The 1st XI took on relegation candidates Abbotskerswell in their final home game of the season on Saturday. With skipper Choules & Ben Slaviero absent for the vice-captain’s wedding in Australia, former skipper Andy Pitt took the helm for the first time since 2019.
The showers had so far missed Station Ground. Pitt won the toss & elected to bat. Thors line up:- L.Vukusic, A.Pitt*, S.Jefferson, J.Geraghty, H.Choules+, A.Chilcott, H.Squire, B.Heard, G.Daldorph, A.Jopling, J.Stirling.
Vukusic & Pitt got proceedings off to a steady start for Thors, the score reaching 40 after ten overs when Pitt was trapped infront by Tobias for 22. 40-0 was soon 48-3 as Watkin wrapped the pads of Jefferson for 1 & comprehensively bowled Geraghty for 2.
With the score on 49-3 after 13 overs, the heavens not only opened but poured. Play was delayed, tea taken & the affair was reduced to 37 overs per side.
Unfortunately as play resumed, so did the host’s collapse. The visitor’s skipper Watkin removed Vukusic LBW for 22 before Choules was adjudged caught behind for 5.Then Watkins knocked back Squire’s off-peg without scoring. Thors had lost 6 wickets for 17 runs and suddenly found themselves 57-6.
That soon became 70-7 as Chilcott was given out caught behind for 5 to give the Abbots skipper his 5fa.
Daldorph & Heard offered some resistance for Thors, taking the score past a second batting point before Heard was caught & bowled by Carpenter for 24. Jopling suffered the same fate for 1 & Thors were 110-9.
Stirlings hung around with Daldorph until the close of the innings with the hosts posting 125-9.
DLS revised the total to leave Abbotskerswell needing 124 to win from their 37 overs.
After a quick turnaround, Abbots got off to an even quicker start. Overseas Jack Neylon dispatched the skipper’s first two balls over the rope. Another maximum follow in Daldorph’s second over before he made the breakthrough, bowling Hill for 4. Neylon had added 34 from just 14 balls before hacking Heard to Daldorph at backward point. Skipper Watkin was castled by Daldorph & somehow Abbots were 49-3 after just five overs.
Daldorph continued to beat the outside edge, finishing his 8 over allocation with 2-26.
Stirling & Jopling offered some control and stemmed the scoring, the former striking in his first over to remove E.Smout-Cooper caught by the skipper for 13.
Carpenter was next to go, bowled by Stirling & the game was back in the balance at 74-5. Stirling finished his 8 with 2-18 & Heard was reintroduced. This paid dividends immediately as Tyler was caught by a diving back Chilcott at mid-off. 91-6.
Niall McCarthy continued to hang around whilst Charlie Smout-Cooper batted with intent, hitting a couple of boundaries before being bowled by Heard (3-31). 107-7 with 17 needed.
The equation soon became 13 needed with two wickets remaining as Geraghty bowled Tobias for 2.
Hard joined McCarthy with the DLS target score within touching distance of the total & the pressure on. He hung around for 13 balls, letting McCarthy do the scoring, the latter hitting the winning runs with a 4 down the ground off Geraghty with 8 balls to spare and to all but guarantee Abbotskerswell A Division cricket for 2024.
The 1s remain 4th in the A Division, now unable to catch Kilmington in 2nd & Torquay in 3rd. Last up is a trip to the County Ground on Saturday as the 1s will attempt secure 4th at already-crowned champions Exeter.
Thorverton Cricket Club 