WITH two rounds of the Sandford Cricket Club Community League now complete there are two teams emerging as possible Finalist contenders - Sandford Football Club and the Three Little Pigs. Both teams are unbeaten from their opening two matches.
The Football Club defeated Crediton Milling with two unusual sets of circumstances arising in the game.
The first was that the Mill men were bowled out in only 16.4 overs for 115, with only Louis Gulley having to retire on 26.
However, their innings had been decimated in only the third over of the match when the Football Club’s Glyn Baker took a hat-trick – all bowled to leave the Mill men grovelling from 22-0 to 22-3.
It was the first time a hat-trick has been achieved since the competition was started some 11 years ago.
In reply, the Football Club strode to victory in 16.1 overs, with “Tipper” Lyon smashing 26 at the top of the order, and Nugget Smith heaving a boisterous 28 after the middle order had disappeared. The 33 extras didn’t help the Mill.
The game between Crediton Rugby Club and the Sandford Cricket Club Development XI was called off when rain started falling a couple of hours before the game, and didn’t stop. Disappointing for both teams.
The last game in this round saw the Pigs annihilate Graphic. Asked to bat first Pigs smashed their way to 175 in their 20 overs with five retirements – Will House 29 no, Bailey Carbines 25, Ben Wonnacott 26, Alex Stevens 25 and Matt Arnold 26.
Graphic didn’t find batting any easier, and apart from Lewis Copp at the top of the order with 27, no-one else reached 20, let alone retire.
Alex Stevens snaffled three wickets as Pigs won by 46 runs to go top of the league on Run average.
So after two rounds, Pigs are top on four points, Football Club also have four, followed by Crediton Milling two, Rugby Club and SCC Development one each and Graphic bringing up the tail, yet to score a point.
Two games next week, on Tuesday, Graphic v Development XI and Wednesday, Football Club v Rugby Club, respectively, 6.15pm starts.
Phil Matten