Bridestowe CC vs. Topsham St. James CC - 03/05/14

The much awaited DCL season opener saw us host league rivals Topsham St. James with both sides looking to get off to a winning start in the new season.

New captain Mark 'Big Mac' Butler won his first toss and predictably stuck Topsham in on a damp track. Both teams started solidly, if not spectacularly, with the Fog brothers sending down some economical early overs. The first chance came after Saints captain Penn drove Tom Fog (7-28-1) through mid-off for 4, and looked to repeat the shot next ball. This time he only managed a big top-edge but the tough chance was spilled by Boother at cover. It didn't cost much though as Dan Fog (6-15-1) got the breakthrough soon after, bowling the dangerous Penn for 9. The next man to go was Kassam who was quickly bowled by Tom Fog for 3. At 23-2 from the first 10 overs, BCC were firmly in the driving seat but opener Jewell began to find his range, hitting Tom Fog for two fours in consecutive overs through point. Our  first change bowler was last years skipper Lee Jutson (9-2-0), who started as he meant to go on with a maiden. At the other end, Barry Down (9-18-6) also started economically with his off-spin, getting some bite from the surface straight away. The pressure eventually told as Down turned one past a Jewell (29) off drive to knock back his stumps. The floodgates then began to open as Justson threw down maiden after maiden and Down picked up steady wickets at the other end. The next man to go was Baxter LBW, followed by Horne who was caught in the covers by Tom Fog, both to Down. The next of Down's victims was the big hitting Ross Trevelean, caught at mid-on by captain Butler followed by a superb diving catch at short-leg by James Ewen to remove Armstrong and complete Barry's fifer. He wasn't done yet though as he went on to take a sixth wicket by bowling Kirby with one which kept low. Neilo then came on and promptly cleaned up the tail; first he removed Harper to another catch at short leg by James, and then he finished the innings with an in-swinging yorker which bowled Callum Trevelean for a duck. The Saints innings was wrapped up for just 92 runs, with BCC producing a great all-round bowling and fielding performance. At the halfway stage, we certainly fancied the chase, but knew that it would not be easy on a slow pitch with some dangerous Saints bowlers.

Our new opening pair of Sam Ewen and Tom Fog got us off to a solid start, with both looking to give themselves a chance on a tough wicket. The ever-dangerous Ross Trevelean (9-16-0) managed to pass the outside edge on a few occasions, but other than that, the pair looked solid, taking the score past 20 without too many issues. Saints' second opening bowler Armstrong also bowled tightly, but was also unable to get the breakthrough. Sam took a liking to first change bowler Kirby, whom he pulled twice into neighbouring field for 6 in his first over. Trevelean continued to plug away but second change bowler Harper (5.2-27-2) was also lined up by Sam who smashed his first ball for another 6. Spinner Harper soon had his revenge though as he managed to turn one past Sam's defences to pick up his first wicket bowled. With 51 of the 93 target already under our belt, the game looked ours to lose, but the Saints didn't give up, and kept the pressure on in the field. The remainder of Trevelean's overs were safely negotiated by Tom and new bat James, which meant that skipper Penn (3-18-1)  brought himself on to bowl with his team desperately needing a wicket. Harper soon did just that, with Tom pulling a short ball straight to midwicket to depart for an important 12. That brought Barry to the crease, with just 33 more runs needed for victory. He and James both rode their luck somewhat but continued to play positively on a difficult pitch. Down then departed LBW to Penn for a quick fire 11, leaving James and Neilo needing 11 in 20-odd overs for an important win. The pair safely saw us home, with James smashing Penn for two boundaries before hitting Harper over his head for 4 to finish the game 20 not out. It was a great team performance, with the win never really in much doubt after a fine display with the ball. With the new rules meaning extra points for chases in under 40 overs, our 23 over chase earned us 21 points, with us loosing too many wickets to pick up the maximum 22.

With BCC making plenty of new signings over the winter, including the return of batting all-rounder Sam Ewen, we are confident of making a promotion push this year. Next week brings a trip to Kenn, and with some key players heading back to uni for a couple of weeks, it will be up to the older guard to maintain our 100% record!  The larger squad will be used to the full over the summer with many players having periods of non-availability.  We will also be making 13 man selections to make sure that we always have an umpire and scorer when Geoff is unavailable so expect your turn.