The third game of the DCL season saw the 2nd XI entertain Braunton 2nd XI at Station Ground.
Captain Jack Stirling won his first toss of the season, electing to bat. Thors made one enforced change from the win over Sidmouth; J.Farley, A.Daldorph, B.Coe, D.Baldock, P.Stirling+, B.Heard, J.Porter, G.Squire, J.Meredith, S.Tait, J.Stirling.
Farley and Daldorph opened the batting and fought well against a tight new ball pairing of Jones and Johnson, reaching 26-0 after the first ten overs. Farley hung around until just before drinks, bowled by Ed Holmes for a tidy 25.
Ben Coe joined Daldorph and the pair set about going after the change bowlers and the run rate increased, Daldorph bringing up his 50 off 52 balls, with some classy cuts and drives. Coe also found the boundary seven times before being caught by Hooke off Harrison for 37. By the time Coe departed, the score had reached 148-2 in the 34 over.
Thors’ middle order struggled to make an impact, with Baldock, P.Stirling and Porter all departing without scoring. Heard (14 from 12) and Squire (9 from 7) helped support the relentless Daldorph who brought up a deserved century off 95 balls and a place on the virtual honours board before falling LBW for 103 six balls later. Some aggressive running during cameos by Meredith and Tait took the total to 220-8 by the close of innings.
After many of the XI had gorged on slightly too much of a stupendous Louise Heard tea, Porter and Tait took the new ball. Tait in particular kept things tight and was rewarded in his second over, bowling opener Hunt in a bizarre fashion; the ball being hit into his pad and rolling back to hit the stumps. He struck again in his next over, finding the edge of James’ bat for a routine caught behind by Paul Stirling, leaving the visitors 19-2 after 5. Porter and Tait continued to the ten over mark, with the visitors 34-2.
The increasingly commonly sighted first change pairing of Coe and Heard took over, keeping the Braunton batters quiet, until Heard got a ball to bounce and grip to Wood, found the edge of the bat and the hands of Baldock at slip via a deflection from P.Stirling’s gloves. Heard struck twice again before the drinks break, with a bowled and another catch for Baldock at slip; the visitors 63-5 after twenty overs. Meredith replaced Bobby; Heard’s five overs returning an impressive 3-17.
Coe continued to plug away, whilst Meredith bowled a discombobulated Hookes through the gate, who had to be assured that he was in fact out. Coe finally picked up a deserved wicket with the penultimate ball of his spell with an LBW. He finished with figures of 9-2-24-1.
Meredith picked up the wicket of opener Ed Holmes in the 28th over. Holmes’ well made 44 was the solitary double figure score for the visitors.
Skipper Jack Stirling brought himself into the attack at 93-8 and five balls later, the visitors were all out on the same total, the final wicket thanks to an incredible catch by Stuart Tait at short cover; a second 20 point win in a row.
Thank you to Rich Lloyd for umpiring, Bob Rice for scoring and Louise Heard for an impeccable tea.
The twos travel down the A30 to face Honiton next Saturday.
Thorverton Cricket Club 