After a soggy winter, Station Ground was bathed in sunshine for the opening Devon Cricket League weekend as the 2nd XI hosted Upottery at Station Ground. With just ten points separating the teams in last seasons table, a tight affair was anticipated.
Newly appointed skipper Ben Coe lost the toss & the hosts were put into bat. Thors lined up:- A.Daldorph, B.Coe*, N.Taverner, D.Baldock, P.Stirling+, G.Squire, P.Thomas, J.Stirling, S.Tait, O.Coe, E.Coe.
The skipper opened the batting with 2s stalwart Andy Daldorph and Thors made a steady but slow start thanks to a slow pitch, even slower outfield and some controlled Upottery out swing from both ends, taking the score to 21-0 at the end of the powerplay.
With boundaries hard to come by, the attritional start continued with the opening pair reaching 55-0 at drinks.
Daldorph was the first to fall for 33 from 80 balls, feathering James Mitcham off a near yorker-length ball through to the keeper off the toe. Coe followed the next over, caught by Rob Tasker off Matt Frost; 30 from 77 balls and Thors were 69-2.
In at three was Taverner who gave a near chance early on hitting Frost just over Jack Larcombe at mid off, but couldn’t clear him a second time; 74-3 with 15 left.
Baldock and Paul Stirling looked to up the scoring rate, the latter finding the boundary twice before giving catching practice to Tasker at slip to give Frost a third. Squire didn’t last long (1 from 4) either as Mitcham picked up a second; 98-5 with 8 to go.
Baldock went on the charge and started to put some pressure back on the bowlers for the first time in the innings. Running well with debutant Paul Thomas and taking the aerial route to remove any issues with the pace of the outfield, Thors pushed past a third batting point in the 41st over.
Baldock did manage to clear the ropes before holing out to Ben Kidson at long on for a crucial 46 off 48. Jack Stirling & Paul Thomas (12*) negotiated the last 9 balls and Thors finished on 148-6.
It only took Stuart Tait four balls of the second innings to make the breakthrough, Larcombe bowled top of off-stump by a snorter of a leg cutter. Olly Coe partnered Tait from the River End with some lively away movement. Tait had a second in the seventh over, Broom coughing up a drive to Jack Stirling at mid off who gladly caught it after an initial fumble. Upottery 26-2 after seven and the game looking very much in the balance.
Coe made a first bowling change after 12 overs with the score at 54-2, introducing himself and Jack Stirling whilst Mitcham and Kidson set about building a partnership, finding the boundary with more ease than the hosts had done. 99-2 after 21.
Paul Thomas had a two over trundle to no avail whilst Kidson went past 50. Evie Coe replaced Stirling and bowled a tight first over of flighted leggies.
Andy Daldorph was introduced to try and break the partnership at 117-2 after 25 overs; but the game was over just 15 balls later, with ten coming off his first over, 12 off Coe’s next and Mitcham sealing it with a couple of boundaries with 17 and a half overs to spare. Credit must go to Ben Kidson (61 from 81) and James Mitcham (54 from 56) for seeing Upottery home with ease.
Thanks to Paul Jordan & Keith Cudby and James Meredith for scoring. Next up for the 2s is the long trip to Barnstaple & Pilton on Saturday.
Thorverton Cricket Club 