Francis Clark Devon League A division

Tavistock v Seaton

TAVISTOCK snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on Saturday when, after dominating for three quarters of the match, they somehow contrived to give it back to Seaton in the last 20 overs.

The collapse they produced in the face of some good spin bowling from Seaton was of gargantuan proportions and some hard thinking needs to be done if things are going to improve.

The day started well with Steve Luffman winning the toss and inviting Seaton to bat on a wet wicket. Tshepo Legodi struck in the first over, clean bowling Nigel Edwards with a beauty for a duck. Thirteen runs later he had Ian Sutton caught at point by Andy Kaitiff also for a duck.

To complete his three-card trick he bowled Ross Newton for 2 and Seaton were 25 for 3.

Opener Johann Folkus was dominating the run scoring completely and found more resolute company in Dave Field who joined him to add 40 for the fourth wicket.

Seaton's progress to this point had been slow in the face of excellent bowling, from Legodi initially then Andy Gauler and Simon Crawford. The pressure finally told when, after accumulating a patient 13 he wafted at Crawford and presented Andy Tremellen with a simple catch at midwicket.

Folkus, meanwhile, continued scoring steadily, putting the odd bad ball away and working cleverly for singles if the boundary was not on.

When he finally fell to a good catch from John McGahey off Gauler's bowling he had scored 64 out of a total of 85. Richard Warner soon followed lbw to Gauler and at 101 for 6 with 13 overs remaining things were looking good for Tavistock.

Gary Foxwell joined skipper Matt Hewer in what proved to be a match-winning stand. The pair added 57 in an unbroken partnership with Hewer finishing 33 not out and Foxwell 28 not out.

Tavistock had good reason to feel pleased with their efforts. The ground fielding had been excellent, the catching secure and the bowling tidy. Tremellen. Crawford and Gauler bowled straight and to their fields and Legodi provided a cutting edge despite spoiling his figures a little with a mediocre burst at the end of the Seaton innings.

Dave Watson and Kaitiff opened against an unusual attack featuring the leg spin of Pete Lawson paired with the more orthodox seam of John Petherbridge. Gradually the runs started to flow and when Watson was out the scoreboard read 72 for 1.

Watson had made 43 in good style and continued his early season run of form which sees him in the top ten run scorers in the division.

Dave Manning entered and produced a cameo of 19 runs featuring a six over long off and a four which cover got both hands to and still found the fence, such was the venom behind it. He was stumped when caught in two minds by off spinner Dave Field and Tavistock were 97 for 2 needing 63 to win from 23 overs.

Steve Luffman joined Kaitiff and hit Field for 6, Folkus for 4 before the wheels fell off the innings in a dramatic manner.

First Luffman was caught in the deep from a lazy shot. The bowler was Folkus who, though only a 'bit-part' bowler, was about to change the game. McGahey was bowled by him for 1 attempting to hit the ball out of sight and Tavistock were 119 for 4.

Kaitiff's resistance was broken when Sutton caught him off Lawson for a patient 32. He had been the backbone of Tavistock's innings and when Legodi was trapped lbw for 1 by Folkus the complexion of the game changed dramatically.

Crawford was joined by young Dave Downham but neither could find a way through the enthusiastic Seaton fielding. Crawford perished trying to force the pace, bowled by Lawson for 3, followed rapidly by Downham bowled off his pads by Folkus for 1.

When John Rich was caught by Newton off Folkus for a duck it completed a magnificent haul of 15 overs, 6 maidens, 26 runs, 5 wickets and the man of the match title did not do justice to his impact on the game.

Andy Gauler was last out, attempting an ambitious sweep only to be bowled by Field, and Seaton's victory was complete.

Tavistock finished 135 all out having lost nine wickets for 37 runs and the mood in the home dressing was one of bewildered disbelief. Seaton were jubilant, having claimed 18 points from a lost position to Tavistock's 5.

This week Tavistock visit Budleigh Salterton.