Bude v Ordulph Taverners ORDULPH Taverners secured the Tamar League B Division championship with a workmanlike win at second place Bude on Saturday. On a tricky low and slow wicket it was important to win the toss. Wayne Downham did so and put Bude in to bat. The opening attack of Bridgewater and Mansfield was soon causing Bude trouble with accurate line and length deliveries. The run rate was dribbling along and wickets fell at regular intervals. Piper (15) and Gliddon (41) seemed to be the only Bude batsmen who hung around long enough to trouble the Ordulph bowling. With the eventual fall of Piper to Bridgewater and Gliddon to Lethbridge the Bude run rate all but dried up. Mansfield finished an excellent spell of 12 overs with three wickets and Bridgewater with a miserly 3 for 14 off 12. Lethbridge, not to be outdone, turned in impressive figures of 3 for 12 off 8. Not wanting to be chasing much more than a 100 on this wicket, Ordulph considered it a good job done when Bude ran out of overs on 101 for 9. Good catching by Ordulph went a long way to achieving this result, with Mansfield taking two off his own bowling and D Hodges also with a great take at midwicket. Best catch of the afternoon has to be Bridgewater, who sprinted 20 yards in the outfield to take a diving one-handed catch to remove Fretwell. With the low bounce of the wicket in the back of their minds, Ordulph could not have got off to a much worse start, losing Pedrick and Mansfield to the spin of Marks (2 for 29 off 8) in the first 6 overs. With only 15 on the board alarm bells were ringing. Order was soon returned with the partnership of Finnigan and Bridgewater at the crease. Finnigan gave another solid display of sensible batting. Bridgewater again was batting with equal restraint and putting away the bad balls as and when they appeared. This excellent partnership of 90 in 20 overs turned out to be the machining one as both batsmen saw Ordulph home with no further loss with 13 overs to spare. Bude tried their best with several bowling changes to break the partnership, but to no avail. Finnigan finishing on 22 not out and Bridgewater with another excellent knock of 55 not out. This was a good, no nonsense display by Ordulph. With the title in the bag, Ordulph can relax and enjoy the last game of the season on Saturday week, when they entertain Cornwood at Tavistock?s ground. Men of the match: Ordulph, A Bridgewater; Bude A Haywood.
