Following a winless run of fixtures so far in June leaving them in the relegation places, 2nd XI took on 7th placed Ottery St Mary 2nd XI at Station Ground in the penultimate game of the first half of the season.
Ben Coe continued his lengthy inclusion in the travelling 1st XI contingent, so Dave Baldock again took the reins. The side:- A.Daldorph, J.Meredith, P.Thomas, D.Baldock*, P.Stirling, P.Taverner+, S.Fice, C.Winzer, A.Davies, I.Daldorph, J.Stirling. In front of a sizeable crowd at Station Ground, mainly thanks to Sam Fice’s first appearance since 1998, Baldock won the toss and elected to bat.
Daldorph & 3rd XI captain Meredith opened the innings for the hosts with a solid start; three trademark Daldorph boundaries helping with the score being pushed to 18-0 after the first four overs. The openers pushed the score to 60 before Meredith was castled for 13 by Mitchell.
Paul Thomas, back from injury and various international escapades with work joined Daldorph and immediately found a liking for the boundary which helped Thors to 87-1 at the 15 over drinks break.
Thors then pushed past three figures & Andy Daldorph brought up his first half century of the season before he was caught by Foster off Prismall for 50 from 51. Thomas quickly followed him despite his exciting cameo of 34 from 29 of which all but four came in boundaries.
Paul Stirling & skipper Baldock put a quick end to the risk of a collapse, quickly adding 19 from a Prismall over, including a no ball which went some distance into the wheat field. The runs continued to flow until Stirling was bowled by a Zac Johns delivery that kept low. Baldock followed in the next over, wafting at a wide one from Harrison which Rob Johns gladly took behind the stumps. 176-5 from 28 overs.
The sizeable support for Sam Fice was rewarded as he creamed his second ball through the covers for four. He and Phil Taverner patiently kept things ticking over until the 37th over when Fice was bowled by Zac Johns for 15. Taverner went in the same over for 2 from 33. Davies was also adjudged LBW for 1. 203-8.
Winzer’s 5 runs were loudly celebrating by the growing crowd including a sizeable contingent of his in-laws before he was bowled for 5. The final pairing of I.Daldorph and J.Stirling put on 11 before Stirling was trapped in front for 4, leaving Thors 220 all out.
Tea was enjoyed with the growing crowd who now included to be a who’s who of Thorverton years gone by. With the 3rd XI returning during the team break and 1st XI back from their warp-speed win at Bridestowe, the 2s took to the field in front of their largest crowd of the season.
Imogen Daldorph & James Meredith’s off spin took the new ball, but the visitor’s openers threw caution to the wind, taking 23 from the first two overs. Captain Brewster was the first to go for 10 from a seven ball stay, smartly stumped by P.Stirling off Meredith. He struck again in the eighth over, the long arms of Rob Johns caught behind on the cut. 43-2 and the game was moving at breakneck speed.
Opener Steve Forbes and the incoming Dave Weeks patiently went about the rebuild to see off the remainder of Meredith’s spell (2-51 from 9), but punished first change bowler Chris Winzer with a few boundaries. Davies was introduced but punished by Weeks taking 14 from his first over.
Jack Stirling was introduced and started loosely but managed to regain some control from one end, whilst Davies finally broke the partnership in the 26 over, Forbes adjudged LBW for 54 and Otters 154-3.
Fice was introduced for a trundle from the other end and a change of ends for Stirling paid dividends immediately, removing Southall-Brown LBW for 2. Otters 181-4 at the second drinks break.
Imogen Daldorph was reintroduced for a second spell from the pavilion end whilst Stirling struck again, Harrison chipping it around the corner to Taverner at square leg. In his next over, Stirling had a third with Weeks finally departing for a match changing 82 from 75, caught by a diving skipper at mid-wicket. 199-6 and a glimmer of hope for Thors.
A wild thirty-fifth over really got the still large crowd excited, Mitchell chipping the ball into the mid-wicket region, only to drop safe to the annoyance of a frustrated Baldock, who picked up the ball on the turn and threw down middle stump at the keepers end to run out Zac Johns for 3. Daldorph (1-40) then bowled Primsall first ball and suddenly 190-4 had become 203-8 with 17 still required.
Stirling (3-29) run out of overs and Thomas was introduced from the pavilion end, beating the bat a couple of times in his first over. Skipper Baldock had a trundle to no avail. Some good running from Foster and Mitchell brought the visitors within touching distances before two Mitchell fours finished the job for the Otters.
9 points taken but the 2s remain in the relegation zone, 14 points behind Clyst Hydon 1st XI in eighth. Thanks to Alan Birmingham for umpiring and Bob Rice for scoring. Next up is a length trip to picturesque Instow to take on sixth placed North Devon 2nd XI.
Thorverton Cricket Club 