happen though.

“We Started off very well with the bat but should certainly have got 20-30 more. 

“We bowled very poor lengths all day which never allowed us to get any control of the game. 

“Shame about the rain as we felt we could have gone on to win it if we managed to get Darren Cowley out.”