Yelverton Seconds v Axminster Seconds

FOLLOWING last week's defeat against Alphington II, Yelverton's  second team bounced straight back with a five wicket victory over visitors Axminster II at Langton Park.

Yelverton skipper Jason Degg won the toss and asked the visitors from East Devon to bat first.  Axminster's opening pair M Pile and J Dunford started confidently and Yelverton's opening bowlers Geraint Heath and Matt Tamsett were unable to make an early breakthrough. 

The introduction of veteran Tony Carter however, broke the deadlock with the score on 56 bowling Dunford for 15.  Pile continued to cash-in on any loose delivery and passed his 50 with 3 consecutive pull shots for four off Tamsett. 

In partnership with A Ostler, the pair put on 44 for the second wicket before Ostler ran himself out going for a risky second run.  Pile was the next to go, bowled by Carter with the score on 109 and he was quickly followed by Axminster skipper D Murnane, caught behind by Alistair Grove off a lifting delivery from Chris Pearson.  Carter then removed Barraclough for a duck, caught by a diving Paul Farnham at slip and Pearson bowled P Kiy to leave Axminster on 136-6. 

N Jones and T Maxwell played some bold strokes to get the Axminster total up to 177-9 with Carter ending up with the excellent figures of 13-3-37-5.  Pearson took 3-42 off his overs.

Skipper Degg and Devon U14 player David Ackford started the Yelverton response in a positive fashion, but when Degg fell to a sharp catch at short mid-wicket off Pile with the score on 17, Yelverton suffered a mini-collapse losing three wickets for five runs as Patrick Hobbs (two), Gerry Keen (0) and Andy Taylor (one) fell in the space of four overs. 

Matt Tamsett joined Ackford and the pair put on 40 for the fifth wicket before Ackford was dismissed for a well compiled 20 when he top-edged a sweep off J Dunford.  Paul Farnham joined Tamsett in the middle and immediately sought to impose himself.  As Tamsett and Farnham grew in confidence they took the game away from Axminster and knocked off the remaining runs in an unbroken partnership of 117 for the sixth wicket off 17 overs as the Bohemians won by five wickets with 10 overs to spare.  Tamsett finished on 76 not out and Farnham on 53 not out.  T Maxwell (2-24 off eight) and M Pile (2-17 off nine) took the bowling honours for Axminster.

Next week, Yelverton Seconds are at home again, this time entertaining Bideford II at Langton Park — start 1.30pm.