Goldsby-West (pictured) and Stein steer Plymouth to unlikely win over Bovey Tracey

Run-maker – Plymouth captain Richard Goldsby-West

By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

SKIPPER Richard Goldsby-West and Sam Stein were Plymouth’s men of the moment in an unlikely three-wicket win over Bovey Tracey at Mount Wise.

Bovey’s total of 258 for seven in 50 overs looked more than enough when Plymouth were becalmed on 110 for seven in reply – Seb Ansley (3-42) and Will Christophers (4-27) doing the damage.

Goldsby-West was already in – he had taken guard at 75 for five – and Stein was on the way out to join him after the demise of Joe Hagan-Burt for 23. Only Teddy Haffenden (35) of those who had been and gone already made more.

Goldsby-West and Stein then embarked on an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 151 that won the game for Plymouth with seven balls to go.

Goldsby-West was 85 not out when he hit Ashley Causey for two successive fours to win it. Stein was unbeaten on a Premier best of 64 at the other end.

Goldsby-West may have had a lot to do with winning the game, but was keen to share the credit around after the match.

“Batting we were always in the game in terms of runs and rate and Teddy Haffenden went well again up top,” said the Plymouth captain. 

“Wickets lost made it look like we were down and out, but Sam, JHB (Hagan-Burt) and myself were able to dig-in well to keep the target alive and it just seemed to click for us.”

Munir Kakar, their Afghan professional, top scored for Bovey with 72 and next best in a running total of 171 for five was Jake Pascoe (40).

Bovey slowed from 171 for four to 188 for seven as Stein (2-22) nipped out a couple of batters, but the visitors still had Seb Ansley to come.

Ansley walloped the Plymouth bowling for six sixes and two fours on the way to 58 not out off 25 balls in a stand of 7 with Toby Codd.

Ansley and Codd added 66 in the last five overs as Adam Talbott, Ben Stein, Peter Lojszczyk and Hagan-Burt all received some rough treatment.

Said Goldsby-West: “Although we bowled well in patches, I thought we gave them a few too many at the end.

“Ansley whopped it out the park with some seriously big hits.”

The Bovey lads are a good bunch and we all had a couple of beers after… proper ‘village cricket' 

Lewis Hammett, the Bovey captain, acknowledged how well Goldsby-West and Stein batted before praising his own players.

“Fair play to Plymouth, Westers and Stein,” said Hammett. “They hit the ball cleanly near the end on a fairly flat pitch.

“A couple of decisions didn't go our way and a couple of dropped catches cost us in the end.

“Jake Pascoe looked good at the top of the order for us, Munir scored runs again and Seb Ansley was at his destructive best with the bat.

“Seb also has a knack of picking up wickets and Will Christophers continues to perform with the ball.”

Losing at Mount Wise dropped Bovey into the bottom two, not that Hammett is too worried.

“It is an open division this season, but we  need to get a few results on the bounce,” said Hammett.