Yelverton Bohemians First XI V Hatherleigh First XV

BOHEMIANS had not played for three weeks following their important win against Lewdown but were determined to hit the ground running in this crucial top of the table clash.

They welcomed a young and talented Hatherleigh side to a well-prepared but damp Langton Park. The toss was always going to be a good one to win and Hatherleigh skipper Richard Tidball called correctly, asking Bohemians to bat.

Tim Berry set about the Hatherleigh attack with some fearsome boundary hitting. Once he was given out LBW on 22, the bowlers began to use the conditions and dominate. The first three all bowled well (R Fishliegh 12-4-30-3, G Tidball 5-1-26-2, R Tidball 10-1-46-3) and M Lake deserves a mention for his controlled left arm spin.  After a run out, a played on and a couple of leading edges, the Bohemians' innings faltered. It was left to the in-form Terry Stevens who played with determination and quality to reach 61 not out and give Yelverton a chance to post a target. The vice captain batted extremely well to dig his side out of a looming hole.

Yelverton were determined to put the visitors' line-up under intense pressure but were unable to make the crucial early breakthroughs.

James Harrison 9-2-32-2 looked the most threatening of the early bowlers and Terry Stevens and Jez Stokes both bowled well, but with nothing going their way. When the third wicket fell at 115 with 16 overs left, there was a glimmer of hope that the Bohemians could fight back and cut into the lower middle order, as they have done before. They held good discipline and belief but S Gillespie, 46 no, and S Forrester, 15 no, guided the visitors home with eight overs remaining, riding their luck at times but both batting with commendable grit and skill.

 The Hatherleigh skipper was gracious in victory, acknowledging that conditions and fortune played their part, but he leads a very talented young side who are exceptional in the field —they deserve their success. As for Bohemians, they have a skilful and experienced squad who should be able to succeed in all conditions. They need to respond quickly to this defeat and now have five games remaining to play to their full potential and challenge for promotion.