Bideford 2s 2024, Sponsored by OCR Architecture
Back l to r: Tim Lane (scorer), Dean Whitehead, Elliot Curry, Sam Bexley, Pete Stevens, Dan Pettit, Giles Bashford, Tim Cooke (ump)
Front: Ollie Keates, Andy Webbe, Joh Weeks*, Ian Hayter+, Keith Berry
Bideford 2nd XI
Devon League F Division
2024
End of Season Review
2024
So after 18 weeks the season is over. We can all relax and enjoy our six months of nothing to do😂 It’s been an indifferent season but an enjoyable one all the same. Ewan was back to bolster the first XI which massively helped them and equally so us. One less player having to step up. A couple new faces would also help us out with numbers. So at the beginning of the season I was very confident it would be a decent one. So where to start with a review? Well probably game one😂. Whimple away. Nothing to report though. The game was washed out before we even traveled. A decent side was available, shame we couldn’t play. That’s two years in a row we have had the first game off. Game two was home vs Kilmington. We bowled and fielded well restricting them to 140. A little wobble knocking them off but not for the last time this season Ian held the batting together. A 3 wicket win. Game 3 was away at Upottery. Rain interrupted us after 20 overs. So another washout. Back to Westward Ho! For game 4 against Sidbury. No luck at all on this day. Lost the toss on a overcast drizzly day. Didn’t quite score the runs we’d have liked. Giles decided to dislocate his finger. Then the rain came and made it very difficult to bowl. So our first defeat of the season. Game 5 was Exeter away. Light on batting we could only muster 90. We made a fist of it defending, but ultimately lost again. Next was our first ever league game against our neighbours from Newton Tracey. They were full strength and we were a little short. They posted 300. We did great managing to make 250. Thanks mainly to a first ever Devon league century from Pete Stevens. But another loss. 3 losses and 2 washouts meant we’d had a tough start. Game 7 away at Alphington was big for us. We needed to get something going. This we did thanks to a brilliant all round team performance. We bowled a side out, a rare occurrence for us😀 Then comfortably knocked the runs off just two down. Game 8 took us to Clyst St George. Another cracking all round performance. Couldn’t bowl them out. They posted 220. But thanks mainly to Andy Webbe who batted though, we won just 3 wickets down. 2 in 2😀 At the halfway point we welcomed North Devon to the Ho! We were gaining momentum and continued it in style. Bowling them out for 130. And then knocking the runs off for no wickets. Brilliant professional performance 😀 The second half began with Whimple at home. All season we struggled to bowl sides out. This game is one we should have bowled them out but didn’t. They made 160 and we confidently knocked the runs off again. Two 20 pointers and two 18 pointers in a row. Wow we were on a roll. Confidence was high. The long trek to Kilmington was game 11. The forecast wasn’t great but we managed to play a 35 over game. We bowled excellently again, restricting them to 140. The highlight being Aakash who grabbed 5 wickets. All on camera too. Excellent. Then Jack Ancill produced his best batting performance seeing us home comfortably. 5 wins in a row. Never before in my time. Were we invincible?😂 Well a resounding no with that. At the time I wouldn’t have believed it but we wouldn’t smell or taste victory again ☹️ We obviously weren’t destined to play Upottery this season. This time we were completely washed out. Shame due to the run we were on. Sidbury away was always going to be tough against good opponents. We didn’t bowl or field great. And the batting wasn’t much better. Without Ian we wouldn’t have made three figures. So defeat and run over. The run we had put together had put us in a good position in the league. Looking up rather than down. It was very tight though. So we couldn’t really afford another defeat. Exeter at th Ho! Was game 14. The fielding was poor. The bowling not great. They made 270. Ian kept us in with a shout and nearly pulled off a miracle. But alas our second centurion of the season couldn’t quite see us home. To be fair though he had very little help😂 Game 15 was away at Newton Tracey. The bowling and particularly the fielding were very poor. Newton are a decent side at our level and didn’t need any help from us. But we gave plenty and they accepted it with open arms. The batting once again wasn’t great. Without another half century from Ian, we probably wouldn’t have made three figures again. 5 wins in a row and now 3 defeats in a row. Three games left against lesser teams, so all potential wins. Alphington home first. Fielding was horrendous again. They posted 240. Bat sensible though and we could get there. Without Ian though we struggled. We did managed 200 runs. Quite easily could and probably should have won it. Another disappointing performance though. Could we fair better home again against Clyst St George. Unfortunately not. For only the second time this season we would bat first. We could only muster 212. Which was always going to be tough to defend. 250 is probably par at Westward Ho! This played out as they got to their target fairly comfortably. Bowling and fielding not really up to standard. Thankfully we could go into our last few games not having to worry about relegation. So at least that was something. Hopefully we could at least end on a high note away at North Devon. Even with a couple dropping out I was confident we could win. Sam Beckley captained after I stepped out. Everyone had a decent game but we somehow managed to lose defending 300. Still was an entertaining game. Another defeat though. 6 in a row. Bad luck and weather cost us at the start of the season. We were awesome in the middle part. Then in the last 6 games we were pretty poor. That’s me being polite😂😂 I must hold my hands up as I wasn’t great. Could and should have made more effort to be better. But I think we all could say similarly. A very indifferent season and a strange one. We amazingly were quite consistent. Consistently good for a bit, then consistently terrible. We lost some of the fight and desire in the last few games I thought. With not much to play for it was always going to be tough. Still I think we should have done better.
Anyway there were on occasions some good things going on. Batting wise, what would we have done without Ian. A century, several fifties and an average of 126 was an amazing effort. To be our best batsman having played half a season in the first XI, is a huge achievement. Had he gotten us over the line at home to Exeter, it would have rivalled anything Ben Stokes had ever done😀 So very well done to him😀 Webbe was decent also, especially away a Clyst. Still there were times when I had hoped for more. A good season but I know there’s much more. Hopefully he’ll come back next year and show us😂 Jack Ancill had several good knocks. Alphington and Kilmington away were highlights. Just a shame he couldn’t play more times for us. Dean and Fionn both had a few good knocks. And can’t not mention Pete finally passing the hundred mark. Just a shame we lost that one. Still was a great innings to witness.
Bowling was excellent on occasions also. Giles came into the team and did an excellent job. Probably should have had more wickets than he did. But was very economical though (except Newton home and our friend Marcus😂) Exception effort and commitment though. Back for the Newton game two weeks after dislocating his finger. Top effort 😀 Matt was his usual self. If we could catch he’d have probably had 30 wickets. I owe a couple 😂 His ending to the season wasn’t his best but still great efforts and commitment as always. Great asset to the team. Lots had the odd good game. Eliot did well away at Alphington as did Dean. Jo and Sam both bowled well all season but struggle to take wickets. Aakash bowled a spectacular spell at Kilmington. Our only five wicket haul. Was spectacular. Keith was our leading wicket taker. Not always the most economical but always seemed to find a way to take wickets. A decent season. Great effort and commitment again. So well done to him.😀
Finally the fielding 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Sorry have to say, it was comical on occasions. Newton away particularly. Just wanting to highlight that a lot more effort is required on that front. I hold my hands up. But if everyone is honest we could all do better. Catching practice as well. Bowling sides out is something we struggle with. Holding a few more catches will definitely help. There were though at least some glimpses of competence. Jo Hale and Sam took a couple good catches. As did Aakash. Darren snapped up two at slip. But by far and away our star was Webbe. Don’t remember a miss field. Held several very decent slip catches. And one spectacular one at Newton Tracey. Great effort well done to him😀😀
As you’ll already be aware Sam Beckley was our 2nd XI player of the season. Definitely our best all round player. I won’t go through it again. I’ll just direct you to the player of the season article below this one. Well done to him.
So a final summary. We have the talent and ability. When we are on it we are decent. It seems that when one or two of the better more experienced guys are missing, others struggle to step up. Bowlers need to think. How can we take more wickets. Very few were bowled. We struggled to bowl sides out, why? Well taking catches would help massively. Everyone can contribute to that. Practice more 🤔 Still some bowlers are bowling well just without the reward of wickets. I’m hoping you bowlers can come up with some answers. And when batting we are sometimes too positive and on others occasions we are a bit too negative. Finding the right balance is key. The same top 6 each week would help also. That is slightly out of our control. Looking at the scoreboard as you walk out. Who’s left to come in after you? How many overs left. What’s a par score and how are we realistically going to get there? All questions we need to think about as we are walking out. But as with the bowling that word Practice jumps up again. A little more could make big differences. I probably don’t need to say anything about the fielding. We all know what’s needed there. Next season we need to be better at all facets of the game. If we are then we will hopefully have something to play for right up to the end. I will be making more effort. And will do my best to be better. I hope everyone else will also.
Still it’s been a great season. One I have enjoyed greatly. Even though it might not look like it I assure you I’d rather be nowhere else on a Saturday afternoon 😀😀
Mustn’t finish this without thanking our superstar scorer Tim Lane. He did an excellent job every time. Doing some away games also. And I don’t think as players we had to score in more than one game. Clyst away. So thanks Tim appreciate it. Also Tim Cooke who umpired a few early on. Ike did one and even Martin Stewart did half a game😂😂 So thanks for that. Thanks to all who stayed for my birthday BBQ. And the two others BBQs were a success also. So that’s it from me, you’ll be glad to hear. I’m off to watch the mighty red army win the premier league 💪💪😍 I hope everyone winters well and comes back next season with even more desire to perform well. Thanks everyone for the effort, commitment and odd laugh along the way(Jo Hale😂😂) It’s been a blast. Very well done to the 1st XI on their third place finish. One better next season.😀😀 And please don’t pinch our player so often. Commit to playing more often please 😂😂😂😂 Bideford 2nd XI. The greatest team on earth. Up the Bide😀😀💪💪 Thanks, goodnight and see you all in six months 😀😀😀😀
John Weeks
Anyway there were on occasions some good things going on. Batting wise, what would we have done without Ian. A century, several fifties and an average of 126 was an amazing effort. To be our best batsman having played half a season in the first XI, is a huge achievement. Had he gotten us over the line at home to Exeter, it would have rivalled anything Ben Stokes had ever done😀 So very well done to him😀 Webbe was decent also, especially away a Clyst. Still there were times when I had hoped for more. A good season but I know there’s much more. Hopefully he’ll come back next year and show us😂 Jack Ancill had several good knocks. Alphington and Kilmington away were highlights. Just a shame he couldn’t play more times for us. Dean and Fionn both had a few good knocks. And can’t not mention Pete finally passing the hundred mark. Just a shame we lost that one. Still was a great innings to witness.
Bowling was excellent on occasions also. Giles came into the team and did an excellent job. Probably should have had more wickets than he did. But was very economical though (except Newton home and our friend Marcus😂) Exception effort and commitment though. Back for the Newton game two weeks after dislocating his finger. Top effort 😀 Matt was his usual self. If we could catch he’d have probably had 30 wickets. I owe a couple 😂 His ending to the season wasn’t his best but still great efforts and commitment as always. Great asset to the team. Lots had the odd good game. Eliot did well away at Alphington as did Dean. Jo and Sam both bowled well all season but struggle to take wickets. Aakash bowled a spectacular spell at Kilmington. Our only five wicket haul. Was spectacular. Keith was our leading wicket taker. Not always the most economical but always seemed to find a way to take wickets. A decent season. Great effort and commitment again. So well done to him.😀
Finally the fielding 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Sorry have to say, it was comical on occasions. Newton away particularly. Just wanting to highlight that a lot more effort is required on that front. I hold my hands up. But if everyone is honest we could all do better. Catching practice as well. Bowling sides out is something we struggle with. Holding a few more catches will definitely help. There were though at least some glimpses of competence. Jo Hale and Sam took a couple good catches. As did Aakash. Darren snapped up two at slip. But by far and away our star was Webbe. Don’t remember a miss field. Held several very decent slip catches. And one spectacular one at Newton Tracey. Great effort well done to him😀😀
As you’ll already be aware Sam Beckley was our 2nd XI player of the season. Definitely our best all round player. I won’t go through it again. I’ll just direct you to the player of the season article below this one. Well done to him.
So a final summary. We have the talent and ability. When we are on it we are decent. It seems that when one or two of the better more experienced guys are missing, others struggle to step up. Bowlers need to think. How can we take more wickets. Very few were bowled. We struggled to bowl sides out, why? Well taking catches would help massively. Everyone can contribute to that. Practice more 🤔 Still some bowlers are bowling well just without the reward of wickets. I’m hoping you bowlers can come up with some answers. And when batting we are sometimes too positive and on others occasions we are a bit too negative. Finding the right balance is key. The same top 6 each week would help also. That is slightly out of our control. Looking at the scoreboard as you walk out. Who’s left to come in after you? How many overs left. What’s a par score and how are we realistically going to get there? All questions we need to think about as we are walking out. But as with the bowling that word Practice jumps up again. A little more could make big differences. I probably don’t need to say anything about the fielding. We all know what’s needed there. Next season we need to be better at all facets of the game. If we are then we will hopefully have something to play for right up to the end. I will be making more effort. And will do my best to be better. I hope everyone else will also.
Still it’s been a great season. One I have enjoyed greatly. Even though it might not look like it I assure you I’d rather be nowhere else on a Saturday afternoon 😀😀
Mustn’t finish this without thanking our superstar scorer Tim Lane. He did an excellent job every time. Doing some away games also. And I don’t think as players we had to score in more than one game. Clyst away. So thanks Tim appreciate it. Also Tim Cooke who umpired a few early on. Ike did one and even Martin Stewart did half a game😂😂 So thanks for that. Thanks to all who stayed for my birthday BBQ. And the two others BBQs were a success also. So that’s it from me, you’ll be glad to hear. I’m off to watch the mighty red army win the premier league 💪💪😍 I hope everyone winters well and comes back next season with even more desire to perform well. Thanks everyone for the effort, commitment and odd laugh along the way(Jo Hale😂😂) It’s been a blast. Very well done to the 1st XI on their third place finish. One better next season.😀😀 And please don’t pinch our player so often. Commit to playing more often please 😂😂😂😂 Bideford 2nd XI. The greatest team on earth. Up the Bide😀😀💪💪 Thanks, goodnight and see you all in six months 😀😀😀😀
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI
Player of the Season Award
2024
As most people will know. Each season I have been captain I like to give out an award to someone who I think has given their all, all season. Ideally I try to give it out to one of the younger guys in the team. Sometimes the older guys do step up and can’t be ignored though. What I look for all season is not just what goes on, on the field, but off it as well. ATTITUDE is where it’s most at for me. That and Commitment to the cause also. Some years someone produces brilliant and consistent performances and it’s hard to ignore that. Luckily that normally comes with the right attitude also. Generally a combination of everything is what I look for. This year there were several candidates. One criteria is games played. Double figures required. One name in the running was Ian Hayter. He has batted magnificently in every game he played. Averaging an amazing 126. The attitude and commitment has been brilliant as always. But for this award not quite enough games played. Andy Webbe and Matt Clarke gave great accounts of themselves. Webbe batting brilliant on occasion and took some stunning catches. Matt bowled exceptionally on occasion also. Both also had the right attitude and commitment. The newby Giles had a great attitude also and again on occasion, bowled excellently. I could run through most of the team but I won’t. Most had the right attitude and commitment and did well on occasion. But for me and most others The Player of the Season had to go to Sam Beckley. Hardly ever misses a game. Always keen and motivated. He has bowled really well this season without the luck of wickets. Has Generally kept things tight at the start. Batting has come along nicely and runs are starting to flow. If he keeps up the effort and commitment, things can only get better. His attitude is second to none. His commitment to the cause is great. And he’s definitely going in the right direction on the pitch. A decent all round season. The first of many hopefully. So well done mate . I and all your team mates notice and appreciate all the effort you make. Keep it up. I’ll finish by reminding you of the elite company you have now joined, naming previous winners. Sorry if I miss anyone out. Darren Willcocks, Tom Parkhouse, Tom Brend, Fred King, Jamie Lathwell, Martin Stanbury, Chris Luxton, Gareth Davies, Keith Berry, Andy Webbe. All good guys who deserved it as much as you do.
Thanks and goodnight
John Weeks
Thanks and goodnight
John Weeks
North Devon 3rd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
31/08/24
Team Sheet
1. Sam Beckley (c)
2. Keith Berry
3. Damon Berry
4. Annabel Berry
5. Fionn Toland
6. Jack Ancill
7. Giles Bashford
8. Pete Stevens
9. Jo Hale
10. Darren Willcocks
11. Matt Clarke
Umpire. John Weeks
Scorer. Tim Lane
Please meet 12ish at Westleigh cc for a 1pm start. Hopefully all lifts have been arranged.
Firstly you’ll notice several regular players missing. Several have dropped out to allow others to play. Massive appreciation from me for that, as selecting the team would have been an absolute nightmare otherwise. Hopefully everyone playing appreciates this sacrifice. All did it willingly and I hope the team repays them by putting in a decent performance. With 100% effort.
Sam Beckley will be taking the helm as captain. Please give him all the support he needs. I’m sure everyone will. Good luck to everyone. 20 points please Sam, no excuses 😂😂
Finally a reminder that it will be Ewan’s last evening with the club. If you’re able to, please join him at Westward Ho! For his iPod shuffle extravaganza. Enjoying his company One last time. Even if it’s just to buy me a beer😂😂😂😂😂
2. Keith Berry
3. Damon Berry
4. Annabel Berry
5. Fionn Toland
6. Jack Ancill
7. Giles Bashford
8. Pete Stevens
9. Jo Hale
10. Darren Willcocks
11. Matt Clarke
Umpire. John Weeks
Scorer. Tim Lane
Please meet 12ish at Westleigh cc for a 1pm start. Hopefully all lifts have been arranged.
Firstly you’ll notice several regular players missing. Several have dropped out to allow others to play. Massive appreciation from me for that, as selecting the team would have been an absolute nightmare otherwise. Hopefully everyone playing appreciates this sacrifice. All did it willingly and I hope the team repays them by putting in a decent performance. With 100% effort.
Sam Beckley will be taking the helm as captain. Please give him all the support he needs. I’m sure everyone will. Good luck to everyone. 20 points please Sam, no excuses 😂😂
Finally a reminder that it will be Ewan’s last evening with the club. If you’re able to, please join him at Westward Ho! For his iPod shuffle extravaganza. Enjoying his company One last time. Even if it’s just to buy me a beer😂😂😂😂😂
Match Report
It’s finally arrived. The last game of a long season. Being an away game it was fortunate that it was only the 2 mile trek to Westleigh. As I said above a few stepped out to let others play. But it wouldn’t be a normal week if there wasn’t some issue. This week Jack pulled out. As there were several not playing anyway I had plenty to choose from. Andy Webbe snapped up the spot. Probably wishes he hadn’t now😂😂 As I wasn’t playing Sam Beckley took over as captain. He duly won the toss and elected to bat. A few changes in the order meant Giles and Keith got to show us what they could do, when opening the batting. Both got off the mark and hit a couple fours each. Unfortunately Giles was bowled for 9. Keith lasted a little longer but was given out lbw. Not by me😂. The run rate was about 8 an over and continued at that throughout. Fionn and Matt put together a good partnership. Both batted well. The scoreboard ticked along nicely. To be honest though neither managed to middle many. Both got to their fifties and beyond. Matt was first to perish caught at mid wicket for 81. Darren joined Fionn who was still ticking along. Darren made 21 before also getting out caught. Fionn had made it to 94 with 3 overs remaining. He then decided to run down the wicket. Unfortunately he missed it and was stumped. Only he knows what he was up to😂 Pete and Sam hit a couple late lusty blows each which ticked the score past 300. Sam was eventually bowled which left Pete and Jo not out. Now Fionn and Matt batted very well and posting 300 is always a great effort. But as we will find out. With the batting we had left, a bit more positivity was probably needed. Just 5 sixes on a fairly small ground was put into context when North Devon batted. Still 306 should have been enough 😀 out to field they went. Jo and Sam opening up. Both did ok, but the positivity from the opposition meant runs flowed. As quickly as it had in our innings. Neither could grab a wicket, so changes were made. Giles first bowled four overs that went for 27 and again no wicket. Annabel did great in the first 3 overs she bowled. The last were a little expensive but a decent effort in her first ever league game. If only her dad could catch😂. Damon was the one to finally make the breakthrough. His wicket an lbw. This didn’t though stop the flow of runs. It almost increased it. Both batsmen plundered the boundary, regularly clearing it. I think more spare balls were used in this game than any other all season. No bowler was spared. Especially not Keith who went at 13s for 5 overs. Not sure he’d have bowled that many had I been in charge 😂 Both batsmen past fifty and then both got to their centuries. Overs were running out though and a run a ball was still needed with 4 overs to go. Matt came on and bowled a couple dots and took a wicket, but then a couple sailed to the boundary. Sam came back on and bowled a wicket maiden. This tightened things up a little. But then a six or two put paid to any remaining hope. They had gotten home with five balls to spare. A good entertaining game but obviously not the result we wanted. They hit 19 sixes, we hit just 5. 114 runs in just 19 balls. That was the difference really. They went bigger more often than we did. But there was nothing on it for either team. Everyone got some sort of game. Webbe the only one who didn’t do anything. I’d be having words with the captain if it was me😂😂 Man of the match probably has to go to Fionn who batted very well and should really have made three figures. But 94 is still a good effort. So well done to him. Matt did well also making 81. Don’t think he middled any though. Bit more practice needed😀 I thought Annabel did a good job bowling and definitely deserved a wicket. Sam did a fine job captaining in my absence. The result was irrelevant. Everyone getting a game was the objective and he did that well. Everyone else gave their best as Alway. None more so than Jo Hale who produced moment of the season. If only someone had videoed it. Going for a possible catch at long on. The ball only just evaded him, but unable to keep his balance he went head first into the hedge. The chicken fence upended him and he was basically lying in the hedge. Fionn had to help him back up. He’s probably still picking thorns out of his backend 😂😂 Thanks for the entertainment Jo😂😂😂😍
So in summary a decent game. Everyone got a go and the season is over. Thanks as always to Tim for scoring. Thanks to the quality bloke that umpired. He was fantastic also😂😂 Will try and do a review at some point. Thanks to all who played. Thanks for the effort all season. Thanks and goodnight
John Weeks
So in summary a decent game. Everyone got a go and the season is over. Thanks as always to Tim for scoring. Thanks to the quality bloke that umpired. He was fantastic also😂😂 Will try and do a review at some point. Thanks to all who played. Thanks for the effort all season. Thanks and goodnight
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Clyst St George 2nd XI
24/08/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Dean Whitehead
4. Ian Hayter
5. Damon Berry
6. Sam Beckley
7. Matt Clarke
8. Martin Stewart
9. Keith Berry
10. Jo hale
11. Giles Bashford
Umpire. ?
Scorer. Tim Lane
Apologies once again to those who didn’t make the team. As always tough decisions had to be made.
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at the Ho!.
Breakfast club for those who wish around 11ish.
Last home game of the season. Let’s make it a decent one😀💪😍
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Dean Whitehead
4. Ian Hayter
5. Damon Berry
6. Sam Beckley
7. Matt Clarke
8. Martin Stewart
9. Keith Berry
10. Jo hale
11. Giles Bashford
Umpire. ?
Scorer. Tim Lane
Apologies once again to those who didn’t make the team. As always tough decisions had to be made.
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at the Ho!.
Breakfast club for those who wish around 11ish.
Last home game of the season. Let’s make it a decent one😀💪😍
Match Report
So our last home game of the season was upon us and I was hopeful of a decent game. Finally I lost the toss and was asked to have a bat first. Something we’d only done once before this season. Typically though we were a little short on main batsmen. Similarly to the previous week the batting was very different to usual. Me and Darren opened again. This week we both fell early on with the score on 8. Sam and Dean got us back on track. Sam rode his luck smashing his way to 35. 10 overs in we had 67 but that’s where Sam fell. Dean then fell with score on 82. The run rate was healthy though. Ian had been joined by Damon. 101 was a decent effort at drinks. 4 wickets down was the issue. Both did a good job after drinks. They moved the score to 170 with 8 overs remaining. Unfortunately this is where Ian fell. He had though made yet another half century of 60. During the last few overs everyone struggled to score runs. Hoping for close to 250 with 10 overs left. We struggled to 200 and only managed to post 212. A little under par I thought. Early wickets didn’t help and guys unable to push on after getting in meant we would have to bowl well to restrict the opposition. We had some decent bowling though and I was confident we could do it.
After the break Giles and Sam opened up the bowling. 5 overs in with 24 on the board, Sam snapped up two wickets in an over. A simple catch for Dean and then a superb slip catch from Darren. The early wickets we craved. This brought two experienced batsmen together though. They got a partnership going and kept the scoreboard ticking along nicely. Martin and Jo both did ok but couldn’t breakthrough or stunt the run rate. At drinks the scores were almost identical to ours, but they’d only lost two wickets. Also both their in batsmen were able to continue on. Matt and Keith couldn’t breakthrough either and the rate continued around 6 an over. The fielding yet again wasn’t of a great standard. And as the overs ticked by the intensity was dropping all the time. We lacked something. With nothing on the game and the opposition in control we almost gave in. We did manage to take a couple wickets with us. A stumping for Ian off Keith and a wicket for Martin, bowled. A bit of a tame end really. They had won with 3 overs remaining and also quite comfortably. 5 wins in a row and then 5 defeats has seen a very contrasting end to the season. We have been unable to be consistent. We have been very poor in the field. The bowling and the batting has also been under par. The top five batting line up has been very different recently which hasn’t helped. So not the best end to our home season with 3 defeats. Man of the match goes again to Ian who was the only batsman able to kick on to a half century. His batting has been exceptional. If only he had a little help😂😂 So once again well done to him. Damon, Sam and Dean all got in but couldn’t push on. Sam probably too much positivity and Damon probably not quite enough. They need to find a middle balance. But at least they did a bit better than some of us ie me😂😂
So one game left away at Westleigh vs North Devon. Another chance to end on a high. A chance for some to show what they can do. Looking like lots of available so how the team will look I don’t know. As always everyone made the effort. So thanks for that. But we all need to find ways to be better particularly at the basics and particularly when fielding. Had we done these well in the last two weeks we’d probably have won both games as well as one or two before that. Then we’d have been top half rather than bottom half. Still one game left to redeem things. As always must thank Tim for his scoring effort. Then thank Ike for stepping in and umpiring for us. Appreciated as always and can’t not finish without thanking the first XI who cheered us on right to the death. Unfortunately they weren’t able to inspire us to victory. Still appreciate the support 😂😀😍💪
Thanks and goodnight
John Weeks😀😀😀
After the break Giles and Sam opened up the bowling. 5 overs in with 24 on the board, Sam snapped up two wickets in an over. A simple catch for Dean and then a superb slip catch from Darren. The early wickets we craved. This brought two experienced batsmen together though. They got a partnership going and kept the scoreboard ticking along nicely. Martin and Jo both did ok but couldn’t breakthrough or stunt the run rate. At drinks the scores were almost identical to ours, but they’d only lost two wickets. Also both their in batsmen were able to continue on. Matt and Keith couldn’t breakthrough either and the rate continued around 6 an over. The fielding yet again wasn’t of a great standard. And as the overs ticked by the intensity was dropping all the time. We lacked something. With nothing on the game and the opposition in control we almost gave in. We did manage to take a couple wickets with us. A stumping for Ian off Keith and a wicket for Martin, bowled. A bit of a tame end really. They had won with 3 overs remaining and also quite comfortably. 5 wins in a row and then 5 defeats has seen a very contrasting end to the season. We have been unable to be consistent. We have been very poor in the field. The bowling and the batting has also been under par. The top five batting line up has been very different recently which hasn’t helped. So not the best end to our home season with 3 defeats. Man of the match goes again to Ian who was the only batsman able to kick on to a half century. His batting has been exceptional. If only he had a little help😂😂 So once again well done to him. Damon, Sam and Dean all got in but couldn’t push on. Sam probably too much positivity and Damon probably not quite enough. They need to find a middle balance. But at least they did a bit better than some of us ie me😂😂
So one game left away at Westleigh vs North Devon. Another chance to end on a high. A chance for some to show what they can do. Looking like lots of available so how the team will look I don’t know. As always everyone made the effort. So thanks for that. But we all need to find ways to be better particularly at the basics and particularly when fielding. Had we done these well in the last two weeks we’d probably have won both games as well as one or two before that. Then we’d have been top half rather than bottom half. Still one game left to redeem things. As always must thank Tim for his scoring effort. Then thank Ike for stepping in and umpiring for us. Appreciated as always and can’t not finish without thanking the first XI who cheered us on right to the death. Unfortunately they weren’t able to inspire us to victory. Still appreciate the support 😂😀😍💪
Thanks and goodnight
John Weeks😀😀😀
Bideford 2nd XI v Alphington 2nd XI
17/08/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Sam Beckley
4. Matt Clarke
5. Damon Berry
6. Dean Whitehead
7. Keith Berry
8. Eliot Currie
9. Jo Hale
10. Ollie Keates
11. Martin Stewart
Umpire. None
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Westward Ho!
Breakfast club for those who wish to partake 11ish
Penultimate home game. A few changes again. But a chance for others to step up. Let’s finish the season strongly.
Anybody want to themselves or know someone who might fancy umpiring, please try persuading them. Always a help.
Just a reminder that I’ll be on the BBQ after the game. My annual early birthday celebration. All and everyone invited as always. Hopefully it’ll be a good day all round. Weather looks ok. Liverpool will inevitably start the day off with a bang and hopefully Bideford 2nds will follow suit. Im keeping wicket so it will at least be an entertaining watch😂😂😂😀😀😀💪💪😍😍🏏🏏
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Sam Beckley
4. Matt Clarke
5. Damon Berry
6. Dean Whitehead
7. Keith Berry
8. Eliot Currie
9. Jo Hale
10. Ollie Keates
11. Martin Stewart
Umpire. None
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Westward Ho!
Breakfast club for those who wish to partake 11ish
Penultimate home game. A few changes again. But a chance for others to step up. Let’s finish the season strongly.
Anybody want to themselves or know someone who might fancy umpiring, please try persuading them. Always a help.
Just a reminder that I’ll be on the BBQ after the game. My annual early birthday celebration. All and everyone invited as always. Hopefully it’ll be a good day all round. Weather looks ok. Liverpool will inevitably start the day off with a bang and hopefully Bideford 2nds will follow suit. Im keeping wicket so it will at least be an entertaining watch😂😂😂😀😀😀💪💪😍😍🏏🏏
Match Report
Sorry for the lateness of this😀 Hopefully I can recall what went on😂 well the first thing I remember was that due to traffic issues, some of Alphingtons players were slightly late. I agreed to start 10 minutes late and thankfully the players all arrived. I had won the toss and with all the bowlers we had I didn’t have much option but to bowl first. Remarkably for the 10th time in a row 😂Jo and Sam open up. They did ok but several loose balls resulted in lots of boundaries hit. 10 overs in they were 58-0. I changed to Martin and Eliot. This got us back into the game. Martin took the first wicket caught by Darren. Eliot then picked up the new man caught by Sam for a duck. Runs still kept coming through. Just on drinks Matt took a decent grab at slip off Martin. The score then was 120. Their opener was going well and had past fifty. Here is where I’ll mention some of the fielding efforts. Last week at Newton Tracey it wasn’t a great show and unfortunately this week wasn’t much better. A couple of drops. Some miss judgements and several big misses cost us lots of runs. Saving those runs could have saved us 20-30 runs which could be crucial in the end. Work definitely needed. Keith took a caught and bowled and at 135-4 we were very much in the game. Another quick wicket would be massive. But unfortunately it didn’t come. Keith Matt and Ollie all had a go but couldn’t breakthrough until right near the end. A spectacular stumping from me giving Ollie a wicket 😂😂But due to some slack fielding Alphington had past 200 and finally posted 244-5. Their opener batting well though for his 114 not out. As I said , had we fielded better and done the basics well. We could have restricted them to not much more than 200. That would then have given us much more belief that we could chase it down . Still 244 was still a score we could chase if we batted sensible and batted through the overs.
