Following a unbeaten May which saw the 2nd XI rise to the top of the D Division East at the end of May, we welcomed Clyst Hydon to Station Ground as the Devon Cricket League moved into it’s second month.
Returning captain Jack Stirling won the toss under blue skies & unsurprisingly elected to bat. Thors lineup:- J.Farley, A.Daldorph, J.Porter, D.Baldock, P.Stirling+, C.Winzer, E.Vukusic, J.Stirling*, E.Heard, I.Daldorph.
Farley & Daldorph opened the innings, Farley finding some timing off the back foot & the boundary a couple of times; impressing considering he hadn’t picked up a bat since August.
Daldorph, following on from his unbeaten 147 last week was the first man to go, pulling a James Billington full toss straight to Newman who pulled off a blinder at square leg for 12. Porter failed to bother Bob in the scorebox as he nicked off to the following ball & Thors were 29-2.
In at 4 was Baldock who went on the counter attack, as Farley maintained a decent strike rate at the other end. Baldock found the boundary five time, including a couple bludgeoned down the ground with venom, before being bowled by Thornton whilst trying to continue his intent, for 23 from 19 balls.
A patient Paul Stirling, playing his first game of the season following a foot injury, joined Farley & tried to rebuild the innings from 69-3. The pair trundled through to drinks before Farley was bowled by Newman for 32 from 57. Winzer joined P.Stirling & soon departed, edging the left armer through to Sutton behind the stumps for 1 and the hosts were 97-5.
Meredith joining Stirling & patiently kept watch whilst Paul picked out the field at the river end of the ground for 6. Meredith the next man to go, caught behind for 9 to give Sutton his third dismissal. Erin Vukusic struggled to a 13 ball duck before being clean bowled by Reshi for 0. Jack Stirling joined brother Paul who was out soon after trying to accelerate the rate, caught at long on for 32.
Eliza Heard joined the skipper with Thors stumbling to 140-8. Stirling doggedly stuck around with the entertainment value of a slowly drying Dulux magnolia wall & Heard ably supported him before Heard went on the attack for the last few overs. The pair had put on 54 for the 9th wicket and took the hosts to a reasonable total of 194-8. Heard with an impressive run a ball 26, Stirling with a 48 ball 18 which thankfully didn’t bore off the handful of fortunately non-paying spectators.
After an always popular Kate Baldock tea, Thors set out to defend 194. The outswing of Imogen Daldorph & inswing of Erin Vukusic set out with the new ball. Clyst Hydon’s opening pair of captain Ian Sutton & Sinthuran Thevaraj quietly went about their business but consistently finding the boundary to take the opening partnership to 50 just after Eliza Heard & Jack Stirling had replaced the new ball pair.
Eliza Heard was the first of the three pronged female seam attack to strike, the dangerous Sutton caught by Winzer at point for 26.
Trude joined Theravaj & the pair continued to add runs at an attritional rate. Theravaj was next to go at around the halfway mark, caught after failing to clear Andy Daldorph mid on for 46 off Stirling. Trude followed soon after, caught by Eliza Heard at cover off a returning Vukusic for 23 & Thors had a very slight sniff of being back in the game with Clyst Hydon at 117-3.
Stirling finished his 9 overs with 1-33 & was replaced by Meredith at the River End whilst the three seamers were rotated from the pavilion end. Daldorph picked up a deserved wicket with Billington finally caught by Meredith at square leg after some circus-like juggling. Daldorph finished her allocation with 1-37.
Meredith attracted some attacking shots from Reshi who found the cover boundary a couple of times & rotated the strike well. Winzer replaced him and picked up his maiden Thorverton wicket with a dubious full toss, caught well down low by Heard at square leg.
Heard (1-39) returned for a third spell to complete her 9 overs, before the winning runs were hit to consign Thors to a first defeat of the season, by 5 wickets.
Thors skipper Jack Stirling “We just weren’t at the races; I felt we could’ve applied ourselves with the bat slightly better but to be second in the table after five games is fantastic”
Next up for the 2nd XI is a trip to take on Barnstaple & Pilton on Saturday.
Thorverton Cricket Club 