Devon C

Kingsbridge v Yelverton

YELVERTON travelled to fourth placed Kingsbridge with home skipper Fletcher winning the toss and choosing to bat first on a sunny and windy afternoon at the Butts.

The Kingsbridge opening pair of Westlake and Fletcher made cautious progress against the accurate bowling of James Harrison (29-0) and Chris Pearson (35-1) but with the score on 33, Pearson trapped Fletcher lbw.  J Shephard joined Westake and the pair forged a 137 run partnership for the second wicket.  Both batmen passed 50, with Westlake being the main aggressor.  

The main interruption to their progress was the clearing of the ground for 20 minutes to allow the landing of the Devon Air Ambulance to pick up a casualty.  When played continued with the score on 170, Ian Loze (41-3) trapped Shephard lbw for 56.  A Treeby fell for a second ball duck bowled by Loze and C. Bowles went the same way for 5 to leave Kingsbridge on 178-4 after 38 overs.  

The Yelverton bowling had proved to be accurate with Matt Tamsett (31-1) and Geoff Brain (19-2) all helping to tie down the batsmen.  

The Kingsbridge middle order got the final innings total up to 215-7 when the overs ran out, Westlake completing his century before being stumped by Steve Luffman off the bowling of Geoff Brain for 105.

Yelverton started well to win with openers Rich Townsend and Mark Symes putting on 42 for the first wicket before Townsend was bowled by Rosewarne.  

Symes was joined by Steve Luffman and the pair added 27 for the second wicket.  

Symes fell for 21 to a spectacular overhead one-handed catch at first slip by Fletcher.  Ian Loze fell for nought adjudged lbw.  Dave Scott and Luffman added 30 for the fourth wicket before Luffman departed for 35.  

Skipper Goldsby-West (15) helped keep up with the scoring rate and when he departed with the score on 137-5 after 31 overs, a win still looked on the cards.  

The sixth wicket pair of Geoff Brain (32) and Scott (23) took the total up to 180 after Brain swept leg-spinner DeSilva for four, but when he tried to repeat the stroke next ball, he lost his off-stump.  This proved to be a significant moment in the innings and in the next over, Shephard took a hat-trick, bowling Scott and then dismissing Matt Tamsett caught and bowled and then James Harrison caught behind.

This four wicket burst in seven balls rocked the Bohemians and off the first ball of DeSilva's next over (the 41st) Pat Hobbs was bowled for 0 to see the team dismissed for 189 and hand victory to Kingsbridge by 27 runs. Kingsbridge's Shephard took 6-43 off 8 overs and was well supported by Rosewarne with 2-25.  Extras top scored with 56.

n This week Yelverton entertain table-topping Bideford at Langton Park (1.30pm)

n Taking a hat-trick bowling is a rare feat, but for an uncle and nephew to both take a hat-trick in the same week is an extraordinary rarity. 

Eight year old Christian Vinson playing for Yelverton Bohemians U9s at Buckland CC took his hat-trick while his uncle, third XI skipper Ben Spear, took his for Yelverton against Bovey Tracey six days later.