We were short on batters this week so me and Darren trotted out to bat. We managed to get off to a decent start. 35 of 6 overs that included 2 maiden’s. I was then given out. Here is not the place to air my thoughts on the decision. Just say that it was quite timely for them. That sent Sam out to bat. He missed a straight one early perishing for a duck. 39-0 had become 39-2. Dean and Darren were just getting going when Darren was caught. 61-3 now.Damon stuck around for a bit with Dean but lost his wicket right on drinks with 99 scored. Dean was in and joined by Matt. He was given out though on 42. We were now in a bit of trouble. Eliot missed a straight one. 126-6 now. With Matt there we still had half a chance. He batted well but couldn't quite get going. He and Martin batted well together but struggled to find the boundary. Lots of singles meant we fell behind the rate and ultimately couldn’t catch it up. Matt was caught on 45. Keith then came and went caught for just 3. A couple of late fours from Jo and a reverse sweep from Martin got us to 200 exactly at the close. So a 44 run loss in the end. For me a very frustrating game. Fielding probably cast us most. As usual we struggled to take wickets. The five taken were all caught, bar the stumping. Batsmen getting themselves out. Work need on finding ways to take wickets. Only bowling teams out twice in 13 games isn’t great. Especially when we were winning. Still we gave the effort as always and weren’t far away. Doing the basics well would probably have seen us win. A couple of their batsmen batted well though. We need to be a bit more ruthless. With our main batters missing we did well to make 200. But again I think we could have done better. Things I’ve noticed recently. All season we have struggled to keep things tight. Very few maidens bowled. And we also struggle to get going when batting. We concede lots of boundaries and sixes but struggle a little ourselves. With the exception of Ian of course. What I’d have given to have had him for this game. I’ll stop now and move on😂😂 Some positives in the game. Matt finally got a score with the bat. Dean batted well also. But Man of the match goes to Martin who bowled a good spell 2-30 and 26 not out. A better keeper and he may have had more😂😂 sorry for that😂 next week is Clyst St George. Again a tough game. If we perform better in the field particularly, we will have good chance. Whimple losing means nothing but pride to play for. Let’s show we have plenty and put in a decent performance. Thanks to all for the effort and to those who’s stayed after for the BBQ. Have to thank Ollie and Beth Keates for the excellent cake. Went down very well thank you😀😀 Mustn’t forget Tim for his scoring efforts. Brilliant as always. Well done also to the first team on there impressive victory away at Barton. Let’s try and join them by winning games. Not a lot is needed. Basics done well😀😀💪💪💪 see you all next week. Thanks and Goodnight 😀😀😀💪💪😍😍
We were short on batters this week so me and Darren trotted out to bat. We managed to get off to a decent start. 35 of 6 overs that included 2 maiden’s. I was then given out. Here is not the place to air my thoughts on the decision. Just say that it was quite timely for them. That sent Sam out to bat. He missed a straight one early perishing for a duck. 39-0 had become 39-2. Dean and Darren were just getting going when Darren was caught. 61-3 now.Damon stuck around for a bit with Dean but lost his wicket right on drinks with 99 scored. Dean was in and joined by Matt. He was given out though on 42. We were now in a bit of trouble. Eliot missed a straight one. 126-6 now. With Matt there we still had half a chance. He batted well but couldn't quite get going. He and Martin batted well together but struggled to find the boundary. Lots of singles meant we fell behind the rate and ultimately couldn’t catch it up. Matt was caught on 45. Keith then came and went caught for just 3. A couple of late fours from Jo and a reverse sweep from Martin got us to 200 exactly at the close. So a 44 run loss in the end. For me a very frustrating game. Fielding probably cast us most. As usual we struggled to take wickets. The five taken were all caught, bar the stumping. Batsmen getting themselves out. Work need on finding ways to take wickets. Only bowling teams out twice in 13 games isn’t great. Especially when we were winning. Still we gave the effort as always and weren’t far away. Doing the basics well would probably have seen us win. A couple of their batsmen batted well though. We need to be a bit more ruthless. With our main batters missing we did well to make 200. But again I think we could have done better. Things I’ve noticed recently. All season we have struggled to keep things tight. Very few maidens bowled. And we also struggle to get going when batting. We concede lots of boundaries and sixes but struggle a little ourselves. With the exception of Ian of course. What I’d have given to have had him for this game. I’ll stop now and move on😂😂 Some positives in the game. Matt finally got a score with the bat. Dean batted well also. But Man of the match goes to Martin who bowled a good spell 2-30 and 26 not out. A better keeper and he may have had more😂😂 sorry for that😂 next week is Clyst St George. Again a tough game. If we perform better in the field particularly, we will have good chance. Whimple losing means nothing but pride to play for. Let’s show we have plenty and put in a decent performance. Thanks to all for the effort and to those who’s stayed after for the BBQ. Have to thank Ollie and Beth Keates for the excellent cake. Went down very well thank you😀😀 Mustn’t forget Tim for his scoring efforts. Brilliant as always. Well done also to the first team on there impressive victory away at Barton. Let’s try and join them by winning games. Not a lot is needed. Basics done well😀😀💪💪💪 see you all next week. Thanks and Goodnight 😀😀😀💪💪😍😍
Newton Tracey 1st XI v Bideford 2nd XI
10/08/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Ian Hayter
4. Jack Ancill
5. Jo Hale
6. Pete Stevens
7. Dean Whitehead
8. Kieron Whitehead
9. Sam Beckley
10. Ollie Keates
11. Mark Paul
Umpire. None
Scorer Tim Lane
Meet 12ish at Newton Tracey for a 1pm start.
Newton Tracey will kindly be providing teas. So a cash match fee would be preferably thanks. £5 and £7.
2. Andy Webbe
3. Ian Hayter
4. Jack Ancill
5. Jo Hale
6. Pete Stevens
7. Dean Whitehead
8. Kieron Whitehead
9. Sam Beckley
10. Ollie Keates
11. Mark Paul
Umpire. None
Scorer Tim Lane
Meet 12ish at Newton Tracey for a 1pm start.
Newton Tracey will kindly be providing teas. So a cash match fee would be preferably thanks. £5 and £7.
Match Report
Amazingly Newton Tracey away isn’t our shortest away game. Still enjoyed the lie in and at 11:45 we ventured out or our epic 6 mile journey. We arrived with the weather not looking great but the forecast was for things to brighten up. By the start time the weather was fine and it was certainly not cold. Deciding what to do at the toss was a tough one. Hoping to lose I inevitably won it. I therefore decided to keep our run going. That’s now 9 times we have bowled first in a row. Definitely some kind of record 😂😂. I would come to regret that decision. We were short on bowlers but still had Sam and Jo to open up for us. An early wicket gave us some hope of a good day. Webbe taking a blinder at slip. One of the best slip catches I’ve ever seen. Diving one handed. Right handed from a lefty. That’s reallly as good as it got for us. With only four main bowlers to call on, we didn’t need a bowler getting injured. But Deja vu. The Rob Boundy curse struck again against the same opposition. Jo had to stop bowling after 3 overs due to a reoccurring shoulder injury. This meant Dean and Ollie had to come on sooner. Sam in the context of the game had bowled a great opening spell. Unfortunately no one else could replicate it. A few no balls and wides not helping. Their bats took advantage and pretty much punished every bad ball we dished up and also some of our better deliveries. With 83 on the board Dean got a wicket lbw. The run rate though was around 6. That wouldn’t have been to bad had it stayed there. Due to Jo’s injury we had to find others to bowl his share. So Jack had a go. Did ok but with batsmen in he suffered like the rest going for 42 off his five. This is where our luck got slightly worse. Jack was hit a glancing blow. Fortunately he took the sting out of it getting a hand on it but it still hit him. This meant he had to go off. Deja vu again. 16 overs fielding with 10. With hard hitting good batting things were going to be tough. Their opener hit 9 sixes on his way to a decent century. Dean managed to nip him out but not before he’d hit 115 in 26 overs. 181 with 14 overs remaining. Newton kept the onslaught going. We bowled lots of helpful deliveries and some of the fielding wasn’t of a great standard. A handful of really poor deliveries and another handful of really poor efforts in the field probably gifted them 40 or 50 runs. With ten fielders it was going to be tough but we didn’t help ourselves. The runs kept coming and 332-5 was achieved. Ian and Mark had a go but couldn’t stem the tide. Kieron Whitehead had also struggled like everyone but did manage to take 2 wickets. So some positives there for him, but that was about it. 8 bowlers were used. Newton are a decent side and we struggled to keep things tight. We made a few mistakes and they punished us every time. Even though we were a few players short I still expected a bit more quality and fight than we put up. Everyone gave their all I know but it was a poor effort. Lady Luck wasn’t on our side either with the two injuries.
Still cricket is a funny game. With Ian and Andy Webbe in our team we had a chance however minuscule. That though was pretty much snuffed out with the 8th ball of our batting. Webbe smashing a full bunger straight back at the bowler who made no mistake. Pete then hit one four before chopping on. And when I was caught at slip for 14, our day was truly coming to its inevitable conclusion. This did though give others the chance to bat. Sam was one and after an early reprieve, he batted some time and made some runs. Not at Newton Tracey’s rate but still a decent effort for 31. He got out just after drinks 113-4. Ian was still in and was his defiant self. But as has been the case lately he didn’t have much help. Dean hit 3 fours before he was out lbw. Mark and Kieron were both bowled without troubling the scorer, but Jo managed to hang around for a bit. Ian once again past fifty. But was caught on 64. He couldn’t do it all himself, but his usual mammoth effort keeps his average above 150. After Ian, Ollie was last man. He couldn’t trouble the scorer either and we were put out of our misery. Jack not batting meant 9 wickets was enough. A tame end , but we were beaten by a far better side on the day. One we won’t be seeing next season 😀 We were missing a handful but still no excuses. We were pretty poor all round and need to work hard to be better. After 5 wins in a row we have now lost 3. Against the top 3 teams I know but we haven’t helped ourselves. We have let the quality drop a little and the better teams have punished us. Take nothing away from Newton though. They are a good side on their way up the leagues. We wish them well on their adventure and hopefully one day we can cross swords again and give them a bit more of a challenge. Man of the match goes to Sam. I thought he bowled a very decent opening spell. The spell everyone needs to aspire to. He also fielded ok( one mistake😂). Then he batted well making 31. Well done mate. Keep striving to get better. The bigger rewards will come. Mustn’t not mention Ian who kept, bowled and scored another 50. 4 fifties and one century in 6 innings is a brilliant effort. He just needs one or two to give him a helping hand. Hopefully our two wounded soldiers, Jack and Jo recover quickly. Thanks to Mark and Kieron for helping out. And everyone else for the effort. We gave our all but do need to be better. Thanks to Tim for scoring again. Brilliant as always. Good luck to Newton Tracey in the rise through the leagues. Good set of guys there😀😀 Three more games to go. Let’s dig deep and put in three big performances and hopefully finish on a high. Alphington will be tough as always.
A reminder that’s it’s the chosen ones annual big day next Saturday 17th. Not officially but close enough 😂😂😂The BBQ will be lit and hopefully an epic time will be had by all. Everyone whether playing or not is invited. Everyone else who isn’t otherwise engaged is also invited. Will see how popular I really am😂😂😂 We could do with a crowd to cheer us on. Will definitely make a difference. So all support greatfully received. So let’s pick ourselves up and run rather than fall over the line. See you all next week. Thanks and goodnight 😀😀😍😍💪💪🏏🏏
Still cricket is a funny game. With Ian and Andy Webbe in our team we had a chance however minuscule. That though was pretty much snuffed out with the 8th ball of our batting. Webbe smashing a full bunger straight back at the bowler who made no mistake. Pete then hit one four before chopping on. And when I was caught at slip for 14, our day was truly coming to its inevitable conclusion. This did though give others the chance to bat. Sam was one and after an early reprieve, he batted some time and made some runs. Not at Newton Tracey’s rate but still a decent effort for 31. He got out just after drinks 113-4. Ian was still in and was his defiant self. But as has been the case lately he didn’t have much help. Dean hit 3 fours before he was out lbw. Mark and Kieron were both bowled without troubling the scorer, but Jo managed to hang around for a bit. Ian once again past fifty. But was caught on 64. He couldn’t do it all himself, but his usual mammoth effort keeps his average above 150. After Ian, Ollie was last man. He couldn’t trouble the scorer either and we were put out of our misery. Jack not batting meant 9 wickets was enough. A tame end , but we were beaten by a far better side on the day. One we won’t be seeing next season 😀 We were missing a handful but still no excuses. We were pretty poor all round and need to work hard to be better. After 5 wins in a row we have now lost 3. Against the top 3 teams I know but we haven’t helped ourselves. We have let the quality drop a little and the better teams have punished us. Take nothing away from Newton though. They are a good side on their way up the leagues. We wish them well on their adventure and hopefully one day we can cross swords again and give them a bit more of a challenge. Man of the match goes to Sam. I thought he bowled a very decent opening spell. The spell everyone needs to aspire to. He also fielded ok( one mistake😂). Then he batted well making 31. Well done mate. Keep striving to get better. The bigger rewards will come. Mustn’t not mention Ian who kept, bowled and scored another 50. 4 fifties and one century in 6 innings is a brilliant effort. He just needs one or two to give him a helping hand. Hopefully our two wounded soldiers, Jack and Jo recover quickly. Thanks to Mark and Kieron for helping out. And everyone else for the effort. We gave our all but do need to be better. Thanks to Tim for scoring again. Brilliant as always. Good luck to Newton Tracey in the rise through the leagues. Good set of guys there😀😀 Three more games to go. Let’s dig deep and put in three big performances and hopefully finish on a high. Alphington will be tough as always.
A reminder that’s it’s the chosen ones annual big day next Saturday 17th. Not officially but close enough 😂😂😂The BBQ will be lit and hopefully an epic time will be had by all. Everyone whether playing or not is invited. Everyone else who isn’t otherwise engaged is also invited. Will see how popular I really am😂😂😂 We could do with a crowd to cheer us on. Will definitely make a difference. So all support greatfully received. So let’s pick ourselves up and run rather than fall over the line. See you all next week. Thanks and goodnight 😀😀😍😍💪💪🏏🏏
Bideford 2nd XI v Exeter 3rd XI
03/08/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Keith Berry
5. Dean Whitehead
6. Pete Stevens
7. Fionn Toland
8. Ian Hayter
9. Sam Beckley
10. Eliot Currie
11. Jack Ancill
Umpire. None
Scorer. Tim Lane.
Apologies again to those who didn’t make it. The selection pot has been quite healthy. With more players than we need each week. Each week presenting some tough decisions to make.
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at the Ho! Breakfast club as usual for those who wish, 10:30-11ish.
There will be a small team bonding session😂😂😂 with a BBQ after the game, so am asking each player to bring something to contribute to it.🍗🍗🍔🍔🥓🍺
As you can see from above, no Tim Cooke for the rest of the season. So any ideas or thoughts on an umpire, please share. Can be very useful at times😂😂 . Let’s forget about last week, go again and put in a decent performance. 😀😀💪💪
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Keith Berry
5. Dean Whitehead
6. Pete Stevens
7. Fionn Toland
8. Ian Hayter
9. Sam Beckley
10. Eliot Currie
11. Jack Ancill
Umpire. None
Scorer. Tim Lane.
Apologies again to those who didn’t make it. The selection pot has been quite healthy. With more players than we need each week. Each week presenting some tough decisions to make.
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at the Ho! Breakfast club as usual for those who wish, 10:30-11ish.
There will be a small team bonding session😂😂😂 with a BBQ after the game, so am asking each player to bring something to contribute to it.🍗🍗🍔🍔🥓🍺
As you can see from above, no Tim Cooke for the rest of the season. So any ideas or thoughts on an umpire, please share. Can be very useful at times😂😂 . Let’s forget about last week, go again and put in a decent performance. 😀😀💪💪
Match Report
Game 14 was a home game against Exeter. I was undecided what to do at the toss. Others were too and suggested that I just lose it and then it won’t be my decision. And as it happened I did. They made the decision to bat. That’s now 8 times in a row that we have bowled first. That must be a record 😀 With Giles and Jo both missing it was Sam and Dean who opened the bowling. Both did ok but as is normal for us we couldn’t take an early wicket. 50-0 off the first 10. Matt and Eliot took over. Unusually for Matt the batsman decided to have a go at him and runs flowed. Eliot though faired a bit better and bowled a decent spell. At drinks the score had moved on to 118-0. Still no wickets. Fionn replaced Matt and also struggled a little to stem the flow of runs. Eliot did finally get our first wicket by hitting the stumps. Unfortunately the runs continued to flow at around 7 an over and their score soon passed 200. Keith who had replaced Eliot picked up our second wicket, also bowled. Matt and Sam both picked up late wickets. One caught by me and the other by Andy Webbe. Halfway I thought they might get past 300. But we did ok in spells and kept it to 278. There were though a few lapses in the field and as usual we struggled to take regular wickets. Only 4 this week. It was a long hot fielding effort and chasing their total down was going to be tough. We had the batsman though and if we could bat the overs we wouldn’t be far away. So Jack and Webbe opened up. We kept wickets in hand and Webbe started to find the boundary. 10 overs in we were on par. We would have to keep pushing to keep up with the rate though. Unfortunately Webbe perished for 41, caught at mid off. Fionn, Pete and me were all out in quite quick succession. All bowled. Runs were still ticking along, but wickets was the problem. Pete had hit a six and got a five thanks to over throws from the four balls he faced😂 Jack was still in and he was joined by Ian. When drinks came we were amazingly very similar to them runs wise. Just four wickets worse off. Jack had got himself in, but just as he was looking to push on he was also bowled. We were now 128-5. 10 an over required. Matt supported Ian who was picking off the loose deliveries and dispatching them to the boundary. The scoreboard was ticking nicely along but always just under the rate. Ian past 50, but Matt was struggling to get going. He was finally stumped attempting a big hit. It was now 202-6. But overs were running out. Exeter did help the score along with several wides and Ian was still going. Could anyone help him out? Sam hit a four and a six but was then bowled. Dean was well caught for just 3. And when Keith was out caught for 1. The end was nigh. But Amazingly it wasn’t quite over. Ian still wanted a say. He had pretty much been smashing every third ball he faced to the boundary. 48 was needed with 3 overs left. That became 32 needed of six balls. Was their a fairytale finish coming. First ball 6. Second ball 6. Ian then raised his bat as he had now gotten to his century. What an effort, Surely not😂 Alas though. Third ball, dot😢 a two, a single and then a four by Eliot left us agonisingly 12 runs short. A great effort in the end. Some brilliant hitting from Ian had given us a sniff and made the opposition sweat a little. Losing four wickets before drinks hampered us. Ian needed just that little extra help from someone. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be but it was still a magnificent effort from him. The bowling and fielding could have been better. 30-40 runs less would have given us a massive chance. Exeter batted well though and kept the pressure on. We gave the chase a real good go( well Ian did😀😀) and fell just short. Was a long tiring game but in the end a decent one. Just the seven points for us. Man of the Match obviously goes to Ian for his magnificent century. Never gave up and almost pulled off a miracle. Great effort well done. And another not out means the average is a mere 250😂😂 This result means we finally vacate 6th and drop to 7th. This due to Clyst St George beating Newton Tracey. So we should go there next week with confidence that we can do the same. Everyone else gave their all. We just had an off day. They had a couple decent players also who made a big difference. Thanks to everyone though for the effort. Thanks to Tim who scored and did his usual top class performance. As I said Newton away next week so a nice short journey. They do teas also. I will remind everyone who plays again also. And finally must thank everyone who contributed to the BBQ. Was a decent success I thought. Big thanks must go to Pete who was on cheffing duty. Nobody was ill as far as I know😂😂 A decent game and day. Not the result we wanted, but an entertaining, enjoyable day all the same. Another good day to be beside the sea. Thanks and goodnight 😀😀😀💪💪😍😍
John Weeks
John Weeks
Sidbury 1st XI v Bideford 2nd XI
27/07/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Keith Berry
4. Jo Hale
5. Giles Bashford
6. Fionn Toland
7. James Greenleaf
8. Ian Hayter
9. Jack Ancill
10. Sam Beckley
11. Dean Whitehead
Meet 12ish at Sidbury for a 1pm start. Lifts hopefully all sorted. Also Sidbury provide teas😀😀😀
Massive game for us. Can we keep our winning run going. Must apologise to those who didn’t make the team this week. Loads of availability means tough decisions have to be made. Hopefully the best team is selected each week. Each week seems to be getting tougher. Everyone in the team needs to take their opportunity. 6 games left. I hope for 6 decent performances and 100% effort from all. 💪💪😀😀😍😍
2. Andy Webbe
3. Keith Berry
4. Jo Hale
5. Giles Bashford
6. Fionn Toland
7. James Greenleaf
8. Ian Hayter
9. Jack Ancill
10. Sam Beckley
11. Dean Whitehead
Meet 12ish at Sidbury for a 1pm start. Lifts hopefully all sorted. Also Sidbury provide teas😀😀😀
Massive game for us. Can we keep our winning run going. Must apologise to those who didn’t make the team this week. Loads of availability means tough decisions have to be made. Hopefully the best team is selected each week. Each week seems to be getting tougher. Everyone in the team needs to take their opportunity. 6 games left. I hope for 6 decent performances and 100% effort from all. 💪💪😀😀😍😍
Match Report
So this week was our last real long distance away trip. With the mid Devon show on our trip down took over two hours. Having left early though we got there around 12:20. The team was a decent one and I was hoping for a decent performance. I somehow managed to win the toss and decided for the 7th time in a row that we should have a bowl. Giles and Jo opened up and did a really good job. Jo bowled well but couldn’t take any wickets. Giles though took an early one with an lbw. Webbe then took another excellent slip catch. They were now 17 for 2. A few overs ticked by and a partnership of 40 before in his last over Giles took his 3rd wicket bowled. Dean had replaced Jo and struggled with his line and length. He did somehow manage to get a wicket. Well caught by Webbe at mid off. It was now 64-4. We were in a good position. But the wicket was playing a few tricks and as the game went on more and more deliveries were keeping low. Sam had replaced Giles and Keith had replaced Dean. Keith bowled steadily but took a couple of decent lusty blows which sailed into the trees. So almost 5 an over off his 8 was a little expensive. And unfortunately no wickets. Sam faired a little better going at 3 an over but unfortunately again no wickets. We were fielding ok, but a couple of slack efforts I thought . A little more concentration needed. Lack of wickets meant a partnership of 60 got them to 130-4. Fionn was on and although he went at five an over, again a few lusty hits into the trees. He did manage to pick up three wickets. I caught one 😂😂 One was bowled and finally a stumping was given after great work from Ian. A couple previous decisions not going our way. 139-7 is where we stopped taking wickets. An 8th wicket unbroken stand of 40 got them to a decent total of 181. We started well. Then a Little lapse. Then got back in it with 3 quick wickets. Then another little lapse at the end, conceding 40 off the last 5 overs with no wickets, made their total a more daunting one. Especially how the wicket was now playing. Still under 200 usually gives us a chance. Could we bat out the overs. That would be key. If we could we wouldn’t be far away. For the second time this season we had a tea during the break which was great and very nice. Thanks to Sidbury for that. So the two lefties, Jack and Webbe opened up. If one of them could continue there recent good form and bat some decent amount of time, we’d be in with every chance. Alas not the start we wanted. Jack somehow survived the first delivery. Was it a bump ball? Not sure. Didn’t matter though as the fielder dropped a dolly. Unfortunately though Jack couldn’t survive the first over as he was bowled. Webbe managed to get going hitting a four and a six. James chipped one to cover and was out for 0. Shortly after Webbe was given out lbw . We were now in trouble. The wicket was playing a few games and the bowling was tidy. Some hard work was required. Me and Fionn somehow managed to tick 10 overs by but hardly a run was scored. Then typically of us, we both got out in quick succession. Fionn done by a half tracker that didn’t bounce and I chipped one to point. At 44-5 it was big trouble. Ian and Dean though had other ideas. They ground it out and ticked the overs and scoreboard along nicely. Ian particularly with 3 lusty blows into the trees. The rate Never went too high. With 11 overs remaining we needed 68 more runs. This is were the wicket struck again. Ian bowled by one that pretty much didn’t bounce and was unfortunately straight. Still some wickets left. It would be extremely difficult but u never know. A chance for some of the bowlers to show what they can do with the bat. Possibly due to hardly being required over the last 8 weeks and obviously the the not so great wicket. Things ended very quickly. 114-5 became 120 all out in about 10 balls. I was eventually relieved to see us scrape past 120 and a third batting point. So the run comes to an end. Last weeks rain off probably didn’t help. A long tiring drive down also not helping. Still we gave are all and weren’t far away. We are missing the killer instinct with the bowling. We bowl well just can’t finish teams off. A couple drops and a couple stumpings not given. They may have made a difference. To be fair though Sidbury punished us and batted decently I thought. 181 was an excellent total on that wicket. And they bowled straighter than we did. Made a bit more use of the wicket which obliged several times. So in the end the better side on the day won. But we put up a great fight. Giles and Fionn bowled well and were rewarded with 3 wickets each. Man of the Match probably should go to Ian who did great behind the stumps. If only there was a third umpire. And impressively batted us back into contention, only to be undone by a shooter. Great effort Ian well done. Thanks to all though for the effort, particularly the drivers. The trip down was especially long. This probably puts paid to our promotion aspirations with five games to go. Still if we could win them all you never know. Let’s give it a try and fight to the end. Exeter home next week will be tough but with a decent team out and a Westward Ho! Wicket to play on we have every chance of a positive result. Thanks again to everyone for the effort. No more early starts. We can have a lie in and leave at 12 each week😂😂
A reminder to all that we are going to be firing up the BBQ after next Saturdays game. Would ask everyone to bring something to chuck onto it. Everyone is of course invited to join us😀
Selection looks healthy again so it looks like some tough decision to make again. Thanks and goodnight 😀😀😀😀
A reminder to all that we are going to be firing up the BBQ after next Saturdays game. Would ask everyone to bring something to chuck onto it. Everyone is of course invited to join us😀
Selection looks healthy again so it looks like some tough decision to make again. Thanks and goodnight 😀😀😀😀
Bideford 2nd XI v Upottery 2nd XI
20/07/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Ian Hayter
3. Pete Stevens
4. Jo Hale
5. Sam Beckley
6. Keith Berry
7. Damon Berry
8. Matt Clarke
9. Dean Whitehead
10. Jack Ancill
11. James Greenleaf
Umpire. Tim Cooke
Scorer. None
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Westward Ho!
Breakfast club for those who wish at 11ish.
Game was Cancelled due to the weather. Every game bar one in Devon was affected 😀
2. Ian Hayter
3. Pete Stevens
4. Jo Hale
5. Sam Beckley
6. Keith Berry
7. Damon Berry
8. Matt Clarke
9. Dean Whitehead
10. Jack Ancill
11. James Greenleaf
Umpire. Tim Cooke
Scorer. None
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Westward Ho!
Breakfast club for those who wish at 11ish.
Game was Cancelled due to the weather. Every game bar one in Devon was affected 😀
Kilmington 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
13/07/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Martin Stewart
5. Giles Bashford
6. Jo Hale
7. Keith Berry
8. Damon Berry
9. Pete Stevens
10. Aakash Nehra
11. Jack Ancil
Scorer. Tim Lane
Umpire. None
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Kilmington. Will arrange lifts.
Apologies to those who didn’t make it this week. Some tough decisions to make.
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Martin Stewart
5. Giles Bashford
6. Jo Hale
7. Keith Berry
8. Damon Berry
9. Pete Stevens
10. Aakash Nehra
11. Jack Ancil
Scorer. Tim Lane
Umpire. None
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Kilmington. Will arrange lifts.
Apologies to those who didn’t make it this week. Some tough decisions to make.
Match Report
Due to standby kicking in I’m sat at home on a Saturday night unable to drown my sorrows or celebrate today’s game😂😂 But what I can do is get my report out nice and early whilst it’s still fresh in the memory. So no late changes to the side meant we had a decent side. An early 10am departure and a long drive ahead. All the way down the weather looked threatening. On arrival it was drizzly. But by the time the game was due to start, it had cleared. I won a vital toss. We would bowl. First job done. Jo and Giles opened the bowling. Both did a good job. The odd boundary but very few loose deliveries kept the rate around four an over. Giles got the first wicket well caught by Jack. Matt and Martin then took over. Both did exceptional jobs. I must apologise as I dropped an easy one off Matt. Sorry mate😂 Fortunately it wasn’t too costly as Martin nicked him off a couple overs later. They both kept the runs in check which was great. 76 at drinks was ok. We were bowling well and keeping it tight but couldn’t make many breakthroughs. With 12 overs left 110-2. I turned to Aakash. He bowled an exceptional first over. Three away ones followed by an in ducker. Middle stump removed. This is where the rain came. Lasted 25 minutes. 5 overs lost and 5 overs remaining. 126-3. Aakash resumed bowling. He nicked off their number 5. A decent take by Pete. In the same over he hit the stumps again. Brilliant from him. Martin bowled his final over. Bowled it well. Aakash back on. Their opener who was on 80 was going well until Pete pulled off a blinder. No feet movement but flung himself through the air and took an amazing one handed catch. Aakash then took his fifth wicket. Another decent effort from Pete, running back and taking it well on the run. The final total was 143-7. Some brilliant catches from Pete. But Aakash was sensational, 5-8 off 4 overs. Maybe he needs to come a little sooner😀 Quite extraordinary and our first five wicket haul of the season. An excellent effort from all. Didn’t bowl them out again but a top effort from all. Now all we needed to do was bat well and hope the rain stayed away. Jack and Webbe opened up and got us off to a great start. The clouds threatened all through but never quite enough to stop the game. Both batted sensible, punishing the bad deliveries. They kept us comfortably above the rate throughout their partnership. Jack in particular hit some excellent shots. Two or three of the best cover drives for four I’ve seen in a while. Their partnership ended on 81. Webbe out caught. Pete hit two fours before he was bowled and I hit one before I was bowled also. Jack though finally finished the job off. With 11 overs and 6 wickets in tact. 87 not out was an awesome effort. It included 15 fours. The weather held off just enough. I was sweating a little when it started to drizzle with on 14 overs bowled. But thankfully it held off for us. 18 points is a top effort. 94 out of a possible 100. Man of the Match is remarkably tough this week. With 3 outstanding performances I really don’t know where to go. Pete’s four catches were all decent in their own way and definitely worth a watch on YouTube. In truth though I can’t separate Aakash and Jack. So on this rare occasion I’m going to give a joint one. Aakash’s spell was a spectacular one and again well worth a watch. And Jack did a brilliant and professional job to see us all the way home in comfort. Brilliant both. The whole team did their jobs pretty well and for the fifth time saw us home to a fairly comfortable victory. Once again the bowlers bowled and the batsmen batted. Everyone had a job and everyone did it well. Great effort guys. Thanks from me for that. Must thank Tim for trekking to Kilmington with us and doing another Stirling job scoring. Always a great help. Must thank all who drove. Again very much appreciated. Thanks to Kilmington who provided two umpires. Endless cups of tea and some cakes. All round another great day topped off by an enjoyable hour with drinking and chat in the pub down the road. The team spirit is brilliant and it’s a pleasure to be part of such a great team. Everyone seems to be enjoying it and everyone is happy for others when they do well. Brilliant to see. A proper team 💪 The momentum is building, the train is carrying on it’s merry way. Where will it stop nobody knows 😀 Hopefully it won’t. Five in a row. Not sure in my time it’s been done before. Please correct me if anyone knows any different. Brilliant, super, fantastic. Different people stepping up each week is great to see. The depth in the squad is incredible and can only be a good thing. Nobody appreciates everyone’s effort more than I do. So let’s keep it going. Upottery next week will again be a tough one. They have won a few in a row also. A couple missing for us next week but with the squad we have hopefully still a quality side out. Up the Bideford 2nds. The greatest XI in the world. Thanks once again and goodnight 😀😀😀😀😀😀💪💪💪💪💪💪😍😍😍😍😍😍
Bideford 2nd XI v Whimple 2nd XI
06/07/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Fionn Toland
4. Keith Berry
5. Alex Stevens
6. Matt Clarke
7. Martin Stewart
8. Pete Stevens
9. Sam Beckley
10. Damon Berry
11. Ollie Keates
Umpire. Anyone able to or know someone who could help us out, let me know. They’ll be greatly appreciated 😀😀
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Westward Ho! Breakfast club for those who wish 10:30-11ish.
