WEEK four of the 2024 Cricket season saw mixed fortunes for Sandford Cricket Club, with the Firsts maintaining their unbeaten start to the season, the Seconds still looking for their first win, and the Thirds again maintaining their unbeaten start.

At Creedy Park the Firsts entertained bottom of the league Plympton, and with skipper Jackson Thompson yet again winning the toss he asked the visitors to bat first.

With Plympton opening bat Elliott Hamilton showing good form, the visitors made a steady start before they fell to 63 for four.

A stand of 78 between Hamilton (57) and  Craig Miles (59) gave them hope of a good score. However, when Hamilton fell with the score at 141, and Miles fell 31 runs later their innings subsided to 186 all out in 48 overs.

Skipper Thompson was the most successful Sandford bowler 3-33 (10) with fellow spinner Aryan Lakra 2-26 (7) and opening bowler Matt Jeacock 2-22 (8) weighing in with a couple of wickets each.

Despite the loss of an early wicket, youngster Adam Small 32 (five fours) then scored the bulk of the next 46 before he was out. Another youngster Lawrence Walker was then joined by Aryan Lakra, and together they shared a rapid partnership 99 runs for the third wicket. Walker was then bowled for 49 (seven fours and a six).

With rain clouds threatening to bring the game to an early end, Lakra took the Plympton bowling apart, racking up a rapid 94 not out from only 58 balls (14 fours and two sixes). A couple of dropped chances helped.

Victory was achieved at 187 for three in 27.5 overs, and another 20 point victory saw Sandford move 15 points clear at the top of the Premier Division just before the rains came, albeit that Duckworth Lewis would still have given Sandford victory had it been needed.

The Seconds return to the C Division has not gone as planned. Last Saturday they travelled to Paignton Seconds, and another tale of dropped catches cost them their potential first league victory of the season.

Having lost the toss and being asked to bat first, Sandford amassed a useful 180 in 40.5, with good contributions from skipper Shaun Hawkins (28), Ellie Bishop making her Second XI debut (24) and 15 year-old Ben Handley (45 not out).   Fourth and fifth wicket partnerships of 42 and 56 between Hawkins/Bishop and then Bishop/Handley respectively, formed the backbone of Sandford’s innings.

Paignton’s innings got off to a good start. First and third wicket stands of 43 and 57 set the home side up for a good chance of victory.

However, a mid-order collapse gave Sandford hope before a sixth wicket partnership of 53 knocked the stuffing out of any hope for a Sandford win. Victory at 184 for six in 40.1 overs saw the home side glide to victory.

Apparently another woeful fielding display didn’t help, and the old adage of “catches wins matches”, appears to be the issue for the Seconds so far this season. Sandford bowling not available at time of writing.

The Thirds continued their great start to the season in G Division East, despite fielding a very inexperienced side. They travelled to Seaton Seconds, who won the toss and decided to bat first. They were subsequently bowled out for 130 in only 36.2 overs.

That score was mainly due to 56 from skipper Burrough. Sandford’s bowling honours were taken by seamer Jack Prescott who returned the extraordinary figures of five for six from 6.2 overs to decimate the Seaton batting order. With Glyn Baker 2-31 (8) providing good support they gave their team a good chance of victory.

Sandford youngsters 15 year-old Rhys James (30) and 14 year-old Johnny Handley (48) – making his debut - took the game away from Seaton with an opening stand of 63.

This set up the run chase and with skipper for the day Jason Matten coming in lower in the order to smack a quickfire 29 not out, victory was achieved in the 32nd over with six wickets down, and another useful 20 points. This result leaves the Thirds second in their Division, two points behind leaders Devon Medics, who were promoted alongside the Thirds last season.

Last Wednesday the Seconds played a slightly reduced T20 match (18 overs each) against Bradninch and Kentisbeare (B and K) Seconds in the Richard Tidball Insurance Cup at Creedy Park. Batting first skipper Shaun Hawkins 37 (four fours and a six) gave Sandford a steady start. This was followed by with Tom Maidment 25 (three fours) and Tom Gidney 22 (one four and a six) giving the innings some impetus, before their 18 overs ran out, with Sandford’s score on 145.

B and K set about reaching their target with gusto, thanks mainly to some initial wayward Sandford bowling. Opener Sam Franks (55no) was in good form, along with Jonathan Triner (22) and Nick Bayly (25). Franks along with the other batters took the B and K score to 139  at the start of the last over, requiring only seven runs to win.

However, at this point Franks made his one and only mistake. He took three runs off the first ball. This left the other batter to face the remainder of skipper Hawkins’ last over.

The other batter was subsequently bowled two balls later, leaving four to win from three balls.

The next batter was bowled first ball, four from two required. The next ball went for a single, and then it was left to Franks to try and score three off the last ball.

Alas for B and K his partner was run out going for the second run, which would have left the scores level. So Sandford won by one run to see the Seconds achieve their first victory of the season, albeit not in the league unfortunately. Shaun Hawkins finished with 2-13 from three overs and Tom Maidment 2-9 (2).

This coming weekend the Firsts travel to Bovey Tracey for their next Premier Division game, 12.30pm start. The Seconds and Thirds are at home to Kingsbridge and Heathcoat Fourths respectively with 1pm starts.

Phil Matten