PREMIER EAST
By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE
SIDMOUTH skipper Zak Bess heaped praise on his youthful bowling attack after the young guns shot down Budleigh Salterton by 64 runs.
County captain Alex Barrow’s run of form continued with 72 going in first and Luke Bess hit 12 fours on his way to 89 in Sidmouth’s all-out total of 225.
Bess and Barrow put on 143 for the second Sidmouth wicket, taking the score to 166 before Sean Butler split them up.
Budleigh’s everlasting seamer Joel Murphy topped the bowling stats with four wickets for 25 runs and there were two each for Butler, Jack England and Ed Doble.
Sidmouth’s total looked ample when Budleigh were 61 for five in reply in the 16thover, but it wasn’t over yet.
Max Mejzner (28) and Tom Oxland (41) put on 65 and skipper Bess was glad to see the back of Oxland three balls into the second spell from Byron Knowles.
Mejzner and captain Lloyd Murrin (21) detained Sidmouth longer than anticipated in the field but once Mejzner went it was downhill all the way to 161 all out.
Knowles took three wickets in his second spell to finish with five for 36. Tom Simmons had a couple more.
Skipper Bess said while Knowles hogged the limelight with a maiden five-wicket haul in the 1stXI, all the young bowlers did themselves proud.
“Byron took the wickets and is definitely one to watch out for in future,” said Bess.
“Tom Simmons (2-32) bowled really well as did Dylan Hurst and Jordan Fowler.
“Our young players will get chances this summer because of the Covid situation and it is good to see them taking advantage.”
SEATON skipper Ben Morgan took plenty of positives from his side’s defeat at Exmouth.
Morgan said: “We had a couple of 16-year-olds making 1st XI debuts and both Tim Doulton and Jack Dormer did well and will have gained a lot from an afternoon at the Maer ground.
“Although Exmouth got 25 or 30 runs more than I felt they should have done, a 257-run chase on a big ground really was not ‘out of the question’.
He continued: “To be fair, at 96 for one 15 overs in, we were very much ‘in the game’
“Josh Cann batted so well, he carried the attack to the home side and, had he not succumbed to a top-edge he may well have got us a lot closer than we eventually got to their total.”
In what were very hot conditions, Morgan rotated his bowlers.
He said: “Given the heat, it seemed to work giving the lads three or four overs in a spell and that certainly didn’t allow the batsmen to settle.
“Joel [Seward] bowled superbly in the middle overs and, overall, I think we can hold our heads up high given that we have gone to another Premier Division club and not been overawed by the occasion.
“This season is all about gaining what will be invaluable experience for us to feed off next year when we play what I hope will be a full campaign in the A Division.”
Opener James Horler top scored for Exmouth with 82 and with support from Rory Thomas (25) and Tim Piper (57) got the score up to 196 for three.
After Horler fell to Joe Berry (3-57), Exmouth had a mini-stumble to 203 for five before Fin Marks (25no) and George Greenway (30no) upped the tempo again.
Cann’s 71 off 53 balls – 60 of it in boundaries – and Seward’s 43 got Seaton up and running.
The chase slowed as wickets fell to Ryan Schaufler (3-36) and Sam Goodier (3-39) and Doulton’s 36 at the end came too late to affect the outcome. Doulton was the last man standing in Seaton’s total of 209 all out.
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