2. Andy Webbe
3. Fionn Toland
4. Keith Berry
5. Alex Stevens
6. Matt Clarke
7. Martin Stewart
8. Pete Stevens
9. Sam Beckley
10. Damon Berry
11. Ollie Keates
Umpire. Anyone able to or know someone who could help us out, let me know. They’ll be greatly appreciated 😀😀
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Westward Ho! Breakfast club for those who wish 10:30-11ish.
Match Report
Game 10 was the first game of the second half the season. And it was a home game against Whimple. The first game away was rained off. Even though there were a few players missing we were still able to put out a decent side. Fionn was back for his first game and Martin Stewart was back after injury. As usual though things changed. Two drop outs Friday and Saturday morning meant finding two replacements. So thanks to Damon Berry and Alex Stevens for stepping in. Over night the rain was torrential. Lots of thunder and lightning keep most of us up though the night. On arrival at the ground the covers where probably 80 meters from where they should have been. This meant a wet wicket. But thanks to the wind and drainage. By the time we were due to start it was just about ok to start. We warmed up with our usual fried baps and were able to start on time. Thankfully I was able to win the toss and elected to bowl first. This was a relief for the rest of the team. With no Giles and Aakash in the first XI i asked Sam to bowl up the hill and Martin to bowl some pace down the hill. Both did ok but couldn’t make a breakthrough. After 3 overs I decided to save Martin for his spin later on. Matt came on and took the first wicket caught by me at mid off. Unfortunately our curse resurfaced as we dropped 3 or 4 catches mainly of Matt. The main opposition batsmen as well which didn’t help. Keith took over from Sam who did take a good catch at cover. Matt only took one wicket but was his usual economical self. Alex Stevens took a fairly straight forward catch also off Keith’s bowling. Their main batter that we had dropped was punishing us with the odd four or six. But other than that the run rate was kept in check fairly well. Going at around 4 runs an over throughout. Ollie replaced Keith and we finally held onto the big catch. Martin taking it. A run out and then a late stumping by Pete off of Fionn’s bowling gave us the six wickets that we took. Had we held some earlier catches we may have been able to bowl them out. Unfortunately we have struggled all season to do that. Still the run rate was just over four at 164-6. Not the wickets we desired but we were plenty happy at keeping them to that total. Apart from the catching everyone fielded well and going into the second half we were feeling confident. With a slightly changed side I decided it was my turn to step up and partner Webbe for yet another new opening partnership. Although as usual I looked a bit unorthodox, I managed to help Webbe get us off to a decent start. We ran quite a few twos. Mainly off my miss timed shots which only went halfway to the boundary. We did time a handful though and ticked the score past 50. Unfortunately that’s where it ended. First me for 30 and then Webbe for 24. We were now 64-2 and 100 shy. Fionn at 3 was joined by Pete who was four. They did similar to me and Webbe. Fionn playing the elegant innings and Pete a bit like I did. They took the score to near the 100 mark. Pete then didn’t seem to know what he wanted to do with the slow delivery and before he knew it he was bowled. Fionn still in though and we’d need him to bat through. He needed a partner though. And he found one in Damon. There was an early half chance for Damon but other than that, they seemed to quite comfortably knock off the remaining 60 odd runs. Fionn was excellent. Especially at dispatching the short deliveries to the boundary. Damon also smashed several great shots down the ground for fours. Both picked the right balls to take on. Fionn got his deserved half century whilst hitting the winning runs. 50 not out was excellent. As was Damon’s 28 not out. Finishing 165-3 was another awesome effort from the batsmen and another very professional job. Each week the batting and the bowling has been great. The confidence is growing and each week we are passing the test. Catching is the only real negative at the moment. It’s costing us the odd point here and there. Which may come back to haunt us at the end. Still mustn’t dwell on that as it was another thoroughly brilliant performance. 18 more points means 76 out of a possible 80. Man of the match is fairly straightforward. As I said everyone played their part. But somebody did stand out and that someone was Fionn. Fielded excellent when required. Bowled 6 very respectable overs and with Webbe out he took on his roll and saw us all the way home. He did it in style and it never looked like it was his first game of the season. Great effort mate well done. Must mention Damon who also batted great. Matt was exceptional again with the ball. Everyone else contributed to a well deserved victory. The game ended just in time for us to watch some of the second half of Englands game and of course the extra time and penalties. So things worked out almost perfectly in the end. Just the one Tim to thank this week with another great scoring effort. Appreciated as always. Next week is the long tough trip to Kilmington who are also doing well. Perform as we have and we will have every chance. 4 in a row is amazing and not something that happens often. Can we get 5? You never know. One great stat from our last 5 batting efforts is we have lost just twelve wickets. With 900 runs scored. Our number 6 has been redundant. That’s amazing to me. And shows the application that’s been applied. Great efforts. So finally thanks to all for the effort. Hopefully with decent availability we can give it a real go again next week. Well done Bideford 2nds, well done England. On we both roll. Where will it all end? Who knows😃😃😀😀😂😂 Thanks and goodnight 😀😀
John Weeks
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v North Devon 3rds
29/06/24
Team sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. James Greenleaf
5. Aakash Nehra
6. Pete Stevens
7. Keith Berry
8. Dean Whitehead
9. Giles Bashford
10. Sam Beckley
11. Ollie Keates
Umpire. Tim Cooke
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Westward Ho!
Breakfast club for those who wish to attend 10:30-11ish. Also don’t forget the party of the year. Jack Ford’s 21st birthday after the game😀😀🍺🍔🎂🎂
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. James Greenleaf
5. Aakash Nehra
6. Pete Stevens
7. Keith Berry
8. Dean Whitehead
9. Giles Bashford
10. Sam Beckley
11. Ollie Keates
Umpire. Tim Cooke
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Westward Ho!
Breakfast club for those who wish to attend 10:30-11ish. Also don’t forget the party of the year. Jack Ford’s 21st birthday after the game😀😀🍺🍔🎂🎂
Match Report
So to the halfway point of the season and the local derby against North Devon. Unbelievably we were a completely unchanged side. A very rare occurrence for us. Normally at least 3 or 4 changes. With two away victories in a row and North Devon yet to win, we were in a confident mood. The weather was decent and half the team turned up early for the pre match fried offerings from Cabana😂 very nice too😀 We have been bowling well lately and if I won the toss that is what I’d like to have done. But on losing the toss they decided they wanted to bat, so everything worked itself out. Giles and Sam opened together as normal and both did a decent job. Neither was able to snap up a wicket but both were fairly economical. The first wicket was a run out. James Greenleaf was the star. The batsman thought he’d not stopped the ball properly, so took him on. His partner had a better view, so didn’t move. James calmly threw the ball to Pete who casually took off the bails. The other opener hit the odd boundary and the score ticked along around 3 an over. Matt took over from Sam and bowled 18 dots. Then more excellent fielding from James. A decent catch at short cover off Matt. They had gotten to fifty just 2 down. This is where things changed. Keith came on and did a great job. He enticed there opener to go for one which Sam excellently caught at deep square. Webbe and Giles took simple catches off Keith also. Pete then did well running backwards to give Keith his fourth wicket. He bowled through his spell taking 4-20 off 8. Excellent effort. Aakash had now replaced Matt. He bowled an exceptional spell. He was rewarded with a wicket caught behind by Pete. It looked as though we were going to bowl them out for below 100. But some late lusty blows took them past 3 figures. Ollie and Dean were tasked with finishing them off. This they finally managed to do. Ollie had 2 wickets bowled. And Dean took the 10th wicket, a simple catch for Ollie. So 130 all out. Another great bowling effort again. The catches in the main fairly simple and were taken well. One blemish though. Neither Aakash or Giles shouted loudly enough. Both ended up watching it drop between them. But in all a good effort and a professional job done. Chasing 130 should have been a fairly comfortable chase for us particularly at the Ho! And with line up we had. But we mustn’t be complacent. Andy Webbe and the Green man where another new opening partnership. It’s changing every week for varying reasons. But they had batted well together at Clyst St George, so hopefully they could do the same again. Well 3 overs in 24 was on the board. James had 4, Webbe 1. Plenty of wides meant that they didn’t need to play any big shots. We were being gifted runs. From then on though there weren’t so many. But there were plenty of easy hit balls. Both put these deliveries away well. They obviously didn’t fancy running much. Both raced along. Both hit 11 fours. Webbe added 2 sixes also. Both got to raise their bats as they past fifty. Webbe got the honour of top score, hitting the winning boundary. 56 of Webbe’s 58 runs he didn’t actually run for 😂😂 We had cantered to victory in 15 overs without losing a wicket. Another excellent and professional effort. Everyone did their jobs well and we got the job done. Man of the match is tough. Everyone did well. Keith bowled an excellent spell. I thought Aakash bowled excellent also. The fielding all round was decent. Sam’s catch the highlight😀 Then batting, well only two got to have a go but they did the job well. Webbe was his usual self. Waiting for the loose one and then sending it to the boundary. But today I’m going for James Greenleaf. Two decent knocks in a row. Todays one seeing us comfortably home. He also fielded excellently. Taking a great catch and of course kept his head for the run out. Great effort mate well done. Massive asset to the team. Getting better each week. Thanks to all for the effort. 3 wins on the bounce. Can we dare dream of four? Well with Whimple seeing off Alphington for their first win, we mustn’t take anything for granted. Hopefully we will have another decent team out. If we continue to perform as we have been we will have every chance of another positive result. Finally must thank the two Tim’s again for their invaluable umpiring and scoring performances. Exemplary as always. We were done by five so were able to keep an eye on the first eleven scores. Another nail biter, which they once again managed to come out on top of. So well done to them, another Stirling effort. Consistency is the key. It breeds positive results. Lets keep it going. Whimple at home for us next week. Can we make it four? Let’s hope so. Thanks to everyone again. A few players missed out this week due to a lot of availability. Looks like this is going to be a regular thing from now on. So pressure on everyone to perform. Lots of options. Keeps everyone on their toes😀😀 The after party was well attend obviously 😂 and was an excellent night. Apparently lasting way into the small hours. Hopefully everyone had a great time. Especially Jack😀😀😀Was great to see so many there. And the food was exceptional thanks Jenny😀😀 So that’s it from me for this week. See you all next week. Thanks and good night 😀😀💪💪
John Weeks
John Weeks
Clyst St George 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
22/06/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. James Greenleaf
3. Andy Webbe
4. Matt Clarke
5. Ollie Keates
6. Keith Berry
7. Dean Whitehead
8. Giles Bashford
9. Pete Stevens
10. Aakash Nehra
11. Sam Beckley
No umpire or scorer
Meet 12ish at Clyst St George for a 1pm start. Will arrange lifts.
2. James Greenleaf
3. Andy Webbe
4. Matt Clarke
5. Ollie Keates
6. Keith Berry
7. Dean Whitehead
8. Giles Bashford
9. Pete Stevens
10. Aakash Nehra
11. Sam Beckley
No umpire or scorer
Meet 12ish at Clyst St George for a 1pm start. Will arrange lifts.
Match Report
So onto game number 8. An away trip to Clyst St George. The forecast looked decent and for once was correct. The first team had pinched Eliot and Jack from last week. But due to our strength in depth we could call on Pete and Aakash to step in. This meant another decent side out. The back bone of the team still there. So with Matt having to leave early I was hoping to win the toss and field first. Unfortunately I lost the toss but was delighted to be asked to field first. Giles and Sam opened up as usual. Giles started great. Surprisingly I can start by saying two great catches were taken. One by Aakash at mid off. And the other a decent one at slip by Webbe. Two down for not many. That though brought there star batsman to the crease. Had we continued our catching form he’d have been strolling back without troubling the score much. But unfortunately 3 or 4 drops meant that we gave him the opportunity to show what he could do. He rode his luck and smashed the ball to all parts. When he wasn’t on strike we did manage to nip out a couple other batsmen. Matt bowled well taking two wickets. One bowled and the other a very decent sharp catch again at slip by Webbe. Matt, Dean and Keith all took a fair bit of punishment but finally off Ollie’s bowling I managed to hold on to a catch at cow corner and their batsmen was out on 80. A couple of their youngsters batted quite well towards the end and took Clyst past the 200 mark. The innings finished 220-6. We bowled ok but a few lapses in the field probably cost us maximum bowling points. Had we taken the catches we would also probably have kept them to below 200. Bowling sides out is something we struggle to do. But still not to bad an effort. Bat sensibly and we would have every chance.
A nice surprise between innings was a decent tea provided by Clyst. If I’d known I wouldn’t have devoured a johns pasty pre match😂 But was very nice, so thanks to Clyst for that.
With Matt needing to leave early he opened up the batting with Webbe. Unfortunately Matt only made 6 before he was bowled. James then wondered out to join Webbe. Both did a decent job. Webbe in particular waited for the loose deliveries and dispatched them accordingly. There was probably one or two an over. James obviously didn’t fancy running much as he hit 8 fours on his way to 36 before he was out bowled. Still a decent partnership with webbe had gotten us to 97-2. I went in at four. I’m not the most technically gifted batsman. But I did manage to keep Webbe company for a while. And help a bit with the scoreboard. Unlike James I was forced to run a bit. Lots of twos and even a three😂😂. Webbe past fifty and was looking in great form. No chances of note. 3 figures was on the cards. With our partnership on exactly 100, I went for one big hit too many and was caught at long off. That left Pete and Webbe 24 to knock off. This they did fairly comfortably. Unfortunately for Webbe he fell short off a century but 89 not out, batting through 36 overs is a brilliant performance and exactly what the team required. 223-3 and in the end a fairly comfortable chase. Not bowling them out meant 18 points. That’s still a decent effort though. Man of the match is easy. Webbe took two great slip catches and then rolled back the years with a text book innings. Waiting for the loose deliveries and then having the ability to put them away. A cracking match winning innings. So very well done to him. Everyone bowled ok. A little slack in the fielding/ catching. And a very good batting effort. So a decent all round performance. Two away wins in a row. That doesn’t happen often 😀 Next week is home to North Devon. The half way point of the season. Then Whimple at home. So two great chances to take two more wins. If we can put out teams and put in performances like the last two, then we have every chance of doing it. So thanks to all for the effort. Pats on the back for all. An extra one for Webbe. And mustn’t finish with congratulating Ewan on his first Devon league ton and another great win for the first team. Well done all. Thanks to all who drove, appreciated as always. Can we keep momentum going? Let’s hope so. Thanks and goodnight.😀😀😀😀
John Weeks
A nice surprise between innings was a decent tea provided by Clyst. If I’d known I wouldn’t have devoured a johns pasty pre match😂 But was very nice, so thanks to Clyst for that.
With Matt needing to leave early he opened up the batting with Webbe. Unfortunately Matt only made 6 before he was bowled. James then wondered out to join Webbe. Both did a decent job. Webbe in particular waited for the loose deliveries and dispatched them accordingly. There was probably one or two an over. James obviously didn’t fancy running much as he hit 8 fours on his way to 36 before he was out bowled. Still a decent partnership with webbe had gotten us to 97-2. I went in at four. I’m not the most technically gifted batsman. But I did manage to keep Webbe company for a while. And help a bit with the scoreboard. Unlike James I was forced to run a bit. Lots of twos and even a three😂😂. Webbe past fifty and was looking in great form. No chances of note. 3 figures was on the cards. With our partnership on exactly 100, I went for one big hit too many and was caught at long off. That left Pete and Webbe 24 to knock off. This they did fairly comfortably. Unfortunately for Webbe he fell short off a century but 89 not out, batting through 36 overs is a brilliant performance and exactly what the team required. 223-3 and in the end a fairly comfortable chase. Not bowling them out meant 18 points. That’s still a decent effort though. Man of the match is easy. Webbe took two great slip catches and then rolled back the years with a text book innings. Waiting for the loose deliveries and then having the ability to put them away. A cracking match winning innings. So very well done to him. Everyone bowled ok. A little slack in the fielding/ catching. And a very good batting effort. So a decent all round performance. Two away wins in a row. That doesn’t happen often 😀 Next week is home to North Devon. The half way point of the season. Then Whimple at home. So two great chances to take two more wins. If we can put out teams and put in performances like the last two, then we have every chance of doing it. So thanks to all for the effort. Pats on the back for all. An extra one for Webbe. And mustn’t finish with congratulating Ewan on his first Devon league ton and another great win for the first team. Well done all. Thanks to all who drove, appreciated as always. Can we keep momentum going? Let’s hope so. Thanks and goodnight.😀😀😀😀
John Weeks
Alphington 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
15/06/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Jack Ancil
5. James Greenleaf
6. Dean Whitehead
7. Sam Beckley
8. Keith Berry
9. Giles Bashford
10. Eliot Currie
11. Ollie Keates
No umpire, no scorer
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Alphington.
Will arrange lifts😀😀😀😀
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Jack Ancil
5. James Greenleaf
6. Dean Whitehead
7. Sam Beckley
8. Keith Berry
9. Giles Bashford
10. Eliot Currie
11. Ollie Keates
No umpire, no scorer
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Alphington.
Will arrange lifts😀😀😀😀
Match Report
Yay, the team was selected on Wednesday night, posted, and remained unchanged😀 First time this season 😂 So with five changes to the team from the previous week we were a very different looking team. We had all bases covered. The forecast was for showers between 1 and 3. It rained on and off all the way down but on arrival looked ok. But typically as we went out to field after winning the toss, it started to rain. Fortunately it only lasted about 20 minutes so we decided not to lose any overs, just carry on as normal. So Sam was back and he partnered Giles opening the bowling. Sam did ok but not quite his usual self. Both got hit for a few boundaries but in between were decent. Giles picked up the first wicket bowled. Matt and Keith took over and did an excellent job. Alphington had gotten themselves to 59-1, fairly even. But Matt swung things in our direction. Nicked off their captain which was a big wicket. He’s made us pay in the past. Then Keith decided to bowl the moon ball😂 When it finally decided to return to earth it was missed by the batsman, how I don’t know and then after bouncing it clipped off the bails. Another big wicket. Matt continued his amazing bowling and bowled another batsmen. 8-4-13-2 is outstanding again. Eliot replaced Keith and quickly got into the action. A decent catch by Matt and an lbw. 2-15 was an excellent, economical performance and hopefully Eliot can replicate this in future games. Dean replaced Matt and was also excellent. Alphington had ticked past 100 runs but we kept the wickets tumbling. Dean helped himself to 3. One of each, caught, lbw and bowled. Giles came back and finished the job. A decent catch by Ollie. So 119 all out is a brilliant effort and gives us an excellent opportunity to take the win. Everyone did well, all the bowlers. Everyone also field well. Thought Webbe did a decent job behind the stumps. I got credited with his catch😂 might change it, we’ll see 😂😂
So after the break Webbe and Jack opened up. 4 balls in and Webbe had put two over deep square leg and into the hedge. Nice start😀 Jack then also played a couple of excellent shots. Together they ticked the scoreboard along and look like they might take us most of the way home. Unfortunately Webbe was given out lbw even though he hit it. The score was on 48. James Greenleaf joined Jack who was going really well. He did a great job but again unfortunately couldn’t quite finish the job. Still he had gotten us to 90-2. So the back of the chase was broken and left just 30 for me and James to knock off. We did this relatively comfortably. And in a decent time. Just 23 overs required and job done. Both me and James 20 not out. In all a brilliant team performance. Literally everyone contributing. Bowlers bowled well, fielders fielded well and the batsmen batted well. Everyone did their job and showed what we can do. So thanks to everyone for the effort made. Let’s try and keep it up. If we can have similar teams each week anything is possible. This all round performance has made man of the match a tough one this week. But after much thought I have decided to go with Jack. The bowlers and fielders had done a great job setting up the game. Jack then held us together with the bat and saw us most of the way home. His batting along with webbe meant we crossed the line comfortably. Had he got out earlier we’d have had a lot more pressure to deal with. A decent knock I thought. So well done to him. I’m sure 3 figures aren’t far away. Must also mention Eliot who bowled an excellent spell. Can he do it again next week? Let’s hope so. Matt, Keith, Giles and Dean were all excellent too. Brilliant effort all round. Thanks to the drivers appreciated as always. Clyst St George away next week. Let’s put a similar performance in and then we will have an excellent chance. 20 massive points for us. Can’t finish without congratulating the firsts on yet another tight epic finish. Watching play cricket is great but having a web cam to watch would be absolutely awesome. If the club is ever in a position to get one I’m giving it my vote right now. I’m sure the winning scenes were epic😀 so great day for the club. Great effort by everyone. Up the Bide😀😂😍💪Thanks and Goodnight 😀😀😀😀
So after the break Webbe and Jack opened up. 4 balls in and Webbe had put two over deep square leg and into the hedge. Nice start😀 Jack then also played a couple of excellent shots. Together they ticked the scoreboard along and look like they might take us most of the way home. Unfortunately Webbe was given out lbw even though he hit it. The score was on 48. James Greenleaf joined Jack who was going really well. He did a great job but again unfortunately couldn’t quite finish the job. Still he had gotten us to 90-2. So the back of the chase was broken and left just 30 for me and James to knock off. We did this relatively comfortably. And in a decent time. Just 23 overs required and job done. Both me and James 20 not out. In all a brilliant team performance. Literally everyone contributing. Bowlers bowled well, fielders fielded well and the batsmen batted well. Everyone did their job and showed what we can do. So thanks to everyone for the effort made. Let’s try and keep it up. If we can have similar teams each week anything is possible. This all round performance has made man of the match a tough one this week. But after much thought I have decided to go with Jack. The bowlers and fielders had done a great job setting up the game. Jack then held us together with the bat and saw us most of the way home. His batting along with webbe meant we crossed the line comfortably. Had he got out earlier we’d have had a lot more pressure to deal with. A decent knock I thought. So well done to him. I’m sure 3 figures aren’t far away. Must also mention Eliot who bowled an excellent spell. Can he do it again next week? Let’s hope so. Matt, Keith, Giles and Dean were all excellent too. Brilliant effort all round. Thanks to the drivers appreciated as always. Clyst St George away next week. Let’s put a similar performance in and then we will have an excellent chance. 20 massive points for us. Can’t finish without congratulating the firsts on yet another tight epic finish. Watching play cricket is great but having a web cam to watch would be absolutely awesome. If the club is ever in a position to get one I’m giving it my vote right now. I’m sure the winning scenes were epic😀 so great day for the club. Great effort by everyone. Up the Bide😀😂😍💪Thanks and Goodnight 😀😀😀😀
Bideford 2nd XI v Newton Tracey 1st
08/06/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Keith Berry
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Dean Whitehead
5. Ollie Keates
6. Joe Stevens
7. Giles Bashford
8. Rob Boundy
9. Jack Ancil
10. Pete Stevens
11. Sam Shardlow
Umpire. Tim Cooke
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Westward Ho!
10:30ish for breakfast club for those who wish. And also we are gonna try a BBQ after the game. I will bring stuff but anyone else is welcome to bring stuff to chuck on 😀🌭🍗🍔🥩🥓🍺🍺cheers
2. Keith Berry
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Dean Whitehead
5. Ollie Keates
6. Joe Stevens
7. Giles Bashford
8. Rob Boundy
9. Jack Ancil
10. Pete Stevens
11. Sam Shardlow
Umpire. Tim Cooke
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at Westward Ho!
10:30ish for breakfast club for those who wish. And also we are gonna try a BBQ after the game. I will bring stuff but anyone else is welcome to bring stuff to chuck on 😀🌭🍗🍔🥩🥓🍺🍺cheers
Match Report
This was the one week during the season where it seemed like half of the clubs playing members were unavailable or injured. The injury list seems to be growing by the day. This made selection fairly straightforward due to only just having enough players. Available and you were in😂 So the sun was out and the Ho! Was looking splendid as it always does. We were welcoming our neighbours from down the road Newton Tracey. Our first Devon league encounter with them. They’d had a good start and we’d had an indifferent one, so it was going to be a tough game. With several players missing bowling first was probably the way to go. I won the toss and duly stuck them in to bat. Giles was back and would open the bowling with Dean. Dean struggled with a shoulder injury but did take a wicket caught well caught by Darren at slip. Remember that because I probably won’t be repeating that sentence again 😂😂😂 Darren took over from Dean after two overs. He did well and deserved a wicket but unfortunately the catch was dropped. The first of many. Both batters were punishing our loose deliveries and the scoreboard was ticking along around 6 an over. Rob Boundy was playing his first game for us in a long while. Unfortunately our injury list gained another member. After 3 overs another shoulder injury meant Rob couldn’t continue so that meant 20 overs with 10 fielders. Keith, Ollie, Sam, Jo and Dean again all bowled ok but with wickets in hand due to several dropped catches, Newton were racing along. They had 200 with 10 overs to spare. We managed to pick up another wicket, but that only brought Marcus Bulled to the crease. He smashed us to all parts, making 73 off not many balls. At least half a dozen sixes. We tried our best but the fielding was poor. Double figures in drops didn’t help. Most of them were fairly straight forward. So after a long hot stint in the field Newton finished 309-3. Taking at least some of our chances could have restricted them to less than 250 which would have made things a lot more interesting. So after the break Dean and Jack opened up. Both did well. Was always going to be tough to keep up with the rate. Fortunately for us the dropping catches disease was very infectious . Newton dropped two easy ones before they took Deans wicket. I joined Jack who had been going nicely until he was well caught at slip. I was then joined by Sam who hit one nice shot for four but then perished. Pete was next and together we started to put a partnership together. Admittedly helped all the way by several more dropped catches. I was dropped, then Pete was dropped several times in quick succession. But we both made the most of this. Boundaries were ticking the score along nicely and by drinks we were around the hundred mark. Pete struck the ball well and quickly raced to 50. The run rate was always tough to keep up with. The odd tight over meant it was always creeping up. With 10 overs to go we needed 12 an over. This is were I perished for 47. A 100 partnership had at least meant we would comfortably make 200 and the full amount of batting points. Keith joined Pete who was continuing on his merry way. We were probably never going to get to their total but we at least made a good fist of it. Pete was launching every other ball to the boundary and for the first time ever he made it to 3 figures. A remarkable performance and one that showed what he can do. He did it in style with six. We unfortunately ran out of overs and finished on 250-5. A decent effort I thought. Had we bowled slightly better, fielded slightly better and certainly caught a lot better things could have been different. With several players missing at least we weren’t blown away. Man of the match can only go one way. Pete showed what he can do and finally after 35 years of trying he made a magnificent century. Here’s hoping it’s not a one off. Amazingly he did play a little sensible and blocked a few. Great effort mate . Well done. Fielding definitely needs working on. I think us and Newton will be putting in a bit extra practice this week 😂 So a long hard day but some positives to take. Hopefully with a few back next week we can hopefully put in a more consistent performance. Our bowling and fielding had be good up to this week. If we can get both batting and fielding right, results should go our way. So thanks to Newton Tracey for a decent game. Well played and good luck for the rest of the season. Thanks to all the players for the effort. Thanks to Rob for helping out. Shame it didn’t last to long. Thanks as always to the two Tim’s for their always outstanding umpiring and scoring efforts. The after game BBQ was decent, everyone chipped in and hopefully nobody was ill after😂 So in all was a decent day just a shame about the result. Next week is Alphington away. Will again be tough but with a little more consistency we will always have a chance. Thanks again and Goodnight 😀😀
John Weeks
John Weeks
Exeter 3rd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
01/06/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Keith Berry
3. Jo Hale
4. Pete Stevens
5. Mate Clarke
6. Sam Shardlow
7. Dean Whitehead
8. Eliot Currie
9. Sam Beckley
10. Jack Ancil
11. Aakash Nehra
Meet 12ish for a 1pm Start at Winslade Park, EX5 1FY. Let’s hope we arrive in plenty of time this season😂😂😂
Will arrange lifts😀
No umpire or scorer
2. Keith Berry
3. Jo Hale
4. Pete Stevens
5. Mate Clarke
6. Sam Shardlow
7. Dean Whitehead
8. Eliot Currie
9. Sam Beckley
10. Jack Ancil
11. Aakash Nehra
Meet 12ish for a 1pm Start at Winslade Park, EX5 1FY. Let’s hope we arrive in plenty of time this season😂😂😂
Will arrange lifts😀
No umpire or scorer
Finally we had a nice hot sunny day to play cricket. The usual selection issues arising on Friday night. Thanks for that Martin Stewart😂😂 But thanks to Greenleaf stepping in our team didn’t change. Thankfully the journey down was uneventful and we arrived in plenty of time. This week I called wrong and was asked to bat. Jack and Eliot opening up. Some decent bowling and a low wicket made things tough from the start. Both openers were bowled out cheaply. New guy Sam Shardlow perished also and Pete didn’t trouble the scoreboard much either. At 30odd for 4 we were in a bit of a pickle. Me and Matt saw out a few overs but also struggled to add much to the score. With the score around 60 I was out lbw. Matt was then stumped. Aakash followed soon after also stumped without troubling the score. Sam and Dean added a handful of runs each but were both soon wondering back to the pavilion. When Jo nicked behind we were all out for a below par score of 93. The bowling was good to be fair but leaving 7 overs out there was not great. In the end had we batted them things could have been very different. A little lack of quality in the batting cost us. Still we had some decent bowlers and on a low wicket we always had a sniff. Sam and Jo opened up. Both did well and Jo picked up a wicket lbw. We kept the run rate in check. But defending 2 an over was always going to be tough. Matt and Keith took over and did an amazing job. Both bowling their 8 over. Both took 2 wickets also. 40-5 at drinks was an exceptional effort. We were right in the game. Unfortunately though they showed us how we should have batted. To older heads basically just ticked through the overs. Picking up the odd run here and there. Slowly but surely edging towards the target. Keeping wickets in hand and with about 25 balls to go they crossed the line. Dean and Aakash tried but unfortunately couldn’t make a breakthrough. So as with last week we looked like we were beaten comfortably. But again we weren’t far off. As I said before. Bat all our over, score 30 or 40 more. Things could have been different. The bowling and fielding was excellent and has been each time we’ve played. We just let ourselves down a bit with the batting. Very different lineups not helping with that. Three different opening pairs and two washouts doesn’t give us any consistency. But we fought hard and made it a good game. Had we bowled first things could have gone our way. Man of the match can only go one way. Matt Clarke bowled an exceptionally good spell. 8 overs for just 7 runs and he deserved more than the 2 wickets he took. Top scored with the bat also. So well done to him. Must Mention Keith who also did great bowling through his 8 overs for just 20 runs. Jo bowled well also. And finally gotta mention Aakash’s catch. Excellently done diving forward at deep square leg. Great effort. So in summary, a little more work and consistency with the bat and we will always have a shout with the bowling we have. Having said that we will be losing most of them next week due to work and injuries. Never just one at a time. We have 3 on the injury list and two working. But that does give others the opportunity to step up. So hopefully they will. Newton Tracey at home next week will be tough again but if we work hard we will always have a chance. Thanks to all the drivers. Appreciated as always. Let’s go again next week. Thanks and goodnight.
John Week😀😀💪💪😍😍
John Week😀😀💪💪😍😍
Match Report
Bideford 2nd XI v Sidbury 1st XI
25/05/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Ian Hayter
3. Jo Hale
4. Matt Clarke
5. Dean Whitehead
6. Keith Berry
7. Giles Bashford
8. Dan Pettit
9. Sam Beckley
10. James Greenleaf
11. Ollie Keates
Umpire.?
Scorer Tim Lane
Please arrive 12ish for 1pm start
Hopefully the rain will hold off.
Breakfast club for those that would like 10:30-11:00 ish
2. Ian Hayter
3. Jo Hale
4. Matt Clarke
5. Dean Whitehead
6. Keith Berry
7. Giles Bashford
8. Dan Pettit
9. Sam Beckley
10. James Greenleaf
11. Ollie Keates
Umpire.?
Scorer Tim Lane
Please arrive 12ish for 1pm start
Hopefully the rain will hold off.
Breakfast club for those that would like 10:30-11:00 ish
Match Report
Finally got to this😀 So after our second washed out game last week away at Upottery. We got to play our second game of the season at home to Sidbury. Weather was ok on arrival but the forecast was for it to rain later. A couple changes but still a decent side out. Winning the toss would help massively but it wasn’t to be 3 in a row. They duly did what I wanted to and that was bowl. So with Webbe and Eliot missing we would have to have a new opening pair. With Greenleaf playing his first game of the season, he opened up with Dean. The first 10 overs went by with no wickets which was great. Not many runs but hopefully they would be able to kick on after. 12 overs in 38 on the board. Greenleaf then chased a wide one he should have left alone and was caught behind. Matt was next. He was given out LBW early. He wasn’t overly happy. Did look very high. Ian joined Dean who was still going ok. Unfortunately Dean got out just as he was getting going for 31. Did a good job though. I then did my usual nicking off 4th ball. Decent take though stood up by their keeper. 40-0 had become 65-4. Unfortunately Jo also nicked off for 1 and now we were in big trouble 67-5. With almost 20 overs to go our 200 plus target looked along way off. Ian was in good form though and Sam was more than capable. Amazingly no more wickets fell. Both ticked the scoreboard along nicely. And in the last few overs several boundaries were hit. That was until the last over, Both had past fifty which was brilliant from both and had gotten us to 185-5. A great effort from where we were. Unfortunately Sam could only make 2 runs off the last over. Hopefully a lesson learnt. Tried to hit the ball to hard. Sidbury did though have everyone on or near the boundary rope to try and prevent boundaries. This worked reasonably well for them. They bowled fairly well also. So 187-5 at the break was great after our start. It had given us a great chance with the bowling line up we had. As we went out to field the clouds started to gather and there was a definite threat of rain. Sam and Giles would open up. Sam did well but I think was a little tired after his batting. Giles was going about his business as usual. But alas in his third over he went for a catch which didn’t stick. What it did do though was dislocate his finger. This resulted in him leaving for casualty with our umpire Dave Staddon. Don’t think I’ll put the picture on here, it’s not a nice sight😂😂😂 This meant Dan had to finish his over and then bowled 3 more. Ian inflicted a stumping which wasn’t given which would have obviously helped. Looked very out to most of us. Matt Clarke took over from Sam and did a decent job. Just with not much luck. A couple drops didn’t help. Then the rain decided to turn up. Jo had bowled his first over and had taken his first wicket for us. But the rain disrupted things. The ball didn’t swing anymore and was hard to grip for the bowlers. The odd loose ball was punished. Keith in particular struggled. Sam came back and another decision didn’t go our way. Their captain was batting well and punished every loose delivery we bowled. The rain was constant but never enough to take us off. They had upped the rate just enough to be above what was required so if we had have gone off they would have won anyway. Ollie bowled well in the circumstances and final got their captain out for a well made 73. We ended up taking 5 wickets but Sidbury got home with 5 overs to spare. Looks like an easy win for them. Sort of was but we didn’t get the rub of the green. We didn’t bat overly great in the first 20. Had we, we could have posted 230. Which would have been that extra bit challenging. Obviously Giles was a massive loss. 6 more tight overs from him would have helped big time. Some decisions on another day could have went our way and of course the rain doesn’t help anyone. Particularly the bowlers. Still on the day Sidbury we slightly the better side and probably deserved it. So well played to them. Hopefully it’ll be different in the away fixture. Man of the match should go to Giles for the relative calmness he showed with a bone sticking out his hand😂 Or even Dave who valiantly drove him to casualty and helped sort him out. But from the playing point of view it probably should end in Sam’s hands. Bowled ok, but batted exceptionally. Supporting Ian really well and made his first 50. Many more to come I’m sure. So well done mate😀😀 Must mention Ian though who is yet to get out. Two innings, two fifties and both not out. That obviously means a current average of over 100. Can he keep it there? Also must thank Kieron Whitehead who did a good in the field substituting for Giles. Thanks to Dave for his Umpire stint and also his ambulance service. Greatly appreciated. Thanks again to Tim for an always immaculate score book. Everyone did ok but we came up short. The gods didn’t help out much today. Let’s hope they do in the future. Next week is unbeaten Exeter away. So a tough game I’m sure. Hopefully we all up for it and can put in a decent effort. My day was topped off by Manchester United winning the fa cup😂😂😂Not my best day but under gritted teeth I enjoyed it all the same. Utd’s win did at least get us all a free drink thanks to Ian winning his bet. So thanks for that Ian. Finally must wish Giles a speedy recovery. You’ll most certainly be missed 😀😀 See you all next week. Thanks and goodnight 😀😀😍😍
John Weeks
John Weeks
Upottery 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
18/05/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Ollie Keates
5. Sam Beckley
6. Dan Pettit
7. Keith Berry
8. Ian Hayter
9. Giles Bashford
10. Eliot Currie
11. Dean Whitehead
No scorer or umpire 😂
1pm start at Upottery
Weather ain’t looking great. But hopefully we’ll get a game in😀💪
2. Andy webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Ollie Keates
5. Sam Beckley
6. Dan Pettit
7. Keith Berry
8. Ian Hayter
9. Giles Bashford
10. Eliot Currie
11. Dean Whitehead
No scorer or umpire 😂
1pm start at Upottery
Weather ain’t looking great. But hopefully we’ll get a game in😀💪
Match Report
Not much to report but actually more than I expected as we made our way to Upottery. The usual Friday night issue occurred again. So must thank Pete for stepping in last minute. The skies got darker and it was getting wetter and wetter the closer we got. But on arrival it wasn’t raining. Everyone arrived and although the forecast was dyer we would be starting on time. The first job was to win the toss. Tails never fails and it didn’t. Two in a row. After last week’s excellent bowling and fielding performance. It was a no brainier to bowl again. Sam and Giles opened up and again did an amazing job. Both bowled 6 tight overs each. A couple of boundaries but no loose balls. Sam took the first and only wicket with one of his lesser quality deliveries. It was at least straight and hit the stumps. Matt and Dan took over and kept things tight also. Both bowled 4 overs. The fielding all round was great again. Ollie dived around saving several runs. And Dean did well also. 20 overs in we went for drinks. It was on off drizzle all the way through. And unfortunately at drinks it got heavier and more persistent. We waited around an hour but the rain didn’t relent. Early wickets has been an issue over the last few seasons. Today was the same. But we kept things really tight and never let the opposition get away. Would have been an interesting rest of the game had we been able to carry on. So 8 points for us. 12 less than we would have liked. But the start has been positive. 3 games in we haven’t lost at least😂. Everyone has been positive and the encouragement for everyone from everyone has been great to see. Hopefully we can get a full game in next week at home to Sidbury. Another tough game. No man of the match this week. But a well done to all for the positive start and effort. Things are looking good. Several raced back to the Ho! For a practice net which shows the positive efforts being made. Thanks to all who drove. Appreciated as always. I hope the Berry bus isn’t to sick as I’m sure it’ll be needed in future games. Thanks to Giles for stepping in. Great efforts guys, let’s keep in going. Thanks and goodnight 😀😀
John Weeks
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Kilmington 2nd XI
11/05/24
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Giles Bashford
4. Pete Stevens
5. Keith Berry
6. Ian Hayter
7. Eliot Currie
8. Ollie Keates
9. Dan Pettit
10. Dean Whitehead
11. Sam Beckley
Umpire. Tim Cooke
Scorer. Tim Lane
1pm Start at the Ho!.
Please arrive around 12
Breakfast club for those who fancy it probably 10:30ish
2. Andy Webbe
3. Giles Bashford
4. Pete Stevens
5. Keith Berry
6. Ian Hayter
7. Eliot Currie
8. Ollie Keates
9. Dan Pettit
10. Dean Whitehead
11. Sam Beckley
Umpire. Tim Cooke
Scorer. Tim Lane
1pm Start at the Ho!.
Please arrive around 12
Breakfast club for those who fancy it probably 10:30ish
Match Report
So finally after last week being rained off, we got to start our season. Must start by mentioning and thanking Liam for his amazing effort cutting the outfield. We literally walked out to field as he was driving the mower off the pitch. He even picked up a stranded opposition player who had broken down on the link road. Absolute legend 😀 so on a glorious sunny day at the Ho! I decided to that we would bowl when winning the toss. Giles and Sam opened up. Both did a brilliant job. 6 very economical overs each. Just 30 on the board. Sam picked up our first wicket of the season with an LBW. Eliot and Dean took over. Eliot struggled a little so Ollie replaced him. Dean bowled an excellent 8 over spell. Again very economical but found wickets hard to come by. Ollie did great also and managed to pick up the second wicket. The fielding all round was superb and the run rate never went much above 3. Keith bowled 6 overs and grabbed 3 wickets near the end. I managed to hold on to 2 catches. Sam though took catch of the day. One handed at mid wicket. Giles finished off with 2 great overs at the death. We bowled and fielded excellently. They made 140-7. Would like to have bowled them out but was still very happy at the break.
Webbe was joined by Eliot when opening the batting. We were able to get off to a great start thanks to some big hits from Webbe. 2 sixes and several 4s on his way to 39. Eliot was doing great. Hit 2 brilliant 4s but unfortunately then lost his head, hitting one straight up and was caught. That started an alarming collapse. 40 odd for 1 became 60-5. What Pete was doing only he knows. Caught 2nd ball. Webbe then miss timed one to mid wicket. I nicked off to the keeper. And then Dean was Bowled. We still had plenty of experience though. But we had given them half a chance. Ian and Dan were in. They ticked the score along before Dan was the 6th wicket, getting stumped. 60 still required. Keith joined Ian. Ian was batting brilliant. Waiting for the loose delivery and then punishing them. He was seeing us home and passed 50. Keith gave us a small scare when he was bowled with 16 still needed. But Giles and Ian took us home with 5 overs and 3 wickets remaining. A lot more nervy than I’d have liked but a brilliant win in the end. 17 points is good and gives us a good start. The fielding was great. As was the bowling. Webbe and Ian saved us when batting. But we got over the line and that’s the main thing. Man of the match can only go one way. And that’s Ian’s way. Kept well and then batted brilliant. Seeing us all the way home. Excellent performance mate, well done. So in the end an excellent performance and start to the season. Hopefully it’s the start of a great season. Thanks to all for the effort. Appreciated as always. Another glorious day at the Ho! Next up is Upottery away. Another good effort will be required. Mustn’t finish without thanking the two Tim’s. Cook and Lane for their excellent efforts umpiring and scoring. Again very much appreciated. 1 down 16 to go. Up the Bide. Thanks and goodnight 😀😀💪💪😍😍
John Weeks
Webbe was joined by Eliot when opening the batting. We were able to get off to a great start thanks to some big hits from Webbe. 2 sixes and several 4s on his way to 39. Eliot was doing great. Hit 2 brilliant 4s but unfortunately then lost his head, hitting one straight up and was caught. That started an alarming collapse. 40 odd for 1 became 60-5. What Pete was doing only he knows. Caught 2nd ball. Webbe then miss timed one to mid wicket. I nicked off to the keeper. And then Dean was Bowled. We still had plenty of experience though. But we had given them half a chance. Ian and Dan were in. They ticked the score along before Dan was the 6th wicket, getting stumped. 60 still required. Keith joined Ian. Ian was batting brilliant. Waiting for the loose delivery and then punishing them. He was seeing us home and passed 50. Keith gave us a small scare when he was bowled with 16 still needed. But Giles and Ian took us home with 5 overs and 3 wickets remaining. A lot more nervy than I’d have liked but a brilliant win in the end. 17 points is good and gives us a good start. The fielding was great. As was the bowling. Webbe and Ian saved us when batting. But we got over the line and that’s the main thing. Man of the match can only go one way. And that’s Ian’s way. Kept well and then batted brilliant. Seeing us all the way home. Excellent performance mate, well done. So in the end an excellent performance and start to the season. Hopefully it’s the start of a great season. Thanks to all for the effort. Appreciated as always. Another glorious day at the Ho! Next up is Upottery away. Another good effort will be required. Mustn’t finish without thanking the two Tim’s. Cook and Lane for their excellent efforts umpiring and scoring. Again very much appreciated. 1 down 16 to go. Up the Bide. Thanks and goodnight 😀😀💪💪😍😍
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI
Devon League F Division
2023
Bideford 2nd XI v Cullompton 2nd XI
02/09/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Darren Willcocks
5. Keith Berry
6. Sam Beckley
7. Aakash Nehra
8. Fionn Toland
9. Dean Whitehead
10. Ian Hayter
11. Pete Stevens
Scorer. Tim Lane
Umpire. Dave Staddon
Meet 10:30-11:00ish for Breakfast Club for those that wish. 🥓🫘🍳Once a season can all be there for 12ish since it’s an important one.😀😂💪 Let’s be ready and raring to go. BBQ after the game whatever the result. Should be enough food, I will get rolls but if anyone wants to bring something else to throw on the bbq, that would be great cheers💪💪😀😀
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Darren Willcocks
5. Keith Berry
6. Sam Beckley
7. Aakash Nehra
8. Fionn Toland
9. Dean Whitehead
10. Ian Hayter
11. Pete Stevens
Scorer. Tim Lane
Umpire. Dave Staddon
Meet 10:30-11:00ish for Breakfast Club for those that wish. 🥓🫘🍳Once a season can all be there for 12ish since it’s an important one.😀😂💪 Let’s be ready and raring to go. BBQ after the game whatever the result. Should be enough food, I will get rolls but if anyone wants to bring something else to throw on the bbq, that would be great cheers💪💪😀😀
Match Report
Sorry for the delay. Let’s see if I can remember. So the final game of the season was a home game against already promoted, league leaders Cullompton. I managed to win the toss and decided to bowl first. Believing that was the best way of winning. Sam and Aakash opened up. Unfortunately they both picked this game to have an off day. 50 off the first 6 overs wasn’t the best of starts. Aakash did pick up a wicket. Matt and Keith took over and both did well. Both bowled through their overs taking 5 wickets between them. Keith was particularly good with figures of 3-19 off 8. Unfortunately their captain and best player was still there and was ticking the score along. We tried but failed to remove him. Fionn, Dean and Darren all bowled okay but the final total was 224-8. We weren’t great in the field, several dropped catches. Had we been better we could have bowled them out for under 200. Still 224 was a total we could definitely chase down. Bat the overs and play sensible and I thought we could do it. Alas though that’s not what we did. Webbe was out first ball. Not the start we needed. Aakash, Pete, me and Ian all perished cheaply. At 35-5 we were in big trouble. Fionn and Matt gave us a sniff of a chance, putting on 90. But 2 wickets on 129 snuffed out our chances. We scratched our way to 162 before we were put out of our misery. Fionn batted exceptionally for 57, but that was it. Everyone else struggled. In the end we weren’t quite good enough on the day. 8 points wasn’t enough, so another F division season beckons next year. Had we all played to the best of our abilities we could have won. We weren’t far off. But like most of the season, consistency cost us. Man of the match goes to Fionn for a decent spell of bowling, but mainly for his brilliant 57 runs. He made a great effort. Had anybody else in the top order been able to stick with him we could have got closer. Well done to him. Well done to Cullompton on promotion. Probably the best team. Thanks to Tim and Dave for umpiring and scoring. Thanks to all for the effort. Unfortunately consistency cost us but at least we gave our all. End of season review coming soon. Thanks and good night 😀
John Weeks
John Weeks
Culmstock 1st XI v Bideford 2nd XI
26/08/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Matt Clarke
3. Chris Luxton
4. Ian Hayter
5. Riley Hornby
6. Darren Willcocks
7. Fionn Toland
8. Sam Beckley
9. Aakash Nehra
10. Dean Whitehead
11. Keith Berry
2. Matt Clarke
3. Chris Luxton
4. Ian Hayter
5. Riley Hornby
6. Darren Willcocks
7. Fionn Toland
8. Sam Beckley
9. Aakash Nehra
10. Dean Whitehead
11. Keith Berry
Match Report
So to the penultimate game and our final away trip. With it being one of the shorter ones we arrived in plenty of time around 12ish. New ground for me. One more to tick off. Nice setting and a decent pavilion. Plus probably the best showers of the season 😂. Due to a very damp Friday the outfield was soft but with the sun out we should be able to start on time. Back to normal though with no scorers or umpires. On calling tails I won the toss. Heads is my norm but something told me to change. I had no hesitation in bowling. It was wet, we had a decent set of bowlers and we had won our four previous games chasing. Culmstock were only four points behind us. So it was going to be a shootout as to who would go into the last game with things in their own hands for the second promotion spot. Sam and Chris opened up for us. Sam did ok but dropped short several times and conceded several runs. He did though manage to snick off one of their openers for the first wicket. Chris was his economical self, bowling through his eight overs for just ten runs. Amazing. Unfortunately though no wickets. Sam was replaced by Matt who started off really well and picked up a wicket too, caught and bowled, only just though😂 Aakash took over from Chris and also did well. He picked up a wicket well caught by Matt. This brought a big hitter to the crease. From ball one it was six attempt after six attempt. Literally no attempt at anything else. Unfortunately for us he had a decent eye and connected several times. Out of 24 balls he connected ten times. 6 sixes and 4 fours. 79-3 became 162-3 in no time at all. Matt and Aakash both taking punishment. I then turned to Keith who unbelievably knocked him over first ball. An entertaining innings vitally stopped from causing major carnage 😂 Even after this assault the run rate was still only five an over. The other batsmen had Ben kept fairly quite by some good bowling. Luxton’s spell particularly. Due to Keith amazing pace, he managed to get another wicket also bowled. Both batsmen had played their shots before the ball had gotten halfway down. Probably had time to try a second shot😂 Fortunately both deliveries were straight and hit the stumps. At this point dark clouds were rolling in and things looked ominous. With rain about to send us running for cover, Aakash in his final over took a vital wicket LBW. So 162-3 was now 166-6. We’d fought back well and had given ourselves a fighting chance. The weather though had other ideas. A heavy downpour meant at least a couple hours off. Then with the rain also getting under the covers, it didn’t look promising. More rain an hour or so later put paid to any chance of continuing. Had we been able to get back things would have been interesting. Culmstock wouldn’t have gone out to bat so a five an over chase would have been on. Would like to have had that opportunity but alas the weather gods weren’t playing ball. So 11 points for us and 12 for them. Probably about right. But now we were reliant on other results. We bowled well I thought. One guy came off. Had he gone cheaply we could have been really in with a shout. One thing we didn’t do well though was the fielding. Apart from Fionn we could all probably of done better. I reckon we gifted 20 runs away. That’s probably a conservative estimate though. So we will have to do a lot better this week and definitely going into next season. So in the end we did well in the first half. Just a shame we didn’t get to see the outcome. Culmstock provided us with a surprise and superb tea. Our first and only one of the season. So thanks to them for that. So 11 points for us and 12 for them meant they cut the gap to 3points. After an agonising wait we found out that Upottery were also washed out halfway. So they gained 13 points. This all means it’s currently in our hands, 17 points required. Anything less will almost certainly not be enough. So we all know what we need to do. One last big effort. Let’s leave everything out on the field and have no regrets. Great effort from all, thanks from me for that. Thanks to all the drivers, appreciated as always. Thanks to Culmstock for the teas. Decent club there and not to far away😀😀 The first team also have half a chance of going up so it’s a massive day for the club in general. The final call to arms, one last effort. Hopefully we have good availability again 😀😀Up the Bide💪💪💪😀😀
BBQ after the game next week. Let’s celebrate a decent season . Thanks and goodnight 😀😀
John Weeks
BBQ after the game next week. Let’s celebrate a decent season . Thanks and goodnight 😀😀
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v North Devon 3rd XI
19/08/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Aakash Nehra
4. Steve Bond
5. Sam Beckley
6. Riley Hornby
7. Damon Berry
8. Dean Whitehead
9. Pete Stevens
10. Keith Berry
11. Darren Willcocks
Umpire. Ike Aviston
Scorer. Tim Lane
1pm start at the Ho!
Breakfast club available for those who choose to partake 10:30-11 ish on me. Said that quietly, hopefully nobody heard😂😂
Massive, Awesome and Amazing BBQ after the game. All and everyone invited. Anyone who doesn’t come won’t be spoken to by me ever again 😂😂 Talking to myself for ever then it is. 😀😀 if you haven’t been invited personally I’m inviting you now😀😀😀
2. Andy Webbe
3. Aakash Nehra
4. Steve Bond
5. Sam Beckley
6. Riley Hornby
7. Damon Berry
8. Dean Whitehead
9. Pete Stevens
10. Keith Berry
11. Darren Willcocks
Umpire. Ike Aviston
Scorer. Tim Lane
1pm start at the Ho!
Breakfast club available for those who choose to partake 10:30-11 ish on me. Said that quietly, hopefully nobody heard😂😂
Massive, Awesome and Amazing BBQ after the game. All and everyone invited. Anyone who doesn’t come won’t be spoken to by me ever again 😂😂 Talking to myself for ever then it is. 😀😀 if you haven’t been invited personally I’m inviting you now😀😀😀
Match Report
16th match of the season was at home to North Devon. Three of last weeks team were called up to the first XI. Two were unavailable and Ian injured himself playing squash would you believe. All other sports should be banned during the cricket season😂 This meant six changes to the team. Currently we have a decent squad with healthy depth. This meant several came in and we still had a decent team. An early heavy shower made everything wet but fortunately left enough time for it to dry up nicely. After winning three in a row bowling first, I decided to do the same again when winning the toss. Steve Bond was playing his first second team game in a while. He bowled well but mixed in several full tosses which were punished for fours. Sam continued his good form. Very economical again. Just ten off five. Alas though we couldn’t make a breakthrough. Early wickets has been an issue all season long. Dean took over from Sam. He finally got the first wicket caught by Webbe at slip. Aakash snapped up the second one at gully. So two for Dean in his six overs. Aakash was bowling well. Regularly beating the bat. No wickets but just 23 runs off 8 overs. During this time Pete gave us some entertainment. In almost taking a decent catch he managed to spill it, cut his forehead and then watched as the ball rolled onto his cap which had fallen off. This resulted in 5 penalty runs, Pete reluctantly going off to see to his cut😂 but most importantly no wicket. Keith and Riley both came on and did well keeping the runs down. At 128-2 the game could have gotten away from us. Most of the fielding was good but there were a few lapses. Keith did well though picking up 3 wickets in his spell. Damon, Steve and Keith himself taking the catches. Riley didn’t trouble the wicket column but did well. Steve and Sam finished off the bowling. Sam finally got his wicket with the last ball bowled. A run out in between gave us 7 wickets. The final total of 157-7. Brilliantly economical but a few lapses cost us maximum bowling points. As we know every point is vital. So at tea I was very confident we could chase their total down. Bat sensibly and we should be fine. With Jack in the firsts Webbe had a new partner. This week Steve. Unfortunately only 35 was on the board when Steve was bowled for 8. Dean and Damon were given a go at 3 and 4. That plan didn’t work unfortunately, so 35-1 became 52-3. Pete next. He was caught and bowled for just 3. Now 56-4. All out to the same bowler who apparently was swinging it miles. Making excuses for getting out to a girl😂 She was obviously bowling well though. A little concern now but with Webbe still there we were still in the box seat. Darren was next. He supported Webbe well. They put on 40 together. Darren nicking behind sent Aakash out to join Webbe. He like Darren supported Webbe well. Another 40ish partnership got us within 25 runs of victory. I decided to join Webbe and try and get us home. Webbe had passed fifty again and it was fittingly he who hit the two that saw us home. I made 16 in between. Just 6 wickets down meant maximum batting points again. So 18 points in victory was great and the main aim. Though slight disappointment not getting the full 20 shows how well we’ve been doing lately. In the end it was a good all round effort and performance. Everyone contributed. Man of the match can really only go one way. And that’s the way of Andy Webbe. His new bat serving him well😀 He held us together when wickets were falling and this time saw us all the way home. He gets out cheaply and we could have struggled. Get effort mate. Out best batsman by far and a match wing effort today. Brilliant. Everyone else helped out in someway though so well done to all. I thought Aakash did well on his Devon League debut. Hopefully a bit more availability next season😀 Must thank Tim and Ike for their invaluable contributions, umpiring and scoring. Makes the the day run smoothly, so thanks. Mustn’t forget Dave Staddon who umpired also as opposition didn’t have one. Thanks again. So with this win we have now won four in a row. Not sure I can believe it so I’ll say it again. We’ve won four in a row😀 this has made things interesting for us, in a positive way. With other results going our way we are now in control of our own destiny. The simple equation of two wins and we will finish second. I wont mention what that means we all know. So with everything to play for we have two massive and hopefully exciting games to go. I’m sure I’ll get it but putting out the call to arms to all. Every effort required for potentially an epic end to the season. The first XI are in nearly the same position after their epic win at Barton, so the whole club have plenty to play and look forward to. Let’s leave it all on the pitch and have no regrets. COME ON BIDEFORD 💪💪💪
Must also thank all that joined me for my annual Birthday BBQ. I had a great time and I hope all did too. Thanks to Keith Shapland and Heard’s for the food, think it went down ok. There was though one slight down point when the first XI turned up with pizzas in hand after I’d invited and catered for them😭 might forgive them one day😂 The upside to this though is there should be plenty left for another Q after our last game of the season. With Liverpool winning then UTD losing I had quite an epic day. Started well, continued throughout the day and then ended well. Thanks again all. Another awesomely epic day to be beside the sea. Up the Bide.
Thanks and goodnight
John Weeks
Must also thank all that joined me for my annual Birthday BBQ. I had a great time and I hope all did too. Thanks to Keith Shapland and Heard’s for the food, think it went down ok. There was though one slight down point when the first XI turned up with pizzas in hand after I’d invited and catered for them😭 might forgive them one day😂 The upside to this though is there should be plenty left for another Q after our last game of the season. With Liverpool winning then UTD losing I had quite an epic day. Started well, continued throughout the day and then ended well. Thanks again all. Another awesomely epic day to be beside the sea. Up the Bide.
Thanks and goodnight
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Kilmington 2nd XI
12/08/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Ian Hayter
5. Fionn Toland
6. James Greenleaf
7. Jack Ancill
8. Darren Willcocks
9. Sam Beckley
10. Eliot Currie
11. Dean Whitehead
Umpire. Ike Aviston
Scorer. Tim Lane
After 7 weeks away we are back 😀😀 So Breakfast club at 10:30-11:00 ish for those that fancy it. By 12:15 if not. Let’s try and keep the good run going, weather permitting💪💪💪😀😀😀
Apologies again to those who didn’t make it. Competition for places is as high as I’ve ever known.
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Ian Hayter
5. Fionn Toland
6. James Greenleaf
7. Jack Ancill
8. Darren Willcocks
9. Sam Beckley
10. Eliot Currie
11. Dean Whitehead
Umpire. Ike Aviston
Scorer. Tim Lane
After 7 weeks away we are back 😀😀 So Breakfast club at 10:30-11:00 ish for those that fancy it. By 12:15 if not. Let’s try and keep the good run going, weather permitting💪💪💪😀😀😀
Apologies again to those who didn’t make it. Competition for places is as high as I’ve ever known.
Match Report
Hooray first home game in 7 weeks. The weather wasn’t looking great but the Ho! Did it’s usual. A couple little showers that were blown away by the wind. The first breakfast wrap in a while went down well. Two Umpires and two scorers😀 Thought my birthday had come a week early 😀 Somehow I managed to win the toss. With the weather looking ominous and two recent great bowling performances. It was a no brainer to bowl first. Matt and Dean opened up. Matt was very economical but couldn’t make a breakthrough. Dean managed that hitting the stumps. We didn’t field overly great and dropped a couple catches. Sam and Darren took over the bowling. The run rate was 4 or 5 pretty much all the way. We managed to keep it in check. Darren struck twice. Eliot also struck twice. After drinks we fielded a bit better and they never really got away from us. Had we been a bit more clinical we could have restricted them to a lot less runs. Jack and Fionn bowled the last eight overs. Both did a great job. Picking up a few wickets. Unfortunately we couldn’t bowl them out, but we did restrict them to 182-8. Should have been a lot less but not a bad effort in the end. With the line up we had I fully expected us to make a decent effort chasing. And thankfully that was the case. Ideally the run rate would have been slightly higher. Until the last 10 overs we were always slightly below the rate required. But no wickets lost, so no issue. Both Jack and Webbe were going well, slowly knocking the runs off. Webbe got to 30 odd before chopping on. Jack continued his great form making 46. Will he ever see the job home. I’m convinced I’ll see it one day, but not today. That was left to Fionn and Matt who did a professional job of seeing us home with 8 balls to spare. Ideally I’d have liked it done a couple overs earlier but no complaints in the end. A Pretty comfortable 8 wicket win. Everyone did well. Nothing spectacular. Just a decent effort from all. The fielding could have been better. But the bowling was decent and their total was probably 50 short of giving us an issue. Keeping wickets in hand was key. Each batsman got themselves in. So in conclusion a solid performance all round. Everyone contributing. Man of the match is very tough. Where to go? Well for me there where several decent efforts. Jack did his usual. 40 runs and a couple late wickets. Matt bowled very well and made 30 seeing us home. The other bowlers Dean, Darren, Sam, Eliot all did a good job. But for the second game in a row Fionn has batted well and seen us home. Take note Jack😂😂😂 so today he’s Man of the the Match. Bowled four decent overs and 46 not out. The steady Eddy we’ve needed. And after James’s comical run out effort, our best fielder also😂 Great effort mate well done. Must thank everyone for the effort. 3 wins in a row is a rare thing so it’s been great. I haven’t done much and haven’t needed to which suits me fine😀😀 Hopefully I’ll be a spectator for the rest of the season. Not bowling them out the only downside today. Better fielding and we would have. Must thank Ike and Tim for their efforts. Massive contribution to our victory. Was a relief to finally be back at the Ho! after 6 weeks away. It didn’t disappoint. Never does. 19 more points. The table is unbelievably tight. We are smack bang in the middle. Probably where we deserve to be. Looking back things could and should’ve been so much better. Hopefully though we have learned from our mistakes in the past. Great effort, great win , well done all. Just want to remind everyone that there is currently lots of competition for places so if you’re in the spot you will need to perform to keep it. This week everyone did. Next week is North Devon home. Hopefully another awesome day at the Ho! Message for Eliot, don’t forget to bring at least one five pound note. Your definitely overstepping again haha😂😂😂 Somebody I know has a birthday so there is probably gonna be a bbq and celebratory beer after the game. Everyone is invited as always. Hope to see you all there. Another great day to be beside the sea, up the Bide😀😀😀💪💪💪💪
Thanks and Goodnight
John Weeks
Thanks and Goodnight
John Weeks
Bradninch and Kentisbeare 3rd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
05/08/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Fionn Toland
5. James Greenleaf
6. Sam Beckley
7. Jack Ancill
8. Eliot Curry
9. Dean Whitehead
10. Pete Stevens
11. Darren Willcocks
Scorer Tim Lane
1pm start
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Fionn Toland
5. James Greenleaf
6. Sam Beckley
7. Jack Ancill
8. Eliot Curry
9. Dean Whitehead
10. Pete Stevens
11. Darren Willcocks
Scorer Tim Lane
1pm start
Match Report
Game 15 was the away trip to Bradninch and Kentisbeare. After last weeks cracking performance, I was hopeful we could replicate it again this week. With lots of availability unfortunately a few didn’t make the cut. This meant the ones that did would have to perform well to keep their place. Strong winds and rain forced us to start one hour late. This meant a 31 over a side game. I had lost the toss, but was delighted to be asked to bowl first. Sam and Dean opened up. Both did well. Sam especially as he bowled his 6 over spell for just 6 runs. His economical spell put massive pressure on the batsmen. He didn’t pick up a wicket but his efforts meant others reaped the rewards. Dean was a little expensive compared to Sam😂 But did pick up the first wicket bowled. Matt and Eliot took over and continued the great work. Eliot’s 6 overs for 22 was decent and rewarded with a wicket, well caught by James. In this period Webbe inflicted a blow running out their number seven for a duck. Matt though was showing his class and experience at the other end. 3 early wickets bowled and caught behind by Pete. Then after a short rain break, 4 and 5 followed. Bowled and well caught by Fionn. Darren and Jack finished off the bowling. Thankfully in the final over we were able to bowl them out. Jack taking two wickets. Both well caught by me and James. 91 all out was another brilliant performance. The fielding was excellent and again the field could be set and pretty much stay the same throughout. A captains dream. So a great first half. I was hoping for a solid professional effort with the bat. Webbe was back so he partnered Jack. They did well till Webbe got caught behind trying to finish things quickly. 50 was on the board though so a decent start. Fionn and Jack got us to 70. Then Jack was bowled. James was caught with the score on 87. A scramble for pads as some had gone for a shower😂 This gave Eliot the opportunity to take a 1 not out in helping Fionn see us home. So in 15 overs we were able to knock the runs off and a comfortable victory. I was delighted to not have to contribute much this week. We did a great job all round and secured 20 valuable points. Now we are in the comfort of mid table. Still 80 points to play for though and obviously the aim is to take them all. If we can repeat the last two performances, we won’t be far away. Man of the match is easy. Matt took our first five wickets haul of the season. Consistent straight bowling was the key. A brilliant effort, well done. Must also mention Sam who continues his great form. Getting us off to great starts. If he continues his economical spells, he will soon be rewarded with the wickets he deserves. Today Matt reaped the benefits. Jack batted well again and one day I’m convinced he will kick on and see us home. Only a matter of time. Eliot and Dean bowled well and everyone fielded decent. And finally Fionn has quietly gone about the business of knocking off the runs. He has stuck around long enough to see most or all the runs knocked off. Previously we lose wickets in clumps. Fionn has put a stop to that by hanging in. Great effort greatly appreciated. Two brilliant performances and 40 valuable points. With plenty available selection is very tough. Currently everyone is putting in great efforts making it tough to leave them out. Again with lots available next week I’ll apologise now for those that may miss out. It’s great to have competition for place. Hopefully it will force people to make more efforts. So thanks to all who drove, everyone for the effort. Let’s fight right to the end of the season. You never know where it might take us. Mustn’t forget to thank Bradninch for the chicken and chips😂 kilmington next week. Let’s right the wrong for the away performance. Up the bide. Thanks and goodnight
John weeks😀
John weeks😀
Alphington 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
29/07/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Jack Ancill
3. James Greenleaf
4. Fionn Toland
5. Sam Beckley
6. Ollie Keates
7. Ian Hayter
8. Dan Smith
9. Dean Whitehead
10. Damon Berry
11. Keith Berry
1pm start at Alphington
2. Jack Ancill
3. James Greenleaf
4. Fionn Toland
5. Sam Beckley
6. Ollie Keates
7. Ian Hayter
8. Dan Smith
9. Dean Whitehead
10. Damon Berry
11. Keith Berry
1pm start at Alphington
Match Report
So finally we got back to playing cricket after last weeks washout. With at least 7 people missing we were a changed side but still a decent side. Weather was looking ok and the journey down was fairly straight forward. A big relief after our last trip to Exeter 😂 So on winning the toss I decided to bowl first. Sam and Dean were given the task of opening up. A good start was required and amazingly that’s what we got. Sam must have been practising because he was unrecognisable from the previous few games. Every other ball beat the bat. His spell included a couple loose deliveries but that was it. He bowled the perfect delivery to get the first wicket. Pitch middle then took out off stump. For a moment I thought Chris Luxton was playing. A cracking spell that gave us the start we needed. He was backed up by Dean who also bowled an excellent spell. He bowled there number 3. Just 30 off 10 was a great start. Jack and Keith kept up the good work. A brilliant Bairstow esque catch running backwards by Ian gave Jack his first wicket. Then a massive moment in the game. A great piece of fielding by Greeners ran out their captain and probably best bat for just 15. 57-4 now. Dan replaced Jack and picked up a wicket soon after. Another decent catch by Ollie. 80-5. Keith was in the middle of an excellent spell. Another who must have been practising. Very few loose deliveries. He got his first wicket bowled. The batsman decided to leave the ball very early on. He definitely regretted doing so when his off stump rocked back. 84-6 became 88-7 when Keith picked up an lbw. Dan was bowling well and got a second wicket bowled. A little help from an inconsistent wicket.. that made it 101-8. Damon took over from his dad and got the ninth wicket well stumped by Ian. It was then left to Ollie to finish things off. 120 all out gave us a real good chance of victory. But we would have to bat very well. The wicket wasn’t easy to bat on. Very inconsistent. But a very decent season best performance had done the first half of the job brilliantly. So with Webbe missing and me out of form Greeners partnered in form jack. Unfortunately James was caught at first slip in the first over. That partnered Fionn and Jack. They both did an excellent job seeing out the overs and slowly ticking the scoreboard along. They were looking good and I thought for a moment they might take us all the way home. Typically though as soon as that crossed my mind the pitch intervened and jack was bowled by a short one not bouncing as it should. Ian didn’t last long out lbw for 1. Fionn had done a great job but was out lbw also. 63-1 became 76 for 4. A little concern creeping in. I joined Sam. The run rate was about 3 so no issue there just wickets in hand. We ticked off some overs and slowly the runs also. I had some luck. Three of my four boundaries narrowly evading fielder. But fortunately crossing the rope. Between us we got 110 before Sam was given out lbw. That left 11 for me and Keith to knock off with around 8 overs to go. In the 36th over I hit two consecutive boundaries and we had done it. A brilliant win. Was very hard work with literally everyone contributing. We all showed what we are capable of. Man of the match is ridiculously tough. As I said everyone literally did great. James inflicting the run out was a massive moment. Jack batted well for 34 runs and picked up a wicket also. Fionn helped massively sticking around and got us to 74. Ian took an excellent catch, kept well and also a stumping. I captained magnificently obviously😂 I was very happy though to see us home with 30 not out. Had I got out it could have been very interesting. Keith bowled a quite brilliant spell. 2-20 off 8. Tim wasn’t missed this week. The three d’s Dean, Dan and Damon all bowled very well. Each getting a wicket. Ollie didn’t get a lot to do, but still took the final wicket along with an excellent catch. Everyone field well also. But for me Man of the Match goes to Sam. Some effort in the nets seems to have paid off. On another day he’d have taken 4 or five wickets. The start he gave us made it so much easier for others to carry it on. The pressure was applied early. He also score 14 valuable runs. Great effort from him. I look forward to many more repeat performances. As I said everyone was excellent. A real team performance. Thanks from me for that. It was almost the perfect game for me as captain. Winning the toss. Due to the consistent bowling I was able to set a field and then pretty much keep it the same throughout. The back of the total was broken by Jack and Fionn. I was then able to Finnish the job. So in the end the day went almost perfectly. It was a very much needed win. It’s becoming very tight. Everyone is beating each other. Next week is Bradninch away. Another big game. If we play like this again we will be fine. I hope this is the start of a decent run of performances. At Exeter we hit rock bottom. I hope this is the beginning of our rise back up. The two games almost complete opposites. Selection is going to be extremely tough. I’ll apologise now if some don’t make the cut. As I said at the start 7 or 8 were unavailable this week. Some may not get back in due to performances this week. A nightmare for me but its great to have a little competition for places. So thanks again to all for the effort. Thanks to those who drove. Great game, great day. Same again next week please.
Cheers and Goodnight
John Weeks😀💪
Cheers and Goodnight
John Weeks😀💪
Bideford 2nd XI v Upottery 2nd XI
22/07/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Ian Hayter
4. Pete Stevens
5. Keith Berry
6. Sam Beckley
7. Riley Hornby
8. Jack Ancill
9. Dean Whitehead
10. Eliot Currie
11. Steve Bond
Scorer. Tim Lane
1pm Start at the Ho!
Meet 12ish
Match Report
💦☔️☔️💦💧💧💧 Washed Away
2. Andy Webbe
3. Ian Hayter
4. Pete Stevens
5. Keith Berry
6. Sam Beckley
7. Riley Hornby
8. Jack Ancill
9. Dean Whitehead
10. Eliot Currie
11. Steve Bond
Scorer. Tim Lane
1pm Start at the Ho!
Meet 12ish
Match Report
💦☔️☔️💦💧💧💧 Washed Away
Exeter 3rd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
15/07/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Eliot Currie
4. Sam Beckley
5. Ian Hayter
6. Riley Hornby
7. Matt Clarke
8. Jack Ancill
9. Keith Berry
10. Dean Whitehead
11. Damon Berry
13:00 Start at Winslade Park
Weather ain’t looking great so please all keep an eye out for a message. Cheers
2. Andy Webbe
3. Eliot Currie
4. Sam Beckley
5. Ian Hayter
6. Riley Hornby
7. Matt Clarke
8. Jack Ancill
9. Keith Berry
10. Dean Whitehead
11. Damon Berry
13:00 Start at Winslade Park
Weather ain’t looking great so please all keep an eye out for a message. Cheers
Match Report
Sorry no report this week 😀
Ipplepen 1st v Bideford 1st XI
08/07/23
Team Sheet
1. James For
2. Tom Brend
3. Ollie Hannam
4. Alex Hannam
5. Steve Bond
6. Jody Brown
7. Martin Stewart
8. Ewan Williams
9. James Hayter
10. James Greenleaf
11. Sam Beckley
2. Tom Brend
3. Ollie Hannam
4. Alex Hannam
5. Steve Bond
6. Jody Brown
7. Martin Stewart
8. Ewan Williams
9. James Hayter
10. James Greenleaf
11. Sam Beckley
A view from the score box
Match Report
Every couple of years I get the absolute pleasure of witnessing a first eleven game😂 The last two have been the away trips to Ipplepen 😀 Won’t bring up again what happened the previous time I was there. Just say that I was disappointed that, that effort didn’t get me the call up this time round😂 So due to no 2nd team game, it was the score box for me. Not the biggest fan of leaving at 8:30, but a witherspoons fry up helped. Gotta mention Martin Stewart who had enough food to feed the rest of us. A three course fry up😂 The trip down was long and windy. Luckily we arrived just in time. My fry up nearly came back up😂🤢🤢🤢. Rain was in the air and nearly delayed the game. But eased off enough so we could start on time. My first act must be to thank Ipplepen for the constant supply of the old English cuppa. Very much appreciated 😀. So the game started on time. With Bideford losing the toss and asked to bat. The Two James’s Ford and Hayter wondered out to open the batting. Both struggled a little with some decent bowling and constant drizzle. James Hayter was bowled for 8. A heavier shower brought proceedings to a halt for 35 minutes. 5 overs were lost so it became a 40 over game. James Ford and Tom Brend continued after the break. Tom unfortunately didn’t last long also bowled for 3. Fordy helped see off the openers but then perished caught for 18. Ollie was joined by Ewan. A partnership began to form. Some good running and some decent boundaries kept the scoreboard ticking along nicely. Ewan hit one six in a run a ball 36. Just as he was about to kick on he was caught out. A partnership of 94 around a run a ball was exactly what was needed though. Ollie was still there and was continuing his good form. He passed fifty and just kept on going. Joined by brother Alex they upped the rate nicely. Alex only added 17 but off just 11 balls, 3 fours. Ollie also struck several boundaries and was closing in on another century. Greenleaf bowled for a golden and Steve made just 3. With a little slack fielding the scoreboard ticked over 200 and Ollie hit a big six to go to yet another hundred. Not chance less but still an excellent innings. Jodie helped Ollie make around 30 off the last four overs to give a final total of 233-7. After a slow start a decent total was amassed. Ollie and Ewan the stars. The locals suggested that this total maybe a few to many for the home side. Some comical and slack fielding in the second half contributed but the inform batters batted well. My first and probably only tea of the season was excellent and enjoyed by all. Thanks again to Ipplepen for that. After the damp start the sun was now out drying things up. Possible making batting slightly easier. Ewan and Steve opened up the bowling. Ewan started with a maiden. Unfortunately Steve couldn’t follow suit. His four overs going for 38. Some attacking batting got them off to a lightening start. Ewan was bowling well but couldn’t break through. Alex took over from Steve but the runs kept flowing. Ewan was then given a break. The pace was taken off with Jody and Martin both coming on. Jody took some early punishment but pulled it back well in his later overs. Still no wicket though. 100 was passed. Just before drinks finally Martin struck with a caught and bowled. Their opener out for 60. The other opener was still there. 115-1 with 21 overs remaining. Something needed to change. A bollocking from Father Ford😂 was what they got. Did it help? Not straight away. Their number three came in and continued the attack. Several more boundaries came. The score passed 150 quickly and things looked ominous. They were up with or just above the rate most of the way. Fordy changed ends and managed to have their batsmen stumped well by James Hayter. This was the start of a decent period. Ewan came back and picked up two big wickets both bowled. Tom took an excellent catch at cow corner off Fordy. Alex had taken over from Ewan. He picked up two wickets. Good catches from Greenleaf and Williams. 156-1 had now become202-8 with just two overs remaining. A six off Alex’s final ball left 21 off Fordy’s final over. Surely no issue. Their number nine had other ideas. A single brought him on strike. 20 off five. Six, six, wide😲😲 Shock, head in hands and disbelief. Loud cheers from the local crowd. 7 off 3 now. Surely not. A drop from Ollie on the boundary so they ran a two. Five now off 2. Going for a second run their number ten was run out by the combination of Alex and James Hayter. One to the score and another wicket. 9 down, four to win off one ball. The whole game down to one ball. Fordy bowled it the batsman hit out to Ewan who winged it back in to James Hayter who completed the run out. Just one scored, 231 all out. A quite extraordinary 2 run win. 20 miraculous points. The players went berserk, the crowd fell silent and the game was done. The game swung from one team to the other then back again. They were on top, then we were, then back to them. Then finally and crucially back to us. Somehow we dragged ourselves over the line. A quite extraordinary game. Cricket never ceases to amaze. Several decent performance. Not really for me to give a Man of the Match (captains job really) but I’ll give my opinion. Fairly straight forward really. Ewan was excellent batting and bowling. Supported Ollie brilliant and then took two big wickets near the death. I thought Martin bowled decently getting the vital first wicket. Somehow Fordy went from hero to villain and then back to hero with that final over😂 But the top spot has to go to Ollie. Rode his luck but made them pay. The hitting in the last 3 overs proving vital in the end. Also holding the innings together with Ewan. Brilliant and excellent from him, well played. Winning is a habit and one that seems hard to get out of. If only the seconds could replicate the firsts. 20 points keeps them in second closing in on Bridestowe who lost. So on they roll. Can they keep it going? Hopefully so. Just want to finally mention that I hope all first team players realise how privileged they are to make an appearance on the second teams page😂😂 I decided to make an allowance just this once😂😂😂 Thanks to all for another excellent and exciting day at the cricket. Up the Bide💪💪
Cheers and Goodnight
Your guest scorer
John Weeks
Cheers and Goodnight
Your guest scorer
John Weeks
Cullompton 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
01/07/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Jack Ancill
4. Matt Clarke
5. James Greenleaf
6. Pete Stevens
7. Eliot Currie
8. Sam Beckley
9. Darren Willcocks
10. Keith Berry
11. Tim Cooke
Umpire. Dave Smale
Scorer. None
Meet 12ish at Cullompton
Possibly teas will confirm as soon as I can😀
2. Andy Webbe
3. Jack Ancill
4. Matt Clarke
5. James Greenleaf
6. Pete Stevens
7. Eliot Currie
8. Sam Beckley
9. Darren Willcocks
10. Keith Berry
11. Tim Cooke
Umpire. Dave Smale
Scorer. None
Meet 12ish at Cullompton
Possibly teas will confirm as soon as I can😀
Match Report
So the halfway point of the season arrived and we had a trip to Cullumpton. They were top of the league. We were having an indifferent one. Good one week, not so the next. With a reasonable side out I thought we’d be able to give them a decent game. So after last week’s poor bowling where we had 330 to chase. I made the decision to bat first, having batted decently most weeks previously. And not having another 300 run chase. This though back fired massively. Webbe, then me and Matt all out for ducks inside 4 overs. Shocking start but have to say again they didn’t bowl any loose deliveries. All of us out to straight deliveries that would have or did hit the stumps. Bowlers take note! James joined Jack at the crease and both did well stopping the continuous fall of wickets. Jack couldn’t carry on his recent run of form though. Given out lbw for 13. James was doing well and going along nicely. Pete and Keith maybe need to engage their brains a little. Sorry to be harsh but both out tamely caught at mid off trying to hit over the top of a fielder who’s 10 yards off the boundary. To easy and plenty overs remaining. Pete injuring himself in the process. James though was doing well and struck several fours and a six on his way to a fifty. He perished caught for a well made 68. Eliot and Sam batted for a long time but both struggled to score. Eliot managed a couple fours in his 20 runs but again we struggled to score quickly at the end of our innings. Darren came and went for 8 and Tim unfortunately was bowled off the last ball of the 40th over. Agonisingly with score on 159. So after an horrendous start we did well to get to some sort of a score, mainly thanks to James. Still as always we could have done a little better. The bowling was good though. Not many loose ones. To have any chance we would have to bowl exceptionally. Darren was back so he opened with Matt. Unfortunately after 2 balls 10 runs were scored. It took us probably about 10 overs to get that many. Matt though bowled a really great spell. 3 wickets for 28 off 8 overs. Everyone else tried but unfortunately there were loose deliveries every over. Their batsmen knew this, waited for them and then dispatched them. Other than Matt we couldn’t stem the tide and they cruised past our total comfortably with 11 overs to spare. Just 4 points and to be honest a bit of a hammering. They were obviously better than us, but we could have been a lot better. Maybe I should have bowled first. Would we have been any better? Going by the previous week, probably not. Our economy rates aren’t great reading. Most are above six or seven which isn’t great. This is something that needs working on. Tim and Matt are around 4. The rest are 6s and 7s. Matt has bowled 7 of our 14 maidens this season. Another telling stat. Setting fields is a struggle when no two deliveries are the same. We are now finding ourselves looking down the table at what’s below us , rather than positively looking up. Maybe some changes are needed? I think we are good enough, we just need to be more consistent. Concentrating is a big thing. Every ball! Little things are costing us every week. Injuries haven’t helped all season. Chris, Ian, James and Martin Stewart have all missed games. Today Sam and Pete picked up injuries which cost us a little. Somethings we can’t do anything about but some we can. I’m sure all will continue with giving the effort required. We just need more guys stepping up and performing more regularly. Apologies for the moan and if any one has any ideas please let me know. Maybe we should have a proper warm before we field? Things like that. Anyway back to the game and Man of The Match. James Greenleaf is an easy one, although must mention Matt who bowled exceptionally. James in his first game batted well and with a bit more help could have got us close to 200. He fielded decently also. And as I said an asset we have missed this season so far. Hopefully he can help us in the second half. Well done to him. Thanks again to all the drivers , appreciated. This week with no scorer or umpire it was a bit of a struggle, highlighting how helpful they are when we have them. So unfortunately another poor day at the office. We’re now looking over our shoulders. Next week Barnstaple have pulled out so no game at all for us. Maybe a chance for some of us to practice. If I’m about I certainly will be. Then it’s another away trip to Exeter 3rds. A game we really need to win. Try and get some momentum going. At the very least put in a good performance and put up a decent fight.
Finally mustn’t finish without mentioning the epic party at the club. Brilliant it was and great to see so many club member there having a great time. I left around 12:30 and I believe it carried on quite a lot longer. Beth and Ollie did a great job putting it on. Hope they enjoyed it as much as everyone else seemed to.
Up the Bide. Thanks and goodnight
Cheers
John Weeks
Finally mustn’t finish without mentioning the epic party at the club. Brilliant it was and great to see so many club member there having a great time. I left around 12:30 and I believe it carried on quite a lot longer. Beth and Ollie did a great job putting it on. Hope they enjoyed it as much as everyone else seemed to.
Up the Bide. Thanks and goodnight
Cheers
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Culmstock 1st XI
24/06/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Fionn Toland
4. Ian Hayter
5. Jack Ancill
6. Martin Stewart
7. Pete Stevens
8. Sam Beckley
9. Keith Berry
10. Dean Whitehead
11. Riley Hornby
Umpire. Dave Smale
Scorer. Tim Lane
No Teas as usual. Breakfast club 11ish for those that wish to partake. If not meet 12ish for a 1pm start.😀😀
2. Andy Webbe
3. Fionn Toland
4. Ian Hayter
5. Jack Ancill
6. Martin Stewart
7. Pete Stevens
8. Sam Beckley
9. Keith Berry
10. Dean Whitehead
11. Riley Hornby
Umpire. Dave Smale
Scorer. Tim Lane
No Teas as usual. Breakfast club 11ish for those that wish to partake. If not meet 12ish for a 1pm start.😀😀
Match Report
So after the longest away trip to Kilmington and then the shortest one to Westleigh we were back at home against a new side for us in Culmstock. Another hot sunny day greeted us. Gotta mention selection again briefly. For the sixth time in a row a late pull out meant another last minute call up, this time Ollie Keates stepping in. On losing the toss we were asked to field. No Chris or Darren gave Sam and Jack the opportunity to open the bowling. Unfortunately a few early loose deliveries meant their two openers got off to a lightening start without too much risk. Both went for around 8 an over. A Change was needed so Keith and Martin Stewart took over. Martin did a decent job but for some reason is unable to take many wickets when he plays for us. Economy was ok though. Keith did ok but again every loose delivery was punished. So the rate continued along around 8 an over. 150 was on the board at halfway for no wickets. A regular issue for us is taking early wickets. Again we failed. Martin finally picked up the first wicket with his final delivery, a caught and bowled. I hoped this would stem the tide. Unfortunately it didn’t. The next batsman was promoted up the order to do some pinch hitting. This he did very well. Fionn, Dean, Ollie and Keith all coped it. He hit 80 off 30 balls. I managed to catch him out eventually but they were on a mammoth score of 280 by then with still 5 or 6 overs to go. Their young lad who opened up was still there. He fell for 85 but had done an excellent job supporting his team mates. Jack managed to pick up 3 late wickets. Keith got one and a run out gave us six wickets but unfortunately 334 was posted. Odd miss fields but they didn’t really affect anything. There were a few wides but not heaps. Unfortunately it was the consistency of the bowling combined with the batsman punishing virtually every loose ball we served up. Early control is vital and today it wasn’t there. Martin was the only who had any control. He went at 3.5. Everyone else went around 8. The first three batsmen batted well so fair play but I felt we could and should have been so much better. We have been batting well recently so anything around 250 or so and I’d have been happy and thought we have a chance here. At the break though I thought that 334 is probably a bit to many😂 But you never know. Webbe and Pete get going, we may have a sniff. So out to bat I went, opening this time with Pete, to give him every opportunity. Unfortunately for us they did what we couldn’t. Have good control from the start. I snicked off in the first over. Webbe joined Pete and although they both did ok they didn’t have hardly any easy balls to hit. Pete had a couple which he dispatched on his way to 22. Webbe came off after getting 19 saying he didn’t face a loose delivery in the 10 overs he was out there. Others came and went regularly for not many. Jack though was able to hang around and another 200 plus total looked on the cards for us. With good batsman all the way down the order I expected us to bat out the overs and pass 200. But alas we couldn’t. Some decent bowling and a couple rash shots and we were 160 all out. Jack left stranded on 62. Not our greatest performance but Culmstock did all the basics well and punished us when we were loose. So well played to them. Hopefully we can learn from what they did and be better next time. Man of the Match is fairly straightforward. Jack batted really well again, hopefully a huge match winning score isn’t far away. Yet to get out😀 Bowled ok in his second spell also picking up 3 late wickets. Well done to him. We seem to be decent one week and poor the next. Let’s try and be more consistent. Hopefully though we’re due a good one next week away a Cullompton. Thanks as always to the hero’s that are Tim Lane and Dave Smale, who umpired and scored again. Appreciated 😀 Also Dave Staddon who did a stint. As I said next week is Cullompton away. A tough one I’m sure as there top. Availability seems decent this week as you’ll see from the new Spond app. There are two guys not on it also which needs sorting 😬It’s probably meaning a couple will have to miss out. Apologies if anyone does. But as always there is nearly always late changes so it might not end up happening. Let’s forget this one and move on. We have the ability so let’s show it. Thanks to all for the effort. Don’t forget it’s Ollie Keates Half century next week, so let’s also celebrate a great game. Hopefully a win. Thanks and Good night 😀😀
John Weeks
John Weeks
North Devon 3rd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
17/06/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Jack Ancill
5. Ian Hayter
6. Pete Stevens
7. Chris Luxton
8. Keith Berry
9. Sam Beckley
10. Riley Hornby
11. Tim Cooke
Umpire. Dave Smale
Scorer. Tim Lane
1pm Start at Westleigh
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Jack Ancill
5. Ian Hayter
6. Pete Stevens
7. Chris Luxton
8. Keith Berry
9. Sam Beckley
10. Riley Hornby
11. Tim Cooke
Umpire. Dave Smale
Scorer. Tim Lane
1pm Start at Westleigh
Match Report
Game 7 was the epic away trip to play North Devon 3rds at Westleigh. Another week, another decent team and another week where I’m messaging Dean to see if he can step in last minute. Which lucky enough he was able to. Five weeks in a row now. Still it was another hot decent day. I lost the toss and was asked to bat. I probably would have batted anyway so was ok. Webbe and I opened again . The first ten overs went by. Not a great deal happening. The odd single, the odd wide, the odd boundary and a mighty six from Webbe. This took us to fifty without loss. We both had realised there was some uneven bounce so we would have to be watchful. Fortunately for us they bowled a little too short which gave us the time to judge the bounce. And with a short boundary one side, both were able to cash in. Webbe dealt mainly in sixes on his way to his fifty. I managed to hit 27 off one over to take me beyond fifty also. The one hundred partnership arrived in the 17th over. 148-0 at drinks was an excellent start. One I hoped we could make the most of. On 181 Webbe chipped one to cover and was caught. With 16 overs left though it was set nicely for others to cash in. Matt came in but was dubiously given out caught behind. He was adamant it wasn’t but the umpire thought otherwise. I was unsure. That brought Jack to the crease. He batted sensibly and built an innings. I was managing to tick the score on nicely, punishing the loose deliveries. Amazingly I managed to get to a three figure score. I was caught behind on 114 with 9 overs still remaining. Ian, Pete and Sam fell cheaply which slowed the rate a little. Chris and Jack though hit some late big blows and we finished on 286-6. Jack with a well made 48 not out. Was a very decent effort but as always would like to have got to 300. Still we were in a great position.
After the break jack and Chris opened up. Jack didn’t like bowling downhill so Sam took over. Chris did what he always does. 6 decent overs, few runs conceded and nipped a couple out along the way. He was helped out by Webbe though who took two sharp chances at first slip. Sorry Keith but Webbe has made the position his for now. Sam bowled a great spell also. Didn’t manage a wicket but only went for 3 an over. Riley took over from Chris and bowled an amazing spell. Six overs for just 14 runs. Also nabbing himself 3 wickets. Two bowled and one a good catch from Jack. Brilliant from him the best I’ve seen. Matt won the economical prize. Four overs for just three runs. He also took a wicket. A great effort from Sam. I thought the spectacular dive was a little unnecessary but it did look good. Dean and Tim took over and it was Dean who did the mopping up 3-20, all bowled. He finished it off in the 30th over. Tim only got to bowl three overs but only conceded one run. He like everyone made great efforts in the field. No drops this week either. All round it was great team effort. Lots contributed to a decent win. They weren’t the strongest but we did a professional job of getting the 20 points. This week several put there hands up for man of the match. Me, Webbe and Jack had the best opportunity to bat and made the most of it. All the bowlers did great. Chris was Chris. Sam bowled an excellent spell and fielded well. Tim and Matt both were decent. Dean did an excellent job mopping up. But today I’m going for Riley who bowled a brilliant spell. He hasn’t had a great chance in the previous couple games, but he was ready to go when required and Did an exceptional job. Fielded well also so well done to him. Great effort. Was great from everyone as always. Thanks for that. Also must thank the two Dave’s, Staddon and Smale for umpiring. And Tim Lane for scoring. Very much appreciated and as I said before. It’s makes such a difference as players can relax and concentrate on their game more. Was a great day, a great win and hopefully gives us confidence going forward. Next week is Culmstock. A. Team I’ve never played before. I’m sure its gonna be tough so we will have to be at our best. Transfer this week to next and we will have a great chance. Thanks again to all for the effort, great win. See you all next week. Cheers and good night
John Weeks
After the break jack and Chris opened up. Jack didn’t like bowling downhill so Sam took over. Chris did what he always does. 6 decent overs, few runs conceded and nipped a couple out along the way. He was helped out by Webbe though who took two sharp chances at first slip. Sorry Keith but Webbe has made the position his for now. Sam bowled a great spell also. Didn’t manage a wicket but only went for 3 an over. Riley took over from Chris and bowled an amazing spell. Six overs for just 14 runs. Also nabbing himself 3 wickets. Two bowled and one a good catch from Jack. Brilliant from him the best I’ve seen. Matt won the economical prize. Four overs for just three runs. He also took a wicket. A great effort from Sam. I thought the spectacular dive was a little unnecessary but it did look good. Dean and Tim took over and it was Dean who did the mopping up 3-20, all bowled. He finished it off in the 30th over. Tim only got to bowl three overs but only conceded one run. He like everyone made great efforts in the field. No drops this week either. All round it was great team effort. Lots contributed to a decent win. They weren’t the strongest but we did a professional job of getting the 20 points. This week several put there hands up for man of the match. Me, Webbe and Jack had the best opportunity to bat and made the most of it. All the bowlers did great. Chris was Chris. Sam bowled an excellent spell and fielded well. Tim and Matt both were decent. Dean did an excellent job mopping up. But today I’m going for Riley who bowled a brilliant spell. He hasn’t had a great chance in the previous couple games, but he was ready to go when required and Did an exceptional job. Fielded well also so well done to him. Great effort. Was great from everyone as always. Thanks for that. Also must thank the two Dave’s, Staddon and Smale for umpiring. And Tim Lane for scoring. Very much appreciated and as I said before. It’s makes such a difference as players can relax and concentrate on their game more. Was a great day, a great win and hopefully gives us confidence going forward. Next week is Culmstock. A. Team I’ve never played before. I’m sure its gonna be tough so we will have to be at our best. Transfer this week to next and we will have a great chance. Thanks again to all for the effort, great win. See you all next week. Cheers and good night
John Weeks
Kilmington 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
10/06/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Jack Ancill
5. Ian Hayter
6. Pete Stevens
7. Keith Berry
8. Sam Beckley
9. Darren Willcocks
10. Riley Hornby
11. Tim Cook
Umpire. None
Scorer. Steve Beckley
1pm Start at Kilmington
2. Andy Webbe
3. Matt Clarke
4. Jack Ancill
5. Ian Hayter
6. Pete Stevens
7. Keith Berry
8. Sam Beckley
9. Darren Willcocks
10. Riley Hornby
11. Tim Cook
Umpire. None
Scorer. Steve Beckley
1pm Start at Kilmington
Match Report
Decided to wait a couple of days before writing this. Needed to calm myself a bit😂. We never seem to do thing nice and simple. Selection issues reared their ugly head again. Not so much of a issue though this week as plenty were available. thanks to Dean for stepping in. Still one of our better batsmen was going to be missing. As we left Bideford the rain was falling. It was on and off all the way down. The long drive was about as ok as it could have been, not much traffic about. On arriving it was very lightly raining but both teams agreed to start. I managed to win the toss and decided to bat first. Several people had advised me this was the way to go. So that’s what I did. I wondered out with my newly purchased bat. One of three or four purchased on the day from Matt Clarke’s mobile cricket store. A roaring trade😀 Even Webbe tested one out. But he didn’t have the muscle to lift it though, so after a few overs he swapped back. A failed sale there for Matt haha. So, I struggled to get going at the start. The bowling was decent. Not a lot of pace and fairly accurate. Webbe did hit some nice shots, starting to build his innings. I finally found the middle of my new bat. Striking a couple fours and a six. As with me though I was just getting going and then got out for 18. The same every week. A little more concentration required. This did send Matt out to join Webbe. Both batted well and sensibly. Waiting for the openers to finish and then helping themselves to the offerings from the change bowlers. Now I’m probably gonna feel their wrath with my next comments, but hopefully they’ll understand where I’m coming from. Both had done great. The rain came and washed out two overs. Webbe was going great hitting a couple into the hedge for 6. He perished though going for another. Yes it was the right shot to a short ball but frustratingly he hit it straight to their only boundary fielder that side. He didn't need to move. He’d done so well as always. But after getting himself in and batting for 24 overs and with his abilities I was hoping he could have pushed on. Matt was doing great also. Ticking the score along nicely. But alas with 5 overs left he got himself out on 49 bowled. Both had done well and we got a good total in the end. But for me one of them needed to take it deep. Jack did well as did Keith but for me we were 20/30 short of where we should have been. The last few overs I admit Kilmington bowled decently. That’s where a set batsmen would have helped. Also we only lost four wickets. Still 222 was a good total. One that I still expected us to defend. Darren opened up with Jack. Amazingly their opener nicked off first ball from Darren. Caught behind by Pete. Brilliant start. Darren bowled a good six over spell and Jack did well but unfortunately leaked a few runs. He did though manage to pick up a wicket. Tim took over from Jack and Matt from Darren. Both also did well. But the runs kept ticking over around six an over. Finally Tim pulled things back slightly in our favour by taking two wickets in the same over. Both bowled. Unfortunately though a hard hitting batsman came in and hit several boundaries. Matt copping a big over. Dean and Sam both had a go. Both bowled a little short and the runs continued to flow. To be fair to kilmington all their batters came in and were positive. Along with a few to many short ones, our fielding was particularly poor. I’ll include myself in this. My groin injury isn’t an excuse. But it was basics. A couple drops. But more importantly several extremely poor efforts. Cost us in the region of 20 runs. The 20 more we should probably have added with the bat. Everyone is making the effort I know that, but at some point we have to be better. Darren and Matt picked up late wickets along with a run out. But it was all to late and in vain. They got home one over to spare. I’ve explained already where we lost the game. So no need to repeat myself, but for me the fielding definitely needs to be a lot better. We struggle also to bowl sides out, which is costing us. Everyone needs to work hard, think about things a little more but most importantly concentrate every ball. It’s tough but unfortunately its costing us. 200 runs again is a decent effort again though. So we are at least giving ourselves a chance with the bat. A bit more in the field is what’s required. Sorry for the moan, I know all give there best. It’s just so frustrating when we drop slightly below the standards I know we have in us. Man of the match. Well not sure where to go with this. Matt and Webbe batted well. Jack did ok all round and Darren and Tim both bowled decent spells. I gonna though be controversial in our defeat and give it to Steve for his immaculate scoring. Travelling to a long away trip to score is definitely worthy of a reward. So thanks for that. Appreciated as always. Even though we didn’t perform to the standards we’d have liked, I must say Kilmington did well also. There bowling near the end was better than us. And they chased down our total well, albeit with a little help from us. Well done to them. We take our 8 points and move on, to the epic away trip to Westleigh. Hopefully we can perform well and get a much needed win. Thanks must go to the drivers and to the Ancill’s for the support. Been asked to mention Pete Stevens and Riley trying to open Pete Ancill’s beers. Wasn’t witness to this so can’t comment, but assured it would get a laugh. Thanks for the effort guys. We go again next week.
Thanks and goodnight
John Weeks
Thanks and goodnight
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Bradninch and Kentisbeare 3rd XI
03/06/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Ian Hayter
4. Matt Clarke
5. Tim Cooke
6. Darren Willcocks
7. Ollie Keates
8. Riley Hornby
9. Sam Beckley
10. Keith Berry
11. Dean Whitehead
Umpire. Dave Smale
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for 1pm start at the Ho!
Breakfast Club meeting 10:30 if you fancy, all welcome 😀😀😀😀
2. Andy Webbe
3. Ian Hayter
4. Matt Clarke
5. Tim Cooke
6. Darren Willcocks
7. Ollie Keates
8. Riley Hornby
9. Sam Beckley
10. Keith Berry
11. Dean Whitehead
Umpire. Dave Smale
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for 1pm start at the Ho!
Breakfast Club meeting 10:30 if you fancy, all welcome 😀😀😀😀
Match Report
Selection. What to say, well it was the usual weekly nightmare. Thanks for that Martin Stewart😂 seriously though get well soon😀 I’ve gone beyond getting frustrated by it. Now I just laugh it off and move on😂 So as always we were able to put out a team thanks to people stepping in last minute. And It was still a decent one. Must thank Sam Beckley for making the trip with the first XI at short notice and Alex Stevens for helping us out at the Ho! So finally the tranquility of the actual game. On another glorious day, this week I was able to win the toss and made the no brainer decision to bat first. Me and Webbe opened up. It was a little more tricky this week. Some decent bowling and the odd demon unfortunately accounted for Webbe early for just five. A hammer blow for us. Riley came to the wicket at three. Did ok but was caught in front LBW for 6. A partnership was required and just the man for the job walked to the crease. Matt played sensible and didn’t take any risks. He left that to me. In between the odd play and miss or silly shot, I managed to hit a few boundaries including one six. Matt calmly knocked it around giving me the strike. We got to drinks with the score on 81-2. Not bad after losing to wickets early. I had moved on to fifty a ball or two before the break. 2 balls after though I took one risk to many and perished for exactly fifty. That brought Ian out and he cashed in where I couldn’t. Smashing several fours, he raced past Matt’s score and was making sure not too much running was required. Matt simply supported him and when the right ball came along he dispatched it to the boundary rope. When Ian and Matt both past fifty, a very decent score was on the cards. Unfortunately though Ian fell for 56. They had taken the score onto 199. With only about four or five overs remaining I hoped we could push for 250. But two wickets on 215 put paid to that. Keith and Darren both out. Matt finally fell on 220 for a very well put together innings of 72. Dean and Ollie scurried a handful more. Finishing on 226-7. A decent total but would have liked 20 more. Especially when looking back at how tight last weeks game ended up. Thanks to Matt we put up probably a par score and gave ourselves a very good chance of a positive result. We’d have to bowl and field well though.
So after the break Darren and Dean opened up the bowling. Both did decent jobs. Unable to make the breakthrough, but the economy rates rarely went above three. Darren decided after six overs that a change was required so Matt took on bowling down the hill. Several drops meant Matt was only able to take one wicket with him, rather than the four or five he deserved. Just 60 at drinks meant they were way behind the rate, requiring over 8 an over. But with 10 wickets in hand they could have a go. Dean had done well bowling his 8 overs for just 24. Matt finally grabbed a wicket and finished a brilliant spell. 1-22 off 8. Tim took over from Dean and did his usual 2-32 off 8. These four economical spells meant the rate climbed to around 10 an over. Kieth, Ollie and Alex combined for the final 10 overs. Some big late hitting had us a little rattled at points but in the end it was fairly comfortable. Ollie and Keith took a wicket each. The final total was 192-5. They got a few more than I’d have liked but I think we were always in control. A few more wickets too would have been nice. We played well and we were definitely the better team. A good win but still room for improvement. Particularly the catching. A few taken would have made our two recent wins a lot more comfortable than they were. Still we won, taking 17 points and in the end that’s the main aim. Several decent performances today. I batted ok for a while. Ian put in his usual good effort making 56 and keeping well. Darren and Dean bowled good spells. Just lacked something in the wicket column. Tim did what he always does. Bowled a decent 8 over spell for under four an over and took two wickets 😀 Everyone else gave there all as always. But Man of The Match this week is easy. A classy batting performance preceded an equally classy bowling performance. With some help in the field from his team mates he’d probably have had a 5fer. I’ll apologise now for my part in that. A cracking performance and great effort, which was most definitely a match winning one. Well played to him. Hopefully more to come as the season ticks along. It has been great to see different guy’s performing each week. We have our consistent ones like Ian and Tim. But also Webbe, Jody, Matt, Keith, Sam and Darren have all stepped up. If we can continue like this a great season looms. With the bat we are averaging around 220 which is great. A few more wickets though is what we need. Still yet to bowl a side out. But today was a great day. 17 more points. Next week we make the long trip to Kilmington. Somewhere the seconds have never been, in my time at least. Another tough game ahead I’m sure. But one I’m sure we can do well in if we continue putting in big efforts. Thanks to everybody for that. Thanks again to Tim Lane and Dave Smale for scoring and Umpiring. Appreciated as always. Let’s keep the roll going. Another excellent day to be beside the see😀😀 Thanks and good night
John Weeks
So after the break Darren and Dean opened up the bowling. Both did decent jobs. Unable to make the breakthrough, but the economy rates rarely went above three. Darren decided after six overs that a change was required so Matt took on bowling down the hill. Several drops meant Matt was only able to take one wicket with him, rather than the four or five he deserved. Just 60 at drinks meant they were way behind the rate, requiring over 8 an over. But with 10 wickets in hand they could have a go. Dean had done well bowling his 8 overs for just 24. Matt finally grabbed a wicket and finished a brilliant spell. 1-22 off 8. Tim took over from Dean and did his usual 2-32 off 8. These four economical spells meant the rate climbed to around 10 an over. Kieth, Ollie and Alex combined for the final 10 overs. Some big late hitting had us a little rattled at points but in the end it was fairly comfortable. Ollie and Keith took a wicket each. The final total was 192-5. They got a few more than I’d have liked but I think we were always in control. A few more wickets too would have been nice. We played well and we were definitely the better team. A good win but still room for improvement. Particularly the catching. A few taken would have made our two recent wins a lot more comfortable than they were. Still we won, taking 17 points and in the end that’s the main aim. Several decent performances today. I batted ok for a while. Ian put in his usual good effort making 56 and keeping well. Darren and Dean bowled good spells. Just lacked something in the wicket column. Tim did what he always does. Bowled a decent 8 over spell for under four an over and took two wickets 😀 Everyone else gave there all as always. But Man of The Match this week is easy. A classy batting performance preceded an equally classy bowling performance. With some help in the field from his team mates he’d probably have had a 5fer. I’ll apologise now for my part in that. A cracking performance and great effort, which was most definitely a match winning one. Well played to him. Hopefully more to come as the season ticks along. It has been great to see different guy’s performing each week. We have our consistent ones like Ian and Tim. But also Webbe, Jody, Matt, Keith, Sam and Darren have all stepped up. If we can continue like this a great season looms. With the bat we are averaging around 220 which is great. A few more wickets though is what we need. Still yet to bowl a side out. But today was a great day. 17 more points. Next week we make the long trip to Kilmington. Somewhere the seconds have never been, in my time at least. Another tough game ahead I’m sure. But one I’m sure we can do well in if we continue putting in big efforts. Thanks to everybody for that. Thanks again to Tim Lane and Dave Smale for scoring and Umpiring. Appreciated as always. Let’s keep the roll going. Another excellent day to be beside the see😀😀 Thanks and good night
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Alphington 2nd XI
27/05/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Riley Hornby
4. Pete Stevens
5. Tim Cooke
6. Ollie Keates
7. Dean Whitehead
8. Sam Beckley
9. Keith Berry
10. Joe Stevens
11. Steve Beckley
Umpire. Dave Smale
Scorer. Time Lane
12ish meet for a 1pm start at the Ho!
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Riley Hornby
4. Pete Stevens
5. Tim Cooke
6. Ollie Keates
7. Dean Whitehead
8. Sam Beckley
9. Keith Berry
10. Joe Stevens
11. Steve Beckley
Umpire. Dave Smale
Scorer. Time Lane
12ish meet for a 1pm start at the Ho!
Match Report
Last week we had lost our four main bowlers who could all bat a bit also. This week none of them were back. Combine that with our two best batsman missing, we were in a bit of bother even before we got onto the field. With a few lads stepping up we did though manage to put out a side. It was another glorious hot sunny day at the Ho! And one that suggested batting first would be the way to go. So my heart sunk when losing the toss. But to my delight they said they had better have a bowl. So we got to bat but without our superstars, others would have to step up. So I asked Pete to open up with me. This risk payed off as after 6 overs we had 50 on the board. He struck half a dozen boundaries for 30. I hit 3 getting to 19. Then our usual curse struck. I inside edged one onto the stumps. Pete did similar a few balls later. Darren was caught at slip and Steve was caught behind. 50-0 had become 70-4. Typical of us. This partnered Sam and Keith together. Due to our quick start both had plenty of time to get in and build innings. This they did really well. Waited for the bad balls and punished them accordingly. They ticked along at around 5 an over. Unfortunately just before they got to a 100 partnership Sam miss timed one and was caught for a very well made 45. Keith was joined by Riley who struck a few decent shots making 12. With 4 overs to go he got out but Keith was still there. Alphington had I think run out of main bowling options. Dean came in and along with Keith took advantage of this. Getting around 40 off the last four overs. Both finished not out. Dean made 18, Keith a brilliant 67. So a final total of 234-6 was an excellent effort. Most batsmen chipping in. If I’m honest it was 100 runs more than I thought we’d get. So I along the others were delighted with our efforts. They gave us a real opportunity. We’d still have to bowl and field well.
Dean and Darren opened up the bowling. Darren struck early, an excellent take one handed by Pete behind the stumps. Dean was doing a decent job and struck also hitting the stumps. Darren then took over, Steve took an excellent catch, Pete took another one behind the wicket and his fourth wicket was clean bowled. When Tim had another caught by Pete we were in an unbelievable position. 43-6 wow. I’ll say it again 43-6. Darren had rolled back the years with an awesome spell. This though had brought two experienced heads to the crease. They decided to bat time and get themselves in. This they did really well. We didn’t have anyone keen to bowl down hill. So I had to insist they did. Tim was being Tim up the hill(excellent as always) so Sam, Ollie and Riley had to step up. They all struggled a bit and we leaked quite a few runs. Ollie changed ends after Tim’s 1-20 off 8 spell. He fared a lot better. No wickets but his economy fell rapidly. Still Alphington were edging closer all the time. They gave a couple chances that we failed to take. But were putting up a great fight 43-6 had become 187-6. The run rate was always above 10 though so things still just in our favour. Finally though Keith took a caught and bowled which probably ended their hopes. Sam took a late 8th wicket and was able to defend the 20plus runs required off the last over. Alphington had done an amazing job to get within 16 runs in the end. Great effort from them. We could obviously have been a bit better. The bowling after Darren and Tim wasn’t the best and a couple catches missed. We could and probably should have been a lot more comfortable than we were. Credit must go to Alphington for their efforts though. Never have I seen a field like we had at the end. Literally every out fielder was standing on the boundary rope as the ball was being bowled. Quite a sight😂 But it’s within the laws and we definitely needed to do it. Victory at any cost. 19 points is an excellent effort from our much changed side. Several players stepped up and put in brilliant performances. Pete got our batting off to a flier. Sam and Keith batted 20 plus overs each, taking us to the 200 mark. Dean scored some valuable runs also at the death. But for me Man of the Match has to go to Darren. Without his spell knocking over most of their top order, I think we’d have struggled to defend our total.Back to his best. Hopefully he can keep it going . So well done to him. But everyone chipped in. Pete scored 33 and took 4 catches. Tim was his usual excellent self. Ollie did a great job second spell and Dean scored some vital runs along with a vital early wicket. So was a great team effort and will hopefully set us on our way to a good season. Week one we weren’t far off. Could quite easily have won it. Week two we struggled a little but with a couple more regulars we could have gotten something. This week we were very short but dug in and produced a brilliant performance. Some as I always say a little more consistency all round and we’ll have a great season. The only real downside today was 29 wides. We’ve been decent the previous two weeks, just 23 between both games. Something to work on there. Must thank Dave for his umpiring efforts and also Tim for his scoring efforts. Massively appreciated as always. Both agreeing to turn out again next week is awesome for us. I definitely think players not having to do either job helps massively. For me it also contributed massively to us winning, as much as any player. After the game Keith fired up the bbq and awesome it was to. Great to see most players staying on for a couple hours and hopefully all enjoyed it. Hopefully we will introduce this a few more times throughout the season. Can’t finish with congratulating The first team on their excellent win. Well actually Ollie Hannam on his excellent match winning knock. Well played😀 And finally can’t forget our resident Luton fan Tim on their return to footballs top table, an amazing effort 💪😀 In all as days go they don’t get much better. Thanks to all for the effort. Can’t express the appreciation enough. What a day to be beside the sea. Let’s repeat this day next Saturday. Thanks and good night.
Cheers
John Weeks
Dean and Darren opened up the bowling. Darren struck early, an excellent take one handed by Pete behind the stumps. Dean was doing a decent job and struck also hitting the stumps. Darren then took over, Steve took an excellent catch, Pete took another one behind the wicket and his fourth wicket was clean bowled. When Tim had another caught by Pete we were in an unbelievable position. 43-6 wow. I’ll say it again 43-6. Darren had rolled back the years with an awesome spell. This though had brought two experienced heads to the crease. They decided to bat time and get themselves in. This they did really well. We didn’t have anyone keen to bowl down hill. So I had to insist they did. Tim was being Tim up the hill(excellent as always) so Sam, Ollie and Riley had to step up. They all struggled a bit and we leaked quite a few runs. Ollie changed ends after Tim’s 1-20 off 8 spell. He fared a lot better. No wickets but his economy fell rapidly. Still Alphington were edging closer all the time. They gave a couple chances that we failed to take. But were putting up a great fight 43-6 had become 187-6. The run rate was always above 10 though so things still just in our favour. Finally though Keith took a caught and bowled which probably ended their hopes. Sam took a late 8th wicket and was able to defend the 20plus runs required off the last over. Alphington had done an amazing job to get within 16 runs in the end. Great effort from them. We could obviously have been a bit better. The bowling after Darren and Tim wasn’t the best and a couple catches missed. We could and probably should have been a lot more comfortable than we were. Credit must go to Alphington for their efforts though. Never have I seen a field like we had at the end. Literally every out fielder was standing on the boundary rope as the ball was being bowled. Quite a sight😂 But it’s within the laws and we definitely needed to do it. Victory at any cost. 19 points is an excellent effort from our much changed side. Several players stepped up and put in brilliant performances. Pete got our batting off to a flier. Sam and Keith batted 20 plus overs each, taking us to the 200 mark. Dean scored some valuable runs also at the death. But for me Man of the Match has to go to Darren. Without his spell knocking over most of their top order, I think we’d have struggled to defend our total.Back to his best. Hopefully he can keep it going . So well done to him. But everyone chipped in. Pete scored 33 and took 4 catches. Tim was his usual excellent self. Ollie did a great job second spell and Dean scored some vital runs along with a vital early wicket. So was a great team effort and will hopefully set us on our way to a good season. Week one we weren’t far off. Could quite easily have won it. Week two we struggled a little but with a couple more regulars we could have gotten something. This week we were very short but dug in and produced a brilliant performance. Some as I always say a little more consistency all round and we’ll have a great season. The only real downside today was 29 wides. We’ve been decent the previous two weeks, just 23 between both games. Something to work on there. Must thank Dave for his umpiring efforts and also Tim for his scoring efforts. Massively appreciated as always. Both agreeing to turn out again next week is awesome for us. I definitely think players not having to do either job helps massively. For me it also contributed massively to us winning, as much as any player. After the game Keith fired up the bbq and awesome it was to. Great to see most players staying on for a couple hours and hopefully all enjoyed it. Hopefully we will introduce this a few more times throughout the season. Can’t finish with congratulating The first team on their excellent win. Well actually Ollie Hannam on his excellent match winning knock. Well played😀 And finally can’t forget our resident Luton fan Tim on their return to footballs top table, an amazing effort 💪😀 In all as days go they don’t get much better. Thanks to all for the effort. Can’t express the appreciation enough. What a day to be beside the sea. Let’s repeat this day next Saturday. Thanks and good night.
Cheers
John Weeks
Upottery 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
20/05/23
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Andy Webbe
4. Ian Hayter
5. Keith Berry
6. Sam Beckley
7. Riley Hornby
8. Tim Cooke
9. Pete Stevens
10. Ollie Keates
11. Alex Stevens
1pm start at Upottery
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Andy Webbe
4. Ian Hayter
5. Keith Berry
6. Sam Beckley
7. Riley Hornby
8. Tim Cooke
9. Pete Stevens
10. Ollie Keates
11. Alex Stevens
1pm start at Upottery
Match Report
So to game three. A long away trip to Upottery. Back to normal this week selection wise. Lots unavailable, so once again a nightmare getting a team. But get one I did. Alex Stevens stepping in last minute gave us a reasonable XI. We arrived in plenty of time on a glorious sunny afternoon. The wicket looked ok and perfect for batting first on. This week I couldn’t make the mistake of choosing to bowl first as I lost the and was inevitably asked to have a bowl. So with our four main bowlers from last week missing it was up to others to step up. Sam opened with Darren. Both did ok but a few loose ones allowed them a decent start. They ticked along at 6 an over. Both unable to make the breakthrough. A change of bowling to Tim brought about the first wicket well stumped by Ian. 69-1. This though brought in a hard hitting batsman who almost every other ball was finding the boundary. His dad at the other end was supporting him well. They put on 100 plus partnership before it was finally broken by Riley. Ollie had had a go before Riley but couldn’t break the partnership. With plenty overs remaining they continued to go after the bowling. Finally Sam bowled the in batsman but he had done the damage with 88 runs. The remaining batsmen came and went at regular intervals but the runs kept ticking along. Everyone except Keith managed to pick up a wicket or two near the end but the damage had already been done. 269-8. We all gave our all but lacked a little quality and consistency in the end. An amazing amount of full tosses didn’t help along with quite a few very short balls. These we easy to hit for their in batsmen who punished us accordingly. Their top three pretty much made most of their runs. 25 extras wasn’t to bad. Just 11 wides. They were a little lenient though I thought. So a tough chase but one we should be able to get close to if we bat to our abilities.
Me and Webbe opened as usual and got off to a good start. I surprisingly out scored Webbe to start with. 45 on the board after just 6 overs was a decent start. But alas my lack of quality shone and I was caught at point for 30. Still better me than Webbe. Sam was given a go but could only muster 3 off 5 balls. Ian and Keith both tried to hang around with Webbe but neither managed double figures. Two balls after Keith perished Pete did also caught. Darren made 12 quite quickly but was then bowled. Webbe was at the other end trying his best to farm strike and keep the board ticking. He managed this for a while but after a while the task became to much. Wickets were tumbling and without any help with the runs he finally fell caught behind for 91. A great effort. One that with a little more help could have been a winning one. The end came in the 39th over on 186. Webbe apart we didn’t perform great. More effort is definitely needed. Looks like they were much better than us. On the day yes they were, but on paper I wouldn’t say so. Consistency is our problem all round. From selection to batting, bowling and fielding. A little here and there could make a massive difference. Man of the Match is easy. Webbe once again showed what a massive asset he is for us. Just needs a bit more HELP from the rest of us😂. So well done to him. Alex Stevens also did an excellent job in his first game, particularly fielding. Hopefully he enjoyed it and will get better and better the more he plays. Thanks to all that made the long trip away. Always a hassle 😀Also to those who drove, appreciated as always. Next week is Alphington at home. Always tough so another big effort required. Was hoping to have a couple back this week, but currently doesn’t look to be the case. Along with Ian and Webbe missing we are behind the eight ball already. So that effort from the rest of us is going to have to be massive. The weather looks set to be decent again so let’s try and make the most of it. See you soon. Cheers and good night 😀😀
John Weeks
Me and Webbe opened as usual and got off to a good start. I surprisingly out scored Webbe to start with. 45 on the board after just 6 overs was a decent start. But alas my lack of quality shone and I was caught at point for 30. Still better me than Webbe. Sam was given a go but could only muster 3 off 5 balls. Ian and Keith both tried to hang around with Webbe but neither managed double figures. Two balls after Keith perished Pete did also caught. Darren made 12 quite quickly but was then bowled. Webbe was at the other end trying his best to farm strike and keep the board ticking. He managed this for a while but after a while the task became to much. Wickets were tumbling and without any help with the runs he finally fell caught behind for 91. A great effort. One that with a little more help could have been a winning one. The end came in the 39th over on 186. Webbe apart we didn’t perform great. More effort is definitely needed. Looks like they were much better than us. On the day yes they were, but on paper I wouldn’t say so. Consistency is our problem all round. From selection to batting, bowling and fielding. A little here and there could make a massive difference. Man of the Match is easy. Webbe once again showed what a massive asset he is for us. Just needs a bit more HELP from the rest of us😂. So well done to him. Alex Stevens also did an excellent job in his first game, particularly fielding. Hopefully he enjoyed it and will get better and better the more he plays. Thanks to all that made the long trip away. Always a hassle 😀Also to those who drove, appreciated as always. Next week is Alphington at home. Always tough so another big effort required. Was hoping to have a couple back this week, but currently doesn’t look to be the case. Along with Ian and Webbe missing we are behind the eight ball already. So that effort from the rest of us is going to have to be massive. The weather looks set to be decent again so let’s try and make the most of it. See you soon. Cheers and good night 😀😀
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Exeter 3rd XI
13/05/23
Saturday 2nds, sponsored by OCR Architecture:- Back l to r: Tim Lane (scorer) Riley Hornby, Jim Keates, Sam Beckley, Keith Berry, Matt Clarke. Front l to r: Andy Webbe, Chris Luxton, John Weeks*, Darren Willcox, Ian Hayter+, Jody Brown. Missing: Tim Cook (umpire)
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Keith Berry
4. Ian Hayter
5. Jody Brown
6. Matt Clarke
7. Jim Keates
8. Chris Luxton
9. Darren Willcocks
10. Sam Beckley
11. Riley Hornby
Umpire. Tim Cook
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at the Ho!
2. Andy Webbe
3. Keith Berry
4. Ian Hayter
5. Jody Brown
6. Matt Clarke
7. Jim Keates
8. Chris Luxton
9. Darren Willcocks
10. Sam Beckley
11. Riley Hornby
Umpire. Tim Cook
Scorer. Tim Lane
Meet 12ish for a 1pm start at the Ho!
Match Report
So finally we got to kick off our Devon League campaign after Axminster’s withdrawal and rain had put paid to the first week of the season. I woke up Saturday morning to what promised to be a glorious day weather wise. And this it was. Sunshine all day. With strong availability we had a decent experienced side. Matt Clarke and Jody Brown returning to the club bolstered our experience massively. I was Undecided at the toss as to what to do. I went for bowling first. Hoping we could start well. Jim and Sam started off the bowling. Both did a decent job but with a couple dropped catches and some attacking shots, they got off to good start. 60-0 off the first ten wasn’t the start we wanted. A double change in the bowling brought a quick reward. Jody in his second over had a wicket caught by Chris at deep mid wicket. That quickly became two wickets thanks to a good slip catch by Keith off Matts bowling. The two new recruits had got us back in the game. Jody beat the next batsman and bowled him for zero. Now at 89-3 we were looking good.Their number three though had other ideas. A few quick singles were interrupted by some big hits for six. Matt copped a few as did Riley who had taken over from Jody. Jody’s excellent spell of 2-28 off 8 was a brilliant effort. 89-3 became 150-3. Riley got his first wicket of the season well stumped by Ian. Two previous efforts at stumpings from Ian would definitely have been reviewed. 12 overs still to go. Darren replaced Matt. Did ok and picked up a wicket bowled. But also copped a couple big hits. Their number three got 83 before he was bowled by Sam. The runs ticked along at six an over throughout. Two excellent overs at the death from Jim stopped them getting past 250. But 238-6 was a decent total and would take a big effort to chase down. Extras wasn’t to bad, just 15. Still two extra overs in wides. There were roughly 130 dots but lots of sixes made up for it. Wasn’t a lot we could do about that though.
Batting would be hard work but I was confident that if we batted all our overs we had the batting to chase their total. After 4 overs we doing well. Webbe struck a four and a big six and I had hit two fours. 30-0. Unfortunately Webbe went again and miss timed his shot straight to the fielder posted on the boundary. A big blow for us. I was joined by Kieth. He and I struggled to get the ball away. 10 overs went by for just 20 runs which put us behind the rate. Kieth fell for 5. I had made it to 22 before I flicked one straight to fine leg and was caught. 65-3 at drinks was below where we wanted but with lots of batting to come we were still in with a shout. We’d have to bat well though. This we did. Well Ian and Jody did. After a few balls each getting in Ian in particular managed to move the scoreboard along at a very decent rate. One over of 19 and one of 21 included some huge sixes from Ian who passed fifty in the process. Jody initially supported Ian well before bringing out some shots of his own. Mainly fours but one big six also. He also passed fifty. Jody was unfortunately bowled on 51. Ian kept on going though. Once Jody perished we needed 10 an over but could only muster 5 or 6. Jim and Matt tried valiantly as did Ian but we fell 16 short. Great efforts from Jody and Ian on another would have taken us home. 10 overs for 20 at the start put us on the back foot a little. We also faced 130 ish dots which is what cost us in the end. Both teams batted well and unfortunately for us they came out on top in a tight finish. Two fairly evenly matched teams. Not the result we wanted but a good performance all the same. Everyone did a good job and if we can play like this every week I’m sure the victories will come.
Man of the Match can only go one way and that’s in the direction of Ian. He kept well. Byes zero. And batted magnificent for 89 not out. Some lusty blows almost got us home. Well done to him. Must mention Jody who bowled exceptionally and also batted well. A great retuning effort from him. Everyone gave there all as always so thanks for that. Same effort next week please. Must thank the two Tim’s for scoring and umpiring. Can’t remember ever having one of each. Been several years at least. Great job done and such a massive help, so thanks for that. Thanks to Exeter for uploading the results. Saves me a job. Upottery away next week. A long drive and a tough one I’m sure. The same effort again and we will have a chance. So on we move. Thanks and goodnight
Cheers
John Weeks
Batting would be hard work but I was confident that if we batted all our overs we had the batting to chase their total. After 4 overs we doing well. Webbe struck a four and a big six and I had hit two fours. 30-0. Unfortunately Webbe went again and miss timed his shot straight to the fielder posted on the boundary. A big blow for us. I was joined by Kieth. He and I struggled to get the ball away. 10 overs went by for just 20 runs which put us behind the rate. Kieth fell for 5. I had made it to 22 before I flicked one straight to fine leg and was caught. 65-3 at drinks was below where we wanted but with lots of batting to come we were still in with a shout. We’d have to bat well though. This we did. Well Ian and Jody did. After a few balls each getting in Ian in particular managed to move the scoreboard along at a very decent rate. One over of 19 and one of 21 included some huge sixes from Ian who passed fifty in the process. Jody initially supported Ian well before bringing out some shots of his own. Mainly fours but one big six also. He also passed fifty. Jody was unfortunately bowled on 51. Ian kept on going though. Once Jody perished we needed 10 an over but could only muster 5 or 6. Jim and Matt tried valiantly as did Ian but we fell 16 short. Great efforts from Jody and Ian on another would have taken us home. 10 overs for 20 at the start put us on the back foot a little. We also faced 130 ish dots which is what cost us in the end. Both teams batted well and unfortunately for us they came out on top in a tight finish. Two fairly evenly matched teams. Not the result we wanted but a good performance all the same. Everyone did a good job and if we can play like this every week I’m sure the victories will come.
Man of the Match can only go one way and that’s in the direction of Ian. He kept well. Byes zero. And batted magnificent for 89 not out. Some lusty blows almost got us home. Well done to him. Must mention Jody who bowled exceptionally and also batted well. A great retuning effort from him. Everyone gave there all as always so thanks for that. Same effort next week please. Must thank the two Tim’s for scoring and umpiring. Can’t remember ever having one of each. Been several years at least. Great job done and such a massive help, so thanks for that. Thanks to Exeter for uploading the results. Saves me a job. Upottery away next week. A long drive and a tough one I’m sure. The same effort again and we will have a chance. So on we move. Thanks and goodnight
Cheers
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Exeter 2nd XI
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Ian Hayter
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Chris Luxton
5. Sam Beckley
6. Andy Webbe
7. James Ford
8. Keith Berry
9. Tim Cooke
10. Riley Hornby
11. Fionn Toland
1pm Start at Westward Ho!
Breakfast 10:30 meet at club for those who wish.
BBQ after game also
2. Ian Hayter
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Chris Luxton
5. Sam Beckley
6. Andy Webbe
7. James Ford
8. Keith Berry
9. Tim Cooke
10. Riley Hornby
11. Fionn Toland
1pm Start at Westward Ho!
Breakfast 10:30 meet at club for those who wish.
BBQ after game also
Match Report
Finally we arrived at the last game of an interesting season. And of course it wouldn’t have been right to not have our usual selection headache. 9:30 Saturday morning I get a message. Martin hasn’t turned up so we have pinched Sam. Great😂 still though a possibility he might be able to play at home. If we can get hold of him. Alas we couldn’t so our superstar sub Liam helped out once again. He’s becoming a regular now😂 Let’s hope though that Martin is actually ok. Writing this I’m still none the wiser as to where he might be😀 so onto the game. I thought we would struggle to get much play with the overcast conditions and rain forecast. But apart from a little drizzle just after the tea break. We had no stoppages at all. I lost the toss and was asked to have a bowl. I was quite happy with that though as I would have bowled anyway. So with 10 points required off we went. Chris and Darren opened up. Both did ok jobs at the start and Darren picked up the first wicket caught by Ian. 1-1. Unusually Chris wasn’t firing so Tim took over. He was his usual self. With the second wicket partnership looking ominous he managed to lure the batsman out his crease and Ian did the rest. With 100 on the board at drinks they were in a good position to push on.Tim though picked up the wicket of their in batsman, well caught by Webbe. Darren had bowled through his overs and done well with 1-34. Then it was the inspirational decision by the captain to bring Fionn into the attack. And equally inspirational to keep him on after his first over saw 3 boundaries hit. He got into his rhythm and was constantly troubling the batsman. Chris produced the catch of the day diving forward a mid on. Exceptional catch I thought. Riley held onto a catch. Strange technique but held it😂 Webbe snapped up a slip catch and then Fordy although not looking completely comfortable, held on to a steepling catch. James had taken over from Tim and was doing a great job. Fionn took a simple catch to give him a wicket. Riley bowled a couple but struggled so Chris came back and bowled the final two. The second half was great. We restricted them well and consistently picked up wickets. We couldn’t quite manage to bowl them out. But 180 was a very gettable total with the line up we had. Bowling sides out is something we have struggled with this season. Only managed it twice. Work to be done there. So next was the batting. As we desperately needed to win I decided to make the most of senior Ford. He opened up with Webbe. A couple of classy shots each got us going and it was looking like it might be a comfortable chase. But of course it never is with us. Webbe smashed a full toss. I actually clicked four instantly on the tablet. I had to undo my error as there cover field took a one handed worldy. Fordy on the other hand was using up quite a few of his nine lives. I again a couple of times had given him out on the scorecard only to see 4 or 5 dollies dropped. Webbe was cursing his luck on the sideline. Keith had joined James but only lasted two balls. I gave him out caught behind but apparently Darren gave him lbw😂 Fionn strode to the crease and played an excellent innings. He supported James brilliant. James made it to fifty in is fourth innings and then finally they took the chance and he was caught behind for valuable 69 runs. When Ian was bowled shortly after we still required 60 runs. Fionn was looking good though and we had some batting still to come. I joined Fionn and together we ticked the scoreboard along nicely. The odd four and lots of 1s and 2s. It’s surprising how fast the scoreboard ticks over when your running 1s and 2s. I hit a six to get us into single figures required. Four byes left four to win. Bugger I chopped on to ball that should have disappeared. That meant Chris had to stroll out and help Fionn get us over the line. Chris knocked a single and then Fionn magnificently won us the game with a reverse sweep. But if practice needed though as it didn’t quite make the boundary. Still they were able to run the 3 that was required. Hooray we did it 19 points and safety. Finishing 6th in the end. That win took us above Exeter😀 Was a great effort from everyone. Several stepped up and we got ourselves over the line. Man of the Match can only really go one way and that Liam Toland😂 oh sorry I meant Fionn. Liam probably does deserve something though for continually helping us out and putting in great efforts. But yes today Fionn was the star performer. After a shaky start produced an excellent spell of bowling, picking up four wickets along the way. We’ve unearthed a decent spinner there. His fielding was excellent as always and he played a brilliant innings allowing everyone else to bat around him. Then the highlight of seeing us home and to safety with a classy shot. Well played him. Well done to all others was a great effort. Thanks from me for that. Must thank all who stayed after for the bbq. Wasn’t to bad I thought😂😂 The semi naked louts slightly upset our civilised evening when they turned up😂😂 But was a decent evening and day in the end. End of season review will arrive when I have a spare 5hours or so😂😂 Finally it’s been an interesting season. Started with 4 out of 6 wins. Ended 3 wins from four. Just the middle bit to sort next year. Oops nearly forgot the most important person. That’s Hannah Luxton for washing up at the end. Appreciated massively. Thank you. Cheers and good night.
Sampford Peverall 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
27/08/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Ian Hayter
4. Darren Willcocks
5. Riley Hornby
6. Keith Berry
7. Damon Berry
8. Rob Guppy
9. Tim Cooke
10. Liam Toland
11.?
1pm start at Sampford Peverall
No teas
2. Andy Webbe
3. Ian Hayter
4. Darren Willcocks
5. Riley Hornby
6. Keith Berry
7. Damon Berry
8. Rob Guppy
9. Tim Cooke
10. Liam Toland
11.?
1pm start at Sampford Peverall
No teas
Match Report
So here goes then. Not really sure where to start. Thought about not doing one this week but then decided to make one last effort 😀Selection! Well in all the years doing this job, I’ve never had such inconsistency. Most weeks is normally ok with a handful of tough weeks. This season it’s but the other way round. Tough and challenging all but a couple of times. This week was just crazy again. People in then out. First team pinch one. At one point I had twelve but unfortunately by the time the game started we had just ten. Not ideal but on we must go. So on arrival and winning the toss I decided to bat. Looking back probably should have bowled. I lasted just two balls and Keith didn’t last much longer. Both not troubling the scoreboard. This partnered Webbe and Ian who kept the runs flowing and were looking like putting us on target for a great total. Several fours and the odd six. A change of bowling at one end brought a young leg spinner on. He bowled well but did bowl a poor one most overs. This though seemed to be the one that took the wicket. First Webbe picked out the boundary fielder for 30. Darren hit a couple boundaries before he was also out caught. Rob and Riley within a few balls both out slogging across the line. Ian though was at least digging in. Blocking the good ones and dispatching the bad ones. We somehow made it to twenty overs. Ian hit a huge six but with only two wickets in hand was bowled. 105 on the board. One wicket left. Damon and Tim. They valiantly got us to 120 and a third point. But then Tim gave there leggy his fifth wicket caught deep mid wicket. All five of his wickets were caught leg side. 124 all out. Only Ian and Webbe got going. On another day one or both would have smashed us to a big score. Had the rest of us been able to help them out a bit, then maybe they would have. The rest of us batted poorly, making some poor decisions and our total was nearly always never going to be enough. 250 was probably about par. One less batsman was also a big issue. Still we are in a tough position in the league and so fighting for every point was required. Darren and Rob both did ok opening the bowling but this season we have struggled massively to take wickets. This week was no different. Everyone did ok but all bowled several poor deliveries each. These were generally punished and they slowly edged towards our total. Tim was he’s usual self though finally nabbing us a couple wickets and a fourth potentially vital point. Still they got there with 16 overs to spare. In reality we didn’t get any luck and we made some poor decisions all round. We basically got exactly what we deserved and that was not a lot. Everyone made the effort of course but lack of consistency in selection is hurting us. One or two changes is fine but 6 or 7 literally every week is tough to cope with. Several players have missed 4 weeks without playing. It’s tough to come back in and play well after that.Man of the Match has to go back with its familiar friend. Ian was again our best batsman by far and without his runs we would have been fifty all out. His efforts even with his health issues is amazing and I’m certainly grateful for that. Those efforts mean that at least we go to the last game knowing that a win will be enough. Actually 10 points will do it. 200 runs and 10 wickets even in defeat. Only once this season have we achieved this so it’s definitely gonna be tough. So thanks to Rob and Liam for helping us out once again. Thanks to those who drove. We all know what’s needed. A little use of our brains and one last big effort. We are potentially a far better team than our league position Suggests. But the league doesn’t lie, we are exactly where we deserve to be. Somethings are out of our control (availability) but the rest is down to us. Working hard and making the right decisions and concentration. Let’s give it one last monumental effort. We definitely have it in us. A call to arms, one last stand.Lets do this.💪💪💪😀😀😀😍😍😍
Cheers
John Weeks
Cheers
John Weeks
Axminster 1st XI v Bideford 2nd XI
20/08/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Jim Keates
5. Ollie Keates
6. Pete Stevens
7. Riley Hornby
8. Sam Beckley
9. Rob Hill
10. Mark Paul
11. Liam Toland
1pm start at Axminster
Teas provided😀
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Jim Keates
5. Ollie Keates
6. Pete Stevens
7. Riley Hornby
8. Sam Beckley
9. Rob Hill
10. Mark Paul
11. Liam Toland
1pm start at Axminster
Teas provided😀
Match Report
Selection is always an issue and never easy. Some weeks though it’s just astonishing. It nearly always works out but the stress involved is immense. Struggling to find an XI , getting an XI, not having an XI again and then at the last second hooray an XI. So I was delighted to wake up Saturday morning with a full team and everyone having a lift. A two hour trip, the longest of the season was in front of us. We had our usual issues on the link road but managed to turn up in plenty of time. The weather was ok. A little overcast but no sign of rain. On inspection of the wicket we noticed that the crows had been having a fine time. Not a few holes but literally hundreds. Some even on the wicket. So on winning the toss it was a no brainier to field first. Jim and Sam opened up the bowling. Jim bowled excellently and picked up the first wicket, showing Rob how to catch with a caught and bowled. Sam bowled ok and actually was able to bowl some proper bouncers. The wicket was acting exactly as it looked. Some over the batsman’s head and some barely leaving the ground. Unfortunately though we continued to bowl quite a few wides and mixed in a few poor hit me balls. Their captain did pretty much what Cullomptons captain did last week. He hit all our poor balls for four and quite quickly made it to fifty. Ollie was doing well and managed to entice him into a big shot that went straight up and was caught by Pete. They were going around 5 an over but towards the end we managed to slow the rate a little. Liam took a simple catch to give Riley his first 2nd team wicket. Riley picked up another one when Jim took a great catch on the boundary at long off. Webbe produced some good fielding to inflict a run out and Jim took the final wicket of the day clean bowled. Mark did well bowling a few overs near the end. Their final total of 188-6 was not bad after the start they had. We fielded well and took most of our catches. A few too many wides and a few too many loose deliveries but a good effort all round. Jim’s 2-10 the highlight. So if we could survive the overs I was confident we could get the runs. Keeping Wickets was the priority. For the third time this season we had a tea to look forward too. And very nice it was to, so thanks to Axminster for that😀. Me and Webbe opened up again and wow what a start. Two loose deliveries in the opening over were duly dispatched by Andy. I hit my first ball for four and then got a single. A six, a four and then four byes took us to 27 off two overs. Unfortunately I missed timed the fifteenth ball of our innings and was caught. Webbe was joined by Rob and the runs kept coming. 10 overs in we had 70 on the board. Then alas the wicket did for Webbe. A half tracker that somehow hit the stumps. That was the start of the nerves. Jim and Rod struggled to get going. Rob hit a couple fours but the next ten overs would only yield about 20 runs. Four maidens in a row. Both were out caught though quite close together. First Rob at point and then Jim c and b. Darren hit one four and was then bowled. We were now in trouble at 108-5.This though partnered Pete and Sam together. Sam did well sticking around with Pete. In between the blocks he smashed three boundaries including a big six. Pete rode his luck a little but 10 fours and one six in a total of 53 suggests not much running was done. Axminsters fielding wasn’t great at times. Some boundaries should have been stopped. I’d have been screaming 😂😂😂. We still need 37 runs and I was hoping Pete could see us home. Unfortunately though he was trapped lbw. With 37 required and 13 overs left we needed to just bat sensible for ten of them. The odd extra and easy ball would help us tick along. Sam had other ideas though. Trying to smash a six in the same over Pete was out. He was well caught on the boundary. Hopefully a lesson learnt for him there. Seven down now.🥵 Had I had any hair I’d have been pulling it out at this point. Riley strode to the crease to join Mark Both did well blocking and waiting for the loose one. Then dispatching it for four. With 21 still needed Mark hit one straight to mid off and was caught. Ollie was next joining Riley. Two cracking fours for Ollie and a few ones and two got us to 185-8. Liam was looking a little nervous on the sideline 😂😂 We all crossed our fingers 🤞No need to worry, Riley flicked it off his legs and to the boundary at the vacant fine leg. A massively important victory for us. One that should see us survive. But not to be complacent, we need 15 points to be certain. What a game and what a day. We made hard work of victory but finally a few are stepping up and getting us over the line. As with last week Man of the match is tough. Lots contributed. Jim bowled excellent as did Ollie and Riley. The fielding was decent all round. Webbe was great again getting us off to a flying start. Sam, Riley, Mark and Ollie did amazing to get us over the line. But today has to be Petes day. His quick fire fifty got us within reach and with plenty of overs remaining. Just a shame he couldn’t see us home. A match winning effort though so well done to him. 18 points and now a 25 point gap with forty to play for. We Still need to work hard and finish the job off. If we play sensible and to our abilities then we should be fine. Must first thank Axminster’s scorer and umpire for both doing excellent jobs. Appreciated as always. Then must thank the three stooges 😂😂 Mark, Rob and Liam for stepping up last minute. Without them we would probably now be in deep 💩💩 So massive thank from me and I’m sure the other regulars appreciated it to. It was a great day and got my birthday celebrations off to a wonderful start. Next week is Sampford Peverall away. Another changed team is expected but we have shown what we can do. So let’s keep fighting to the end and finish off the season in style. Thanks also to the drivers. Bideford 2nd XI always keep me on my toes. Thinking I’ve seen everything, I keep learning that there’s alway something I haven’t. Thanks again. BOOM 💥
John Weeks
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Cullompton 2nd IX
13/08/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Ian Hayter
5. Ash Baker
6. Martin Stewart
7. James Roe
8. Jim Keates
9. Ollie Keates
10. Sam Beckley
11. Fionn Toland
Umpire James Greenleaf 😀
1pm Start at Westward Ho!
No Teas as usual
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Ian Hayter
5. Ash Baker
6. Martin Stewart
7. James Roe
8. Jim Keates
9. Ollie Keates
10. Sam Beckley
11. Fionn Toland
Umpire James Greenleaf 😀
1pm Start at Westward Ho!
No Teas as usual
Match Report
On a scorching hot day at Westward Ho! We welcomed Cullompton. They were the last team we had managed to beat. 7 defeats and 1 game conceded to us. We did though have a decent team as well as an umpire 😀 Having batted first in 6 of our last 7 games, I briefly considered bowling first. But on actually winning the toss I decided with the lineup we had to bat first. Two and a half hours in that heat would be tough. Hopefully we could put up a good competitive total. In recent weeks we have got to around the 200 mark but that has been 30/40 short each time. We have generally started ok but then lost wickets in clumps. Me and Webbe opened up and got off to a lightening start. I rode my luck a little, just missing the fielders. Webbe calmly waited for the bad balls and dispatched them accordingly. Due to the heat we went for drinks every 10 overs. At the first drinks break 70 plus was on the scoreboard.Webbe passed fifty and continued on to 75. He got to 75 with a huge six that bounced on the pavilion roof. This took a big chunk out of the ball which seemed to suddenly change things. With 140ish on the board Webbe was caught going for a big hit and in the same over I missed a straight one and was bowled again for 49😡 First ball of the next over Ash was caught and bowled for a duck. Wickets in clumps again. And then when James Roe was caught near the boundary for 13, we were in a little trouble. Our batting depth though was good and we still had plenty to come. Fionn and Ian did well. Stopping the fall of wickets for a while. They took the score over 200. Then Darren and Martin hit a few each near the end. We were looking like posting 300 plus at half way. 277-7 was decent though and a great total to defend.
Jim opened the bowling and got us off to a great start. I took the catch in the first over. That though brought the captain and best batsman in. He unfortunately took a liking to Darren again and punished each of his loose deliveries. Jim picked up another wicket though caught by Ash at Gully. Martin took over from Darren and did a great job. Bowling some brilliant deliveries. James Roe replaced Jim and also did a great job. Their captain though was pushing on and he got to 50 in quite quick time. The others though had struggled a little as he had 50 out of the first 70 runs scored. This meant the rate was slowly climbing. James managed to find his outside edge just after he’d passed 50 and thankfully Ian was able to take the catch. A massive wicket. James bowled through his spell and picked up 2 more decent wickets. Ash was a bit expensive but also nabbed a wicket Lbw. Ollie did an ok job but unfortunately couldn’t grab a wicket. Martin came back on and again bowled brilliantly, finally grabbing the wicket he deserved with his final delivery. They need 130 off the last 10 so we were pretty confident. Riley and Fionn bowled most of these. Both doing well. Fionn managed to take a wicket but we didn’t manage to bowl them out. Their final total was 207-8. So 19 points for us which is massive. Gives us a great chance to stay up. It’s still in our hands as it stands, extending the gap to 13 points and dragging next week’s opposition Axminster into the mix. Today was definitely a team effort. Everyone contributing in some way. Webbe and I managed to get us off to a great start. The only blot was once again losing 3 or 4 wicket within 2 or 3 overs. Fortunately this week we had great depth. Fionn, Ian, Martin and Darren helping to get us to a very competitive total. Jim, Martin and James all bowled excellently. Ash and Fionn picked up a wicket each. Riley and Ollie bowled respectable spells also. So there it is everyone mentioned means everyone contributed to a vital victory. So thanks to all for the effort on a scorching hot day. Man of the match is tough. As I said everyone did well. But thinking hard I’m going for Webbe. His clean hitting got us off to an awesome start and meant that even though we lost 4 quick wickets we were still in a handy position. So well done to him. Finally someone has knocked Ian off his perch😂😂😂 must say huge thanks to Greenleaf for his umpiring stint, very much appreciated. Thanks again to all for the effort, it was awesome. Next week unfortunately is gonna be a much changed side again but hopefully we can continue to dig deep. I think we are gonna need at least one more victory. So if we could get it next week that would ease the pressure on us immensely. Great win, great day to be beside the sea and sorry but gotta say it. My day was topped off by a couple beers with old friends, but more importantly the Man Utd result😂😂😂
Cheers
John Weeks
Jim opened the bowling and got us off to a great start. I took the catch in the first over. That though brought the captain and best batsman in. He unfortunately took a liking to Darren again and punished each of his loose deliveries. Jim picked up another wicket though caught by Ash at Gully. Martin took over from Darren and did a great job. Bowling some brilliant deliveries. James Roe replaced Jim and also did a great job. Their captain though was pushing on and he got to 50 in quite quick time. The others though had struggled a little as he had 50 out of the first 70 runs scored. This meant the rate was slowly climbing. James managed to find his outside edge just after he’d passed 50 and thankfully Ian was able to take the catch. A massive wicket. James bowled through his spell and picked up 2 more decent wickets. Ash was a bit expensive but also nabbed a wicket Lbw. Ollie did an ok job but unfortunately couldn’t grab a wicket. Martin came back on and again bowled brilliantly, finally grabbing the wicket he deserved with his final delivery. They need 130 off the last 10 so we were pretty confident. Riley and Fionn bowled most of these. Both doing well. Fionn managed to take a wicket but we didn’t manage to bowl them out. Their final total was 207-8. So 19 points for us which is massive. Gives us a great chance to stay up. It’s still in our hands as it stands, extending the gap to 13 points and dragging next week’s opposition Axminster into the mix. Today was definitely a team effort. Everyone contributing in some way. Webbe and I managed to get us off to a great start. The only blot was once again losing 3 or 4 wicket within 2 or 3 overs. Fortunately this week we had great depth. Fionn, Ian, Martin and Darren helping to get us to a very competitive total. Jim, Martin and James all bowled excellently. Ash and Fionn picked up a wicket each. Riley and Ollie bowled respectable spells also. So there it is everyone mentioned means everyone contributed to a vital victory. So thanks to all for the effort on a scorching hot day. Man of the match is tough. As I said everyone did well. But thinking hard I’m going for Webbe. His clean hitting got us off to an awesome start and meant that even though we lost 4 quick wickets we were still in a handy position. So well done to him. Finally someone has knocked Ian off his perch😂😂😂 must say huge thanks to Greenleaf for his umpiring stint, very much appreciated. Thanks again to all for the effort, it was awesome. Next week unfortunately is gonna be a much changed side again but hopefully we can continue to dig deep. I think we are gonna need at least one more victory. So if we could get it next week that would ease the pressure on us immensely. Great win, great day to be beside the sea and sorry but gotta say it. My day was topped off by a couple beers with old friends, but more importantly the Man Utd result😂😂😂
Cheers
John Weeks
Whimple 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
06/08/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Ian Hayter
5. Ash Baker
6. Jim Keates
7. James Greenleaf
8. Fionn Toland
9. Keith Berry
10. Pete Stevens
11. Ben Gifford
1pm Start at Whimple
No Teas
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Ian Hayter
5. Ash Baker
6. Jim Keates
7. James Greenleaf
8. Fionn Toland
9. Keith Berry
10. Pete Stevens
11. Ben Gifford
1pm Start at Whimple
No Teas
Match Report
This week we had a trip to Whimple and a ground new to most. It’s probably not a good idea to swear on here so I won’t make any comment on the selection issues. Swear words were used though😂😂 But as unlucky as we were, we were lucky to have guys who could help out last minute so thanks to Ollie and Sam for that. The trip was a long one once again thanks to our favourite road to Tiverton. Still we arrived in reasonable time on a glorious sunny day. And a decent ground to play cricket. For only the fourth time I managed to win the toss and thought it would be a good idea to bat. Me and Webbe opened up. Between us we managed to tick along at around five an over for the first ten or so overs. Webbe unfortunately gloved one down the leg side and was out for 22. I had made it to 32 when I played inside a straight one and was bowled. When Greenleaf also missed a straight one an over later he was out lbw. Same thing every week. A reasonable start but then a cluster of wickets. This makes it tough for the new batsmen. Fionn was going ok but a pretty decent catch saw him dismissed with the score on 93. We were 4 down but still plenty to come so still confident of a good total. Pete and Ian were at the crease. Amazing they batted the whole way through. Both not out at the end. With Pete batting 18 overs you’d have expected a very large total. But although he and Ian did a great Job. They struggled with running and found it tough to get some of the bowling away. Darren and Jim were itching to get out there. But Ian made 70 again and Pete finished on 44. We passed 200 which is rare for us, so at least we had something. 205-4.On another day we could have easily made 30/40 more. So after tea Jim opened as usual with Darren at the other end. The 3rd ball of the first over flew down the leg side and went for 4 and was 5 wides. Not the start we wanted which pretty much set the tone. Darren bowled 4 overs but with a few wides and loose deliveries, we had to make a change. Jim did ok but like Darren there was the odd wide and loose ball which was punished. Sam bowled a couple good overs mixed in between a few not so good ones. He did pick up a wicket bowled. Ben was the highlight with the ball. Most deliveries were good. But it was the long hop and the full toss which brought him two well deserved wickets. Darren caught one and Webbe excellently caught the other. Ollie did a reasonable job but couldn’t find a break through. As did Fionn who bowled a couple overs. The poor balls were punished plus we helped them out with some extras and several poor attempts in the field. They were able take quick singles and twos which we weren’t. And this meant the scoreboard ticked along(when it was operated properly 😂) just above the rate all the way through. We took it to the 38th over but with only 3 wickets down they were never really in trouble. To be fair they batted quite well and punished us when the opportunity arose. It was another frustrating game that on another day we could easily have won. 30 more runs would have been massive. Less mistakes in the field, fewer wides and our old friend consistency would have been a great help. All these together and we’d be 3rd top not 3rd bottom. Man of the Match must go to Ian, that’s 3 in a row now. Well done to him. Others need to step up and help him out. Pete though did bat well. He and I and maybe one or two others probably need to join Ian on his daily runs. He would easily have passed fifty if he’d had the energy😂 still Ian and Pete gave us something to defend. But alas we weren’t up to it. Our gap is now down to 3points. So we have no room for errors anymore. 4 massive games. Two home and two away. A minimum of two wins is probably gonna be required. But there is no reason we can’t win them all. The effort needs to be kept up along with concentration. I do still believe though that having five or six changes every week is a huge hindrance. Even good players coming for the odd game are struggling, if they haven’t done much for a few weeks it’s always tough to come in and perform straight away. Hopefully we can dig deep and find a way to win some games. We are going to have try and get the best team we can out each week. So a plea to all to be available and give ur all for the cause. So finally thanks to the guys for helping last minute and to all who drove. Appreciated as always. Next week is a tough game against Cullompton. But those that were there will remember that as our last victory. An away one. So at the Ho! It should be a cakewalk 😂😂😂 But as we all know it most certainly won’t be. Thanks again. One big last effort please🙏🙏🙏
Cheers
John Weeks
Cheers
John Weeks
Upottery 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
30/07/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Tim Cooke
3. Eliot Curry
4. Damon Berry
5. Ian Hayter
6. Keith Berry
7. Ollie Keates
8. Riley Hornby
9. Jim Keates
10. Steve Beckley
11. Sam Beckley
1pm start at Upottery
No teas
2. Tim Cooke
3. Eliot Curry
4. Damon Berry
5. Ian Hayter
6. Keith Berry
7. Ollie Keates
8. Riley Hornby
9. Jim Keates
10. Steve Beckley
11. Sam Beckley
1pm start at Upottery
No teas
Match Report
So to game 13 and the away fixture at Upottery. We had won the home leg but with 8 players missing from that game it was always going to be tough. We had two debutants and 5 players under 17. On losing the toss for the tenth time this season I was once again asked to do what I didn’t really want to do. And that was bat. With a decimated lineup I asked Keith and Jim to open the batting. They did a decent Job though and got us off to a reasonable start. Keith made 30 odd before he was out and I then joined Jim. Jim was then bowled for 34. He had done all the hard work, getting to drinks but unfortunately couldn’t push on for a big score. I was joined by Ian and we managed to keep the scoreboard ticking. I though lost concentration and was bowled for 30. Bugger😂😂 Sam and Ian continued on well though and we looked like putting up 200 plus. But when Sam was bowled and then Ian caught, it derailed our efforts. The inexperienced tail didn’t manage to trouble the score book much and what initially look like a 230 score ended up 197/9. Would have taken that at the start but half way through we should have done better. But still it was something to defend. Start well bowling and we’d have a sniff😀. Unfortunately though we didn’t start well and things didn’t get any better. Jim and Sam tried hard but extras tried it’s best to be top score. He Didn’t quite make it but he make a decent effort😂. The first wicket came via a catch from Damon off Ollie Keates bowling. Damon, Riley and Elliot all had a go at bowling but couldn’t find the consistency required. Fielding was ok but could have been better. The highlight of the day though belongs to Eliot. A brilliant diving stop topped off with an amazing direct hit at the bowlers end gave us another point. A quite remarkable piece of fielding 😀😀 That though was as good as it got. They passed our total with 10 overs to spare. We tried hard but just couldn’t create any pressure. Consistency was missing again as it has been all season. We did make a reasonable effort though with an inexperienced side. Hopefully we learn from this and perform better next time. I firmly believe that so many changes every week is the main cause of our inconsistency. Looking ahead to next week I can see half a dozen changes already. Our league position in my opinion is a reflection of this. Still everyone made a great effort and the youngsters did well. Hopefully they enjoyed it and are keen to play again. Experience can only be gained by playing games. Hopefully they learned some lessons today. Man of the Match is tough after a disappointing result but probably have to go for Ian again. His experience dragged us to a respectable total and gave us something to defend. So well played to him again. Thanks to all for the effort made. Hope it was enjoyable even with the result. Thanks to the drivers, appreciated as always. We are still the right side of the line and hopefully we give our all to stay there. We are on a disappointing run of results, but hopefully we can stop the rot and have a decent end to the season. I’m looking for the more senior guys to step up and help us out. Consistency is the buzz word for us. Consistency in selection (availability) is what’s needed. Unfortunately I’m not good enough to to do it alone. So any and all help in having a good end to the season is greatly appreciated. 5 games left. 5 big efforts required. Thanks and As I’m on the ball (bored) it’s good morning 😂😂😂
Bideford 2nd XI v Exwick 1st XI
23/07/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Andy Webbe
4. Keith Berry
5. Pete Stevens
6. Jim Keates
7. Ian Hayter
8. Julian Hayter
9. Sam Beckley
10. Tim Cooke
11. Ollie Keates
1pm Start at Westward Ho!
No Teas
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Andy Webbe
4. Keith Berry
5. Pete Stevens
6. Jim Keates
7. Ian Hayter
8. Julian Hayter
9. Sam Beckley
10. Tim Cooke
11. Ollie Keates
1pm Start at Westward Ho!
No Teas
Match Report
Game 12 was the reverse fixture against Exwick who were in good form having beaten leaders Alphington the previous week. We would have to play well to get anything out of the game. We had a reasonable side so I was quietly confident we could. They won the toss and decided to have a bowl. Webbe and Julian opened up. The bowling was decent but both openers were able to get going and move the scoreboard along nicely. They managed to get us to 69 without loss. Webbe was out first caught and unfortunately Julian joined him shortly after caught and bowled. They had given us a good start though. Something we have struggled with lately. We couldn’t capitalise though. Keith left one and was out LBW. And I nicked behind. All of a sudden we were 84-4. That partnered Ian and Pete together. They put on 30ish before Pete was out also caught. Darren helped the score to 135 before he was out LBW. Ian was going well though and was our big hope for a decent score. Jim lasted a while but struggled to score and was out caught. Ian passed fifty and hit several great shots on his way to 72 not out. Unfortunately nobody else could get going along side him and help him out. 188-7 was ok but probably a few runs short. Thanks to Ian we had a least something to bowl at. Their bowling all through was decent but a little more intent near the end may have seen us pass 200. Anyway out to bowl with Jim and Darren starting off. Unfortunately due to his batting heroics Ian needed a handful of overs to get his breath back.😂😂 So we started with 10. We started off well and managed to take some regular wickets. Firstly Jim with a caught and bowled. Pete then did brilliantly with a direct hit for a run out. Jim bowled their number 3 batsman who literally tried to smash every ball. When Darren snapped up an LBW they were 58-4. We were well in the game. Sam and Tim took over and did ok but the wickets dried up for a bit. The score doubled before we took another one. First Ollie took one when the batsman chopped on. Then Tim took a c and b. 128-6 now and a real chance. Some good hits got them to 157. I decided to bring Jim back early and it paid off with two wickets in an over. One caught behind by Julian and then a brilliant bit of quick thinking also from Julian to inflict a run out. 30 to get 2 wickets in hand. Cullompton all over again. This time though some decent strikes and a few loose deliveries got them to 180-8. Ian had other ideas though. Having got his breath back he bowled some overs. He snapped up the ninth wicket, another c and b. 8 to win 1 wicket. Alas this time we didn’t get there. Exwick batted well all the way down to the last man and did just enough. So well done to them. We fell just short all round. Had we got the runs we should have, particularly after our start. We’d probable have won easily. But we didn’t and Exwick fought hard. Another nearly but not quite. We did well but couldn’t quite get over the line. Even though we had a reasonable side out we still had half a dozen changes from last week. This is never easy to cope with. Unfortunately it looks like it’s gonna be the same again next week. Man of the Match has to be Ian. He batted great and got us to a good total. He then nearly bowled us to victory. So great effort as always. He just needs a little more help from the rest of us. Jim bowled well again and Julian had a decent game also. Great effort from all. A decent game and one we probably should have won. Never mind let’s try again next week. Must say huge thanks to Ash Baker for his umpiring stint. Really appreciated that. Makes my life so much easier. We are starting to have to look over our shoulders. We probably gonna need a couple more wins at least to be safe. We have 6 games left to get them. We are gonna need a few guys to step up and take charge. We definitely have the ability, we just need a bit more consistency. Upottery will be a tough game but a winnable one. Let’s try our best to make it so. Cheers and good night.
John Weeks
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Sidbury 1st XI
16/07/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Pete Stevens
4. Keith Berry
5. Sam Beckley
6. Tom Anderson
7. Tim Cooke
8. Dave Stanton
9. Dave Branch
10. Damon Berry
11. Steve Beckley
1pm at Westward Ho!
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Pete Stevens
4. Keith Berry
5. Sam Beckley
6. Tom Anderson
7. Tim Cooke
8. Dave Stanton
9. Dave Branch
10. Damon Berry
11. Steve Beckley
1pm at Westward Ho!
Match Report
Finally getting around to writing this. So game 11 was against Sidbury. In the away game we had beaten them comfortably, but on that day we had everyone available, everything went our way and we obviously performed well also. Liverpool won the FA cup as well. Thought I’d remind everyone of that 😂😂😂 up the reds. Anyway back to this weeks game. Unfortunately only four of that team were available to us this week. Selection was a nightmare again. Not finally getting our 11th man till Friday night. But it was going to be a glorious day so I was hopeful of a decent game. Finally I managed to win the toss. 3 wins out of 10 now. The obvious choice was to have a bat which I did We would have to bat well and most importantly bat out our overs. So with a very different lineup I decided to change things up. Pete opening with Keith. Unfortunately though Keith got what he thought was a rough one LBW fifth ball. Darren was promoted up the order to 3. He unfortunately chopped on and was bowled. Pete bowled shortly after left us 20 odd for 3 and in some trouble. The opening bowling was though as good as I’ve seen all season. The change in lineup did make it hard work though. Dave and Dave the Victoria Park partnership did quite well though. They didn’t score many but did see off the two openers. After doing the hard work both got out and I followed them back for a disappointing duck. We were now 6 down with just 50 up. Sam was in and smashed a few. Damon and Steve didn’t trouble the scorer. But number 10 Tom Anderson did. He and Sam road their luck a little but played some great shots. They took us past 100 and looked like potentially taking us to a defendable total. Alas though Sam tried one big shot too many and was well caught for 33.Soon after a mixup saw Tom run out for a well made 36.134 all out wasn’t great but a lot better than 60, which is what it looked like being. We had a slim chance but at least it was something. Sidbury bowled very well though. Most of us were got out rather than stupid mistakes which is a slight comfort. So bowling would need to be great from the start. Darren and Dave Branch both did well. Unfortunately they couldn’t get a wicket. Sam then had a go in partnership with Tim. Sam also couldn’t make a break through, so was replaced by Tom. He immediately struck taking the first wicket. Tim took one also. 46-0 became 47-2 and a sniff of a chance was created. But try as we did we couldn’t keep the pressure up. They batted well and sensibly and in the end were comfortable winners. Both not out batsman 49 and 55 respectively. We tried our best but it was in vein. With 7 changes every week it’s always going to be tough to to be consistent. That word again😂 But it is what’s missing. Sidbury played well and beat us fair and square. Next week looks promising for selection. So let’s hope it is and we can finally put up some decent resistance. Man of the match is Tom who stepped in Friday night, batted brilliantly and also bowled a decent spell. Well played to him. Without him the game would have been 30 overs long rather than the 65 it was. So thanks from me for that. Must mention Sam who batted great. Some great shots including a big six into the net. And also to the two Dave’s for once again helping us out. We may not have had a team without their help. Thanks to all others for the effort. Another one to forget and lock away in the cupboard. Let’s try to put things right next week at home to Exwick. Big team changes again but hopefully the extra quality will tell. Sidbury deserved their win, so good luck to them going forward. Mustn’t finish without congratulating Alexander Hannam on his awesome 130. Shame it was in defeat. Let hope both teams are back to winning ways soon. Still time to have a great season. Thanks and good night.
Cheers
John Weeks😀😀😀
Cheers
John Weeks😀😀😀
Alphington 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
09/07/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Sam Beckley
4. Dave Stanton
5. Ollie Keates
6. Jim Keates
7. Tim Cooke
8. Finn Toland
9. Liam Toland
10. Jake Cleave
11. Rob Guppy
1pm Start at Alphington
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Sam Beckley
4. Dave Stanton
5. Ollie Keates
6. Jim Keates
7. Tim Cooke
8. Finn Toland
9. Liam Toland
10. Jake Cleave
11. Rob Guppy
1pm Start at Alphington
Match Report
So to game 10, the first game of the second half of the season. With a trip to table toppers Alphington I was hopeful of an easier time with selection. Unfortunately it was a struggle again. I must therefore thank those who stepped in and helped out. So on a scorching hot day we would loved to of had a bat first but for the seventh time I lost and was asked to field. Jim and Sam opened and did a great job in the first few overs. Sam took the first wicket bowled in the 4th over. A decent partnership then started to grow. Darren and Rob both saw there bad balls whistle to the boundary. The outfield wasn’t great. Liam did brilliantly to not take one in the face. We made a few mistakes in the field also on top of a couple dropped catches. Tim did a reasonable job and picked up his usual couple of wickets. But unfortunately the runs kept coming at a steady rate. Jake, Finn and Ollie all tried but couldn’t stop the flow of runs. Some lusty blows near the end took Alphington to a decent total of 257-5. Jim bowled a couple good overs though and Finn managed to also grab himself a wicket. It was hard work in the field on such a hot day and we struggled a little. That and some decent sensible batting, punishing the bad deliveries is what combined to get them their total.
After tea it was going to need a massive effort if we were going to have a chance. I struck my third delivery for four and then unfortunately missed the next one and was bowled 🤬 gutted is an understatement 😂 Jim was joined at this point by Finn playing his first league game of the season. Whilst showering and changing I didn’t hear any cheering, which was a good sign that no wickets had gone down. So on walking back out we had 40 off 8 overs which was a great start. Several boundaries were hit I was informed. But alas I probably should have stayed in the changing room. First Finn miss timed a pull shot and was caught. A couple overs later Jim did similar and was also caught. Dave, Jake, Darren and Rob all got starts but then got out. We had made it to 100 but were five wickets down. Unfortunately the last five wickets came fairly quickly and in the 29th over we were bowled out for 133. Had we matched Alphington for consistency we would have made a better fist of things. We probably gave them 30 in the field and the drops cost us a few also. Having a top five batsman around in the last 10 overs is something we need to aim for also. It was tough and things didn’t go our way. With such different sides out each week we were bound to struggle a bit. I hope we can learn the lessons and try to do better next time. This week man of the match is tough. Not really sure where to go with it. So I’m thinking I’ll give out a team one. Everyone made a decent effort in tough conditions. So thanks from me for that. Thanks to Liam and Rob who helped us out. Thanks to all the drivers as always . Unfortunately today we weren’t quite good enough. Alphington are by far the best team we have faced and will be a tough game for anyone. With a full strength side out I firmly believe that we’d have given them a much tougher game. As with all season it’s our inconsistencies that have cost us. Batting, bowling , fielding and selection all contributing. So with 8 games left we still have time to have a decent season. Two home games in a row will hopefully be good for us. The weather looks like it’s gonna give us two decent days, so let’s try and make the most of it. Thanks again to all for the effort. Let’s go again next week. Cheers and good night
John Weeks😀😀
After tea it was going to need a massive effort if we were going to have a chance. I struck my third delivery for four and then unfortunately missed the next one and was bowled 🤬 gutted is an understatement 😂 Jim was joined at this point by Finn playing his first league game of the season. Whilst showering and changing I didn’t hear any cheering, which was a good sign that no wickets had gone down. So on walking back out we had 40 off 8 overs which was a great start. Several boundaries were hit I was informed. But alas I probably should have stayed in the changing room. First Finn miss timed a pull shot and was caught. A couple overs later Jim did similar and was also caught. Dave, Jake, Darren and Rob all got starts but then got out. We had made it to 100 but were five wickets down. Unfortunately the last five wickets came fairly quickly and in the 29th over we were bowled out for 133. Had we matched Alphington for consistency we would have made a better fist of things. We probably gave them 30 in the field and the drops cost us a few also. Having a top five batsman around in the last 10 overs is something we need to aim for also. It was tough and things didn’t go our way. With such different sides out each week we were bound to struggle a bit. I hope we can learn the lessons and try to do better next time. This week man of the match is tough. Not really sure where to go with it. So I’m thinking I’ll give out a team one. Everyone made a decent effort in tough conditions. So thanks from me for that. Thanks to Liam and Rob who helped us out. Thanks to all the drivers as always . Unfortunately today we weren’t quite good enough. Alphington are by far the best team we have faced and will be a tough game for anyone. With a full strength side out I firmly believe that we’d have given them a much tougher game. As with all season it’s our inconsistencies that have cost us. Batting, bowling , fielding and selection all contributing. So with 8 games left we still have time to have a decent season. Two home games in a row will hopefully be good for us. The weather looks like it’s gonna give us two decent days, so let’s try and make the most of it. Thanks again to all for the effort. Let’s go again next week. Cheers and good night
John Weeks😀😀
Alphington
Exeter 3rd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
02/07/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Steve Beckley
3. Sam Beckley
4. Keith Berry
5. Damon Berry
6. Ollie Keates
7. Jim Keates
8. Dave Stanton
9. Tim Cooke
10. Pete Stevens
11. Joseph Stevens
2. Steve Beckley
3. Sam Beckley
4. Keith Berry
5. Damon Berry
6. Ollie Keates
7. Jim Keates
8. Dave Stanton
9. Tim Cooke
10. Pete Stevens
11. Joseph Stevens
Match Report
This week was game 9 and the halfway point in the season. Game 8 had been conceded by Sampford Peverall which meant several of us hadn’t played for a couple of weeks. The weather wasn’t looking great but I was hopeful of a full game. Getting a team together was a major headache. Finding enough players and then transport was as hard as I have ever known it. But thankfully at the last minute everything seemed to work out. A team and we could all get there. Relieved is an understatement. So on the trip down the rain didn’t let up at all and was still going when we arrived. But miraculously even in overcast conditions it was perfectly fine and we started on time. Of course for the 6th time this season I lost the toss and had to bat. With so many changes Jim was given the opportunity to open the batting. The first four overs flew by and we raced along at 8 an over. I though was bowled for 14. Pete joined Jim and was his usual self. Smashing a handful of boundaries before he was also bowled. The scoreboard was ticking nicely but wickets were coming regularly. Keith and Dave didn’t trouble the score much. Jim chipped one to mid wicket and was out for 23. With 102 on the board at drinks, it was wickets that were the problem. Sam, Joe and Steve hit a couple good shots each but all perished soon after. Unfortunately for Damon he was BBQ’d by Joe. That left last pair Tim and Ollie to scrape some last runs. They did a valiant job and put on around 20 for the last wicket. With 4 overs remaining Tim missed a straight one and we were 148 all out. We needed someone from the top 5 to stick around till the last 10 but unfortunately we weren’t up to it. With a bit more application we could and should have made 200. With are normal side I am confident we would have. Still some of Exeters youngsters bowled quite well. We would have to bowl equally as well to have any chance. A couple of early wickets is what we required. Jim duly obliged with the first one which turned out to be the only one. He bowled a decent spell. Unfortunately though there number 3 launched a devastating assault on our bowling. Jim was the only one to escape punishment. Dave, Sam, Tim and Damon all suffered. Lots of fours and a handful of sixes and the game was done inside 20 overs. 90 off about 40 balls was too much for us. The one regret was dropping him off his first ball. The only chance he gave. With over 100 still required we may of stood a chance. So just the three points and an early finish. A game to forget and hopefully we move on to better things next week. Hopefully better availability. Winning the toss might help also😂😂 Man of the Match this week is Jim. Batted well and bowled decently. Had the catch been taken he could quite easily have been a match winner. Well done mate keep it up. Must mention Exeters young lads who bowled decently I thought. Can’t end without thanking all for the effort. Particularly Dave, Steve and Joe for helping out last minute and also those who drove. Appreciated as always. Alphington next who are currently top. But with a decent effort we will have a decent chance. No team we’ve played has scared us. We have competed in every game and with a little more consistency we could be a lot better off. So let’s try to be more consistent in the second half of the season and show what we can really do. Finally well played to the first team who also had few missing and well played to Mr Stewart who stepped up with a five wicket haul. Different people stepping up each week makes for a great team. Hopefully someone in the 2nds can step up next week.
Cheers
John Weeks
Cheers
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Axminster 1st XI
18/06/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Ian Brown
5. Ollie Keates
6. Jack Ancill
7. Pete Stevens
8. James Greenleaf
9. Ian Hayter
10. Keith Berry
11. Damon Berry
1pm start at the Ho!
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Ian Brown
5. Ollie Keates
6. Jack Ancill
7. Pete Stevens
8. James Greenleaf
9. Ian Hayter
10. Keith Berry
11. Damon Berry
1pm start at the Ho!
Match Report
Game 7 looked like it might be the first called off game for us. The forecast was terrible. But for all who have played at the Ho! Regularly you’ll know that we can very often be lucky enough to somehow get a game in when all around us suffer. This was to be that game. The covers were removed around 12:30 and amazingly never went back on. I was Hoping to win the toss and bowl. But obviously as usual I didn’t and was asked to bat. Still with a decent batting lineup I still expected us to put up a challenging 200 plus total. I again partnered Webbe opening up. Together we got off to a great start. Several boundaries and the odd 3🥵 kept the scoreboard ticking nicely. The drizzle came and went all innings, but never quite enough to take us off. Both of us were dropped once each. But we ploughed on and Webbe was first to his fifty. Unfortunately straight after with the score on 103 Webbe nicked behind for 53. Still another decent effort. I then watched on as Ian left his 3rd ball which then crashed into his off stump. Out for a 🦆. Sorry couldn’t resist 😂😂 I was joined by James just before drinks. I managed to hit a four which took me to my first fifty this season. I though copied Webbe by getting out two balls later bowled.3 wickets for 6 runs added a bit of pressure. Being ultra critical one of us should have made sure we were still in nearer the end. Both of us were out trying big shots. Still James and now Ian continued to tick the scoreboard along. Ian hit two big sixes. They put on fifty before another mini collapse. Both in batsman getting out in quick succession. James caught behind and Ian bowled. We still had batting to come. Darren and Keith both batted excellently. Keith made 32 not out and Darren made 29. Jack joined Keith for the last few balls. We had passed 200 and made it to a decent total of 238-6. Was good but with several getting starts and also now knowing the result. Having an in batsman sticking in longer and making it to 70/80 plus would have made it easier and the total more like 270. Bit like we did against Upottery. Still was a good effort and I was confident we could defend. We were though Shawn of some regular bowling. Jack opened up in Jim’s absence and Darren opened up the hill. Both did ok but every over we would bowl a four ball. Hardly an over went by without at least one. Jack picked up a great caught and bowled for the first wicket. But unfortunately that’s as good as it got till they were on 169. They hit the bad balls well for boundaries. Ian Brown and Damon who took over from the openers, tried but couldn’t stem the flow of runs. Axminster kept up with the run rate throughout. Struggling for bowling Ian Hayter removed his keeping kit and bowled 8 overs up the the hill. He did a great job finally taking the second wicket and giving us a sniff. All the while the runs kept ticking and the drizzle kept keeping everything damp. Ollie had a go but found it tough with a wet soap like ball. Ian and Jack did pick up a late wicket each but unfortunately not the in batsman who did what we couldn’t making 95 not out. We took it to the last over of the game, bowled by Keith. But alas they won with 5 balls to spare. Was tough in the field on a damp day. I thought we batted well with several decent contributions. But on the day Axminster’s batters contributed slightly better. If Tim and Jim hadn’t been missing I think it would’ve been tougher for Axminster to chase are total. So it’s wasn’t the greatest day to be beside the sea but we did pretty well and at least got a full game in which was great. Man of the Match was tough with several good efforts particularly batting. Me, Webbe, Keith and Darren all did ok. And I thought Jack did a decent job bowling in tough conditions. But this week I’m going for our superman who seems to be able to do everything. Ian Hayter scored 30 with the bat, kept for 20 overs and then showed all the kids how to bowl up the hill. Bowling 8 overs and taking 2 wickets. So great effort from Ian, well played. On the day we came up just short but still played ok. Axminster played just that bit better on the day, so we’ll done to them. Should be a good game away. I hear they provide teas too, so that’s something to look forward to. Let’s keep the effort going and I’m sure we will have a great season. Thanks to all for the effort appreciated as always. Next week is home again, this time to Sampford Peverall.
Cheers
John Weeks
Cheers
John Weeks
Cullompton 2nd XI v Bideford 2nd XI
11/06/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. James Greenleaf
5. Ian Hayter
6. Keith Berry
7. Damon Berry
8. Jack Ancill
9. Tim Cooke
10. Ollie Keates
11. Jim Keates
1pm start at Cullompton
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. James Greenleaf
5. Ian Hayter
6. Keith Berry
7. Damon Berry
8. Jack Ancill
9. Tim Cooke
10. Ollie Keates
11. Jim Keates
1pm start at Cullompton
Match Report
So to game 6 and the relatively short trip to Cullompton. This weeks team had just the one change. Greenleaf and Stone swapping teams. It’s been great lately to have a reasonably settled side. On arrival the sun was out and it looked like being a decent day. The wicket looked in good shape and the boundary one side was fairly short. Not quite Kentisbeare though 😂 So with that in mind I was hoping to win the toss a land put a decent total on the board. The first bit went well with tails coming up trumps. With Tom Stone missing I decided to open up with Webbe. Some extremely lenient umpiring mixed with some decent deliveries made it extremely tough to get going. Going at 1 an over for the first half dozen over put us under some early pressure. This pressure told when Webbe gloved behind for just 6. I was joined by Keith. Slowly we managed to up the rate a little and found the boundary a few times. All the while the extremely lenient umpiring continued. It made it tough having on occasions to chase balls that should really have been wide, particularly the leg side ones. Still we managed to keep wickets and tick the scoreboard over. We got to drinks with 67 on the board and nine wickets in hand. A couple overs after Keith danced down, missed and was bowled. This brought Ian to the crease. He played an entertaining brief cameo. Hitting a Beamer for the only 6 of the game. We took 27 off the 24th over. Helped by a couple of no balls and two massive wides going for fours. Ian though was unfortunately out chopping one to point shortly after. In the same over my stay came to an end on 43, getting strangled down the leg side. This partnered James Greenleaf and Darren. We were 111-4 at this point with 15 to go. I was still hopeful of adding some more vital runs. For the next five overs James held his end up and Darren hit a hand full of boundaries. Darren then got a decent one and was bowled. That left ten overs. Jim and James both struggled to get the ball away, only able to take the odd single. James was caught first for 7 and then Jim for 11. Jack had come in at 8 and hit several good shots. He hit four boundaries on his way to a vital 21 off 19 balls. There was one over to go and an entertaining one it was. Jack hit a 2 but was out next ball. Damon took a single off a no ball. This put Ollie on strike. I was gutted as I had stopped filming him in the previous over. Ollie’s dismissal was hilarious. Only he knows why he jumped out the way of a ball that half volleyed off stump. Made everyone laugh though so thanks for that Ollie. Think you might get reminded about it fairly regularly. So last man Tim tried to smash the final ball but could only sky it and was caught. A final total of 175 was ok but I was a little disappointed. I was very hopeful that the umpire would be equally as lenient for us. Thankfully he was. I was thinking we were 30-40 short and would have to bowl well to stand a chance. Cullompton provided us with a tea which was great and very much enjoyed by all. Damon particularly enjoyed the chocolate muffins. Not sure anyone else in the team got one. I counted at least 7.😂😂
So now to the second job of the day, fielding and bowling. Jim and Darren opened again and I very much hoped they could repeat last weeks performances. Jim did a good job. But I think Keith forgot his super glue this week putting down a sharp chance at slip. Was the big wicket of their captain. He would make us pay. Particularly Darren who found his bad deliveries racing to the boundary. Jim bowled two opening maidens but unfortunately Darren’s opening three went for 31. A change was made to bring Jack on in place of Darren. The boundaries kept coming though and after 9 overs they had 60 on the board. Well ahead of the rate. Jim had taken a decent caught and bowled but their captain was still in. It took a great catch from Damon in the next over to remove him off Jacks bowling. We now had a sniff. After Jim’s decent opening spell I decided to make the bold decision to bring back Darren back from the opposite end. The decent bat was out and I hoped he would have more luck. When his first over back went for 10 I was regretting my decision. But keeping the faith he rewarded me with two wickets in his next over. Keith must have found his glue as he took one at gully, literally the ball after the captain moved him from slip. Not luck, just perfectly placed fielder’s 😂😂 Two balls later the stumps were disturbed. 87-4 and a real shout now. Thanks to Darren and Tim who had replaced Jack. 87-4 became 94-5 at drinks. Darren bent back the stumps again. All to play for now. The confidence was rising. Darren had now finished so Jack came back in his place. Tim had been going about his business as per usual and finally enticed the batsman out of his crease and Ian duly stumped him. The runs were still coming though. Several boundaries were hit and although wickets were falling, Cullompton were edging towards our total. 113-6 became 138-6. Super Tim then struck again,Ian taking a comfortable catch. In the same over Damon produced a calm bit of fielding to inflict a run out. Ian had the simple task of removing the bails. Things were now getting tense. 36 required with 2 wickets and 10 overs left. Jim finished off his overs well, as did Tim. Both bowled great. Now came crunch time. Damon was thrown the ball. He bowled two good over to start. Then it was the turn of Ollie. They had taken the score onto 150. Keeping Keith at slip payed off when he snapped up their number 10 nicely. 26 required 1 wicket left. A couple overs went by with 12 runs being scored. 5 overs still to go. Just 14 needed. We had been trying to give their in batsman a single and bowl at number 11. But When he made a reasonable attempt at a reverse sweep I worried that maybe he wasn’t a usual number 11. With just 8 needed I decided to bring some fielders in to prevent them just tapping singles. This worked spectacularly. Now they would have to beat the field. In trying this the ball was smash straight at Tim. A foot either side and we were probably defeated. To my delight Tim snaffled it brilliant for a fantastic win. The nerves were shredded but we came out on top in an epic game. Every year we are involve in one or two like this. 19 vital and very well earned points. Cullompton put up a good fight but we held our nerve and triumphed in the end. Today was a great all round effort again. Man of the Match is very, very tough. I batted reasonably for 43 if a little slow. Darren came back in his second spell brilliantly. Jim’s 8 overs were great as were Jacks 7. Jack also hit 21 vital runs at the end. Damon had a great game in the field. A vital catch, a vital run out and the most vital of wickets, the winning one. But today I’m gonna go with Tim. Every week he seems to pick up wickets and rarely gets smashed about. 8 overs for just 23 runs was a brilliant effort. The two wickets and then the match winning catch. Having put down 4 catches early on it was brilliant that Tim held on to the winning. Well done to him, great effort again. So third in the table just 13 off the top. 4 wins out of 6 is a great effort. The fact we were really disappointed in the two loses shows we have had a great chance in every game. A great season is looming, let’s keep up the effort and make it so. Had we held our catches like we did against Whimple things would have been a lot easier. So plenty still to work on. But another brilliantly entertaining and enjoyable game. Thanks to all from me for that. Just hope my nerves can hold out😂 Thanks to Cullompton for an excellent tea and a decent game. Thanks to all who drove. Appreciated as always. Next week is Axminster at home followed by Sampford Peverall at home. Hopefully we can use home advantage and keep our run going. 58 out of 60 points is great. Up the Bideford 2nd XI.💪💪💪💪💪😀😀😀🏏🏏
Cheers
John Weeks
So now to the second job of the day, fielding and bowling. Jim and Darren opened again and I very much hoped they could repeat last weeks performances. Jim did a good job. But I think Keith forgot his super glue this week putting down a sharp chance at slip. Was the big wicket of their captain. He would make us pay. Particularly Darren who found his bad deliveries racing to the boundary. Jim bowled two opening maidens but unfortunately Darren’s opening three went for 31. A change was made to bring Jack on in place of Darren. The boundaries kept coming though and after 9 overs they had 60 on the board. Well ahead of the rate. Jim had taken a decent caught and bowled but their captain was still in. It took a great catch from Damon in the next over to remove him off Jacks bowling. We now had a sniff. After Jim’s decent opening spell I decided to make the bold decision to bring back Darren back from the opposite end. The decent bat was out and I hoped he would have more luck. When his first over back went for 10 I was regretting my decision. But keeping the faith he rewarded me with two wickets in his next over. Keith must have found his glue as he took one at gully, literally the ball after the captain moved him from slip. Not luck, just perfectly placed fielder’s 😂😂 Two balls later the stumps were disturbed. 87-4 and a real shout now. Thanks to Darren and Tim who had replaced Jack. 87-4 became 94-5 at drinks. Darren bent back the stumps again. All to play for now. The confidence was rising. Darren had now finished so Jack came back in his place. Tim had been going about his business as per usual and finally enticed the batsman out of his crease and Ian duly stumped him. The runs were still coming though. Several boundaries were hit and although wickets were falling, Cullompton were edging towards our total. 113-6 became 138-6. Super Tim then struck again,Ian taking a comfortable catch. In the same over Damon produced a calm bit of fielding to inflict a run out. Ian had the simple task of removing the bails. Things were now getting tense. 36 required with 2 wickets and 10 overs left. Jim finished off his overs well, as did Tim. Both bowled great. Now came crunch time. Damon was thrown the ball. He bowled two good over to start. Then it was the turn of Ollie. They had taken the score onto 150. Keeping Keith at slip payed off when he snapped up their number 10 nicely. 26 required 1 wicket left. A couple overs went by with 12 runs being scored. 5 overs still to go. Just 14 needed. We had been trying to give their in batsman a single and bowl at number 11. But When he made a reasonable attempt at a reverse sweep I worried that maybe he wasn’t a usual number 11. With just 8 needed I decided to bring some fielders in to prevent them just tapping singles. This worked spectacularly. Now they would have to beat the field. In trying this the ball was smash straight at Tim. A foot either side and we were probably defeated. To my delight Tim snaffled it brilliant for a fantastic win. The nerves were shredded but we came out on top in an epic game. Every year we are involve in one or two like this. 19 vital and very well earned points. Cullompton put up a good fight but we held our nerve and triumphed in the end. Today was a great all round effort again. Man of the Match is very, very tough. I batted reasonably for 43 if a little slow. Darren came back in his second spell brilliantly. Jim’s 8 overs were great as were Jacks 7. Jack also hit 21 vital runs at the end. Damon had a great game in the field. A vital catch, a vital run out and the most vital of wickets, the winning one. But today I’m gonna go with Tim. Every week he seems to pick up wickets and rarely gets smashed about. 8 overs for just 23 runs was a brilliant effort. The two wickets and then the match winning catch. Having put down 4 catches early on it was brilliant that Tim held on to the winning. Well done to him, great effort again. So third in the table just 13 off the top. 4 wins out of 6 is a great effort. The fact we were really disappointed in the two loses shows we have had a great chance in every game. A great season is looming, let’s keep up the effort and make it so. Had we held our catches like we did against Whimple things would have been a lot easier. So plenty still to work on. But another brilliantly entertaining and enjoyable game. Thanks to all from me for that. Just hope my nerves can hold out😂 Thanks to Cullompton for an excellent tea and a decent game. Thanks to all who drove. Appreciated as always. Next week is Axminster at home followed by Sampford Peverall at home. Hopefully we can use home advantage and keep our run going. 58 out of 60 points is great. Up the Bideford 2nd XI.💪💪💪💪💪😀😀😀🏏🏏
Cheers
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Whimple 2nd XI
04/06/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Ian Hayter
4. Andy Webbe
5. Tom Stone
6. Keith Berry
7. Damon Berry
8. Tim Cooke
9. Ollie Keates
10. Jim Keates
11. Jack Ancill
1pm Start at Westward Ho!
No Teas
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Ian Hayter
4. Andy Webbe
5. Tom Stone
6. Keith Berry
7. Damon Berry
8. Tim Cooke
9. Ollie Keates
10. Jim Keates
11. Jack Ancill
1pm Start at Westward Ho!
No Teas
Match Report
Game 5 was another home game for us, the second of four in five weeks to come. We tend to do well at the Ho so for me this is a big part of the season for us and one that will hopefully set us up for a decent season. So on arrival around 10:30, I was pleasantly surprised to see Jamie tending to our ever impressive square. A little bit of rain overnight meant it was damp but as we all know Westward Ho! Drys up quickly. It was overcast but didn’t actually rain until fives minutes before kickoff. Fortunately it was just a passing shower. Having only lost ten minutes we decided not to lose any overs. I had already lost the toss and was asked to have a bowl. This wasn’t the worst thing, due to a strong wind and overcast conditions. So Darren and Jim opened up again and both were able to bowl decently. Darren picked up the first wicket caught at first slip by Keith, at second or third juggle. This is a sentence I’ll be regularly repeating, just a different bowler. So here I go, this time it was a great catch at first slip off Jim’s bowling. So two early wickets had given us a great start. Darren then snaffled the third wicket caught at slip again by Keith 😀 Jack took over from Jim. His first over probably one to forget going for 16. He did though tighten things up. 40-3 became 47-4 with Ian taking a catch off Jack. Then he sent a stump cartwheeling for his second. 50-5.Next it was the turn of Tim. His first wicket was well taken by our first slip(guess who?)😀 I then interrupted Keith taking a catch at mid off. But only briefly. Wow another one off Tim once again snapped up at first slip. A 5fer, Getting silly now. Tim enticed another batsman to leave his crease and he was stumped well by Ian. Another four wickets for Tim to add to his collection. Tom took over from Jack and did a fantastic job. Their in batsman decided not to take singles and did a reasonable job farming the strike. He got them to 97 before Tom finally finished it, out doing Jack by sending two stumps cartwheeling. His was a spell of 4.1-4-0-1. Beat the bat several times. So 97 all out was a fantastic effort. Only one drop from memory and a few wides but in all very happy at the break.
Webbe and Tom opened up again and started off well. But at 20-0 Webbe missed a straight one and was bowled. 20-1 became 24-2 when Tom was caught at gully. This partnered Ian and Keith together. Keith managed 5 runs before he was also caught. Now it was 33-3. Ian was now joined by Jim. Jim did a good job holding an end up whilst Ian went about his work. Punishing the bad deliveries he was given. 7 fours from him got him to 42 and us to within 10 of winning. I joined Jim and we finished the game off. A nicely struck 6 to win. 102-4. A little nervous at 33-3 but a great innings from Ian saw us win reasonably comfortably in the end. Today was a great all round effort again. Lots of people contributing to a very good win. Different people stepping up each week is great to see. Man of the Match is a first for me. Not for his bowling or his batting. Keith wins for his superb slip catching. A specialist if ever a saw one. One or two slip catches is a rarity, so five is extraordinary. He