The 1st XI welcomed Torquay to Station Ground on a hot day for the first match of the 2nd half of the season.
Thors made 3 changes to the team that beat Seaton last week: Greed, Chilcott, Coe, Van der Meulen, Fielder, Baldock, Daldorph, Hooper, Slaviero, Jopling, Choules.
Choules won the toss as was becoming strangely typical and elected to bat and what looked to be a flat one at Station Ground.
However, as spectators, sponsors and Vice Presidents filtered in, it was a nightmare start for the hosts. The in-form Chilcott was given out lbw for 0 in the 2nd over before Greed played on in the 3rd over for 1. Thors reeling at 1-2.
The rebuilding job started with Ben Coe and Jason van Der Meulen who showed incredible resilience and determination to get us back on track. By the time Coe was run out on 32, the pressure had somewhat lifted with the score on 87-3 with plenty of overs to play with.
Jason batted positively but selectively, passing 50 with a well struck boundary. Fielder came and went before Baldock added 20, caught with the score on 151-5.
Jason was still there though and with Daldroph at the crease with him, Jason nailed an extra cover drive for 4 to bring up his well deserved century. Helmet aloft and a tap of the badge, a real moment to savour and all in front if his player sponsor – 2020 property.
Unfortunately he fell almost instantly after with the score on 180 and it was down to the lower order to amass as many runs as possible in the last 10.
Daldroph and Hooper reached double figures and Slaviero’s 7 not out contributed to getting us to 209-9.
The talk whilst eating a top drawer Chilcott tea alongside sponsors and VPs was that perhaps we were just under par but a great effort considering the first 3 overs.
Western and Allen started the chase for the visitors and found the boundary all too frequently for Thorverton’s liking. At the first drinks break (17 overs) Torquay were 81 without loss.
Van der Meulen had begun to tighten things for the hosts bowling an economic 6 over spell for just 20 runs. Hooper and the skipper were then introduced and continued to keep things tight but wickets were hard to come by. It wasn’t until Choules’ 9th over and the 34th of the innings that Allen was removed for a well made 74. Hooper picked up a well deserved wicket the following over and the score was 147-2 with 15 to go. The visitors still very much the favourites but Thors had a sniff.
Daldorph was introduced from the river end and once Hooper finished his spell (1-34) Slaverio was tasked with finishing off from the pavilion end.
Daldorph struck getting Western caught behind then bowling Colgate in the same over. 174-4 with 8 to go and suddenly the game was in the balance.
In George’s next over he dismissed Stanley lbw, 177-5. Shorty after, Thors felt they had dangerman Joshi, caught behind. A huge appeal went up after a noise but both batter and umpire were unmoved.
Joshi and Baxendale steadily accumulated with singles as the visitors took the calculation to 22 required from the last 4 overs. Baxandale edged Slaverio for 4 and with a few more singles Torquay needed 13 from 3.
Daldorph got Baxandale lbw in the last ball of his allowable 10 overs finishing with 4 wickets. However the hosts only needed 10 from the last 2. Reminiscent of the first game of the season, Joshi didn’t want to leave it much longer and struck a sublime 6 over point followed by a 4 to finish it off.
Thors were left wondering about many ifs and buts but overall put in a good performance and lost another tight game against an opposition with premier division aspirations.
The skipper concluded:
“To go so close is always gutting. We have been on the wrong side of too many close games this season and need to change a couple of them into wins. However we can be proud of the fight shown from 1-2 in the first innings and 140-0 in the 2nd. We can also take the positives from a brilliant hundred for Jason and 4fa from George”
Next week is a trip to 4th place Budleigh Salterton.
Thorverton Cricket Club 