Buoyant after last week’s win which sent Thors top of the D Division East, the 2nd XI arrived at Upottery to start the second half of the season.
With wet weather around, the toss was delayed & the match reduced to a 42 over affair. Stirling lost the toss & Upottery elected to bat. The visitors line-up:- J.Farley, A.Daldorph, D.Baldock, S.Jefferson, B.Coe, P.Stirling+, H.Squire, B.Heard, J.Broom, J.Stirling*, E.Vukusic.
Broom & Vukusic took the new ball for the visitors & despite a couple of free-scoring overs by Upottery openers Broom & Pulman, managed to keep it reasonable tight until the heavens opened after 7.1 overs with the score on 26-0 & the players left to seek solace in the dressing rooms.
A lengthy rainbreak ensued & the match was reduced to 33 overs per side. The players retook to the field which had withstood a great deal of rain, not before headshots were taken by DCL celebrity Conrad Sutcliffe.
Pulman & Broom resumed & came out swinging. Jacob Broom, bemused by the chorus of “keeping going Broomy” whilst bowling to his namesake, finished his 7 overs with 0-33 after several plays & misses. Stirling immediately introduced himself from the other end after the completion of Vukusic’s 4th over.
Heard replaced Broom & was the first to strike, removing Broom on his third life after a couple of drops, caught & bowled for 42 & the hosts hurried to 90-1.
Pulman was the next man to go, bowled by Stirling for 47. There was a switch of ends for Heard after Stirling had bowled his 7 for 1-40, with Henry Squire introduced from the pavilion end.
A second deserved wicket for Heard came courtesy of an Andy Daldorph catch after an uncharacteristic drop with Mitcham back in the hutch for 20.
Squire bowled good areas but consistently good running from Upottery saw the score rising to 172 before the 4th wicket fell, Squire knocking back Adam Pulman’s off stump. Erin Vukusic returned and removed Kidson for 39, before P.Stirling stumped the third Pulman, Andrew, to fall with the last ball of the innings from Heard (3-46). Upottery had raced to 185-6 from their 33 overs.
Farley & Daldorph opened the reply for the visitors, with the former the first to go for 2, LBW to Kidson with the score on 7.
D I F Baldock, promoted up the order after a rendezvous with his former South Devon colleague & the DCL correspondent, was next in. On a pitch which was quickly looking harder to bat on than the first innings, accompanied by some tight bowling from the hosts, Baldock soon fell for 4 after skying on back to bowler R.Pulman with the score on 18.
With the score on 33, Daldorph fell to the same dismissal, although a better grab by Pulman on this occasion after the Thorverton opener had smashed the ball back at him with real venom.
Sam Jefferson & Ben Coe patiently set about the rebuild from 33-3 & the game meandered along with Thors falling behind the rate despite the best efforts of the 4th wicket pair’s attritional scoring.
Coe was highly unfortunate to depart for 22 after a ricochet from bowler Frost’s hand found it’s way into the non-striker’s stumps following a straight drive from Jefferson. 91-4.
Jefferson, knowing the the rate was climbing soon followed Coe, caught by Broom in the gully off of Andrew Pulman for a well-made 40.
With overs running out, P.Stirling & Heard came & went for 4 & 1 respectively, whilst Henry Squire looked more at ease striking at over a run a ball for his 25 before Kaal struck to leave the visitors hopes in tatters at 138-8.
Broom wafted his way to 9 before being caught to leave Thors on the brink at 139-9 with two and a bit overs left. Stirling struck a couple of fours before he was last batter out for 10 & the hosts were winners by 34 runs.
Thanks to Rich for umpiring & Bob for scoring.
The congestion continues in the top half of the division as the 2s slide down to 4th. Next up is a home game against Budleigh Salterton, with Thors aiming to complete the game with more players than they did at the tied return fixture in May.
Thorverton Cricket Club 