YELVERTON have started their 2009 season in fine style winning their first friendly fixtures against Cornwood, Plymouth Civil Service and Stoke Gabriel.

Cornwood v Yelverton

Yelverton opted to field first on the slow and low Oak Park wicket and opening bowlers Geoff Brain and Iain Cunningham bowled tight early spells.  A bowling change brought the first wicket with Chris Pearson taking a sharp caught and bowled and skipper Rob Bennett also picking up a wicket with a swinging yorker.   Pearson followed up his early wicket with a further two in his spell of 5-2-12-3.  

The drinks break arrived with Cornwood on 60-4 but with Warren still going strong.   After the drinks break, Ben Vince bowling in tandem with Paul O'Hanlon.  Kevin Treweeks with figures of 37-3 and Will Chapman 6-1-25-1 finished up the Cornwood innings. Warren hit 79 and Cornwood finished 159-9 off their 40 overs.

After tea, the Yelverton openers, Dan Vince and Jason Degg were both dismissed without scoring.  But James and Bennett restored the balance splendidly with Bennett finishing with a well deserved 100 not out and James his 50. Yelverton won with 7.5 overs to spare, their unbroken partnership of 162 winning the game for Yelverton by eight wickets.

 Yelverton v Plymouth Civil Service

Yelverton took first use of the Langton park wicket in their first home game of the season and openers Paul Farnham and Jason Degg put on 30 for the first wicket before Degg was caught for 17.  Farnham was joined by Brian Spear and the pair forged a partnership of 92 until Spear was caught for 44 with the score on 122.  Paul James and Farnham put on a further 41 runs for the third wicket.  Farnham fell for a fine 78 with the score on 163.  James finishing unbeaten on 50 for the second as Yelverton finished with 221-4. 

Civil Service could only reply with 105 with good bowling from Iain Cunningham (5-2-19-3) and Tamsett (6-1-19-3). Yelverton winning by 116 runs.

Stoke Gabriel v Yelverton

Yelverton openers Chris Cottrell (68) and Will Chapman (23) put on an opening partnership of 103.  Cottrell fell first and his wicket precipitated a mini-collapse as Rob Bennett, Paul James and Chapman all fell in quick succession to leave the score on 115-4.  New batsmen Terry Stevens and Tim Rutherford took the score along to 137 but Rutherford was bowled for 8 and Chris Pearson for a first ball duck to leave the score on 137 – 6. 

A few final lusty blows by Stevens took the final score to 177-7 off 40 overs with Stevens unbeaten on 34.

Stoke Gabriel openers reached 46 without loss before skipper Rob Bennett claimed the first wicket with catch off his own bowling. Stoke reached the half way point of the innings at 62-1 but spinners Ben Spear, Kevin Treweeks and Paul O'Hanlon made inroads into the Stoke middle order.

The home side fell short on 165-7 at the end of their 40 overs sealing a 12 run victory for the Bohemians.

• Next weekend Yelverton 3rd XI start their Tamar League campaign off when they entertain Buckland CC at Crapstone, starting at 2pm.