UPOTTERY batsman James Mitcham created a little piece of Tolchards DCL history in his side’s 174-run win at Clyst Hydon.
Mitcham crashed Hydon’s bowling around for 124 from 86 balls faced – 11 sixes, eight fours – towards a total of 351 for five. It was Mitcham’s fourth ton in as many matches, which is thought to be a league record.
Matt Matravers (51), Ben Kidson (37no) and Ryan Pulman (44no) all chipped in towards the total.
James Billington (3-65) was the bowler who got Mitcham out, something which had not happened in any of his previous trips to the crease this season. His league average is a staggering 548.00!
Four centuries in a season is not that rare – Mark Lathwell (Braunton and England) and Chris Rogers (North Devon and Australia) have done it in the Devon League – but four in a row definitely is.
League records are notoriously patchy in places, but available statistical evidence indicates only Andy Pugh (Brixham, 1990) and Mark O’Brien (Sandford, 1996) have documented instances of making three successive centuries. There could be more…
No records exist for making four tons one after the other.
The confirmable record for the most centuries in a season is seven each for Pugh (Brixham, 1994) and Faizan Riaz (Plymouth, 2021).
Hydon were all out for 177 in reply. Chris Holmes made 47 off 33 balls, Jeff Sanders was lbw for 40 and Keith Herselman made 35.
All six Upottery bowlers who had a trundle took a wicket. Shane Kennard (3-35) was the only one to improve on that.
SHOBROOKE Park maintained a tight grip on pole position in the D Division East with a seven-wicket win over Ottery St Mary 2nd XI.
Victory kept Shobrooke 13 points clear of second-placed Upottery at the top with Bradninch & Kentisbeare a further 11 points back in third place.
Ottery struggled to 121 all out in the 36th of their 45 overs. Skipper and captain Matt Brewster made 19 opening up, Dave Weeks made 42 batting at second wicket down and Simon Harris had 10 in a modest-looking set of scores.
The last four wickets fell for just nine runs added as Jonty Brett (4-27) finished off what Howell Brandwood (2-16) and Chris Ford (2-29) had begun.
Shobrooke opener Joe Baker (48) was dismissed with the scores level. Joe Harris (28no) was at the other end when Phil Anning hit Brett Venables for four to win the game in the 20th over.
WHIMPLE handed out a 109-run hammering to out-of-sorts Barnstaple & Pilton in the D Division East.
Fraser Campbell, Whimple’s overseas import from New Zealand, whacked the B&P bowling around on the way to making 142 in a total of 254 for four.
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Campbell hit 10 fours and seven sixes during a 102-ball stay that included a stand of 223 for the fourth wicket with David Culshaw (61).Joe Hastie (2-15 off 9) was easily B&P’s most effective bowler.
Andrew Codling then took all the B&P wickets to fall in a running total of 36 for five. Forty-two for seven after a double strike from Harry Anderton was even worse.
James Roe (39) and Tom Poole (66) at least made the final scoreline respectable. Between them they got it to 145 all out.
Barum were third from top three rounds ago, but have found points hard to come by since beating Bradninch & Kentisbeare 2nd XI by four wickets.
NORTH Devon 2nd XI defeated winless Topsham St James by two wickets, but only after a struggle.
It seemed North Devon had done the hard bit by dismissing Topsham for 152. Dan Croxall (49), Jacob Taylor (34) and Declan Wardell (24) were the primary run scorers, which does not leave a lot from the rest.
Wicket taking was shared around with two each for Archie Popham (2-22) and Anosh Antony (2-12), followed by three at the end for Oscar Meech (3-23).
North Devon started promisingly enough with runs from Will Popham (30) and Regina Lilii (22) helping them to 98 for four.
Losing three wickets on 121 – two to Nibu Thomas (3-26), one to Wardell (3-27) – slowed things down. Archie Popham (24) virtually won it from there. By the time he got out the target was three to win.
BRADNINCH& Kentisbeare 2nd XI cruised to a seven-wicket win over Thorverton.
Thorverton got to 140 for three relatively easily – Andrew Daldorph (47) and Paul Stirling (25) were helped getting there by 38 extras – then it all went wrong.
Opening bowler Tom Kittow (4-28) returned for a second spell and took four wickets in a hurry as Thorverton collapsed to 151 all out. Chris Acton (2-17) and Eliza Heard (2-21) had two wickets each.
Wickets fell as one, 26 and 97 during the 23.2 overs B&K needed to polish off the target.
Scott Chappell and Eliot Acton (53) got the chase up to 97 for three. Chappell carried on to reach 53 not out as the chase reached its inevitable conclusion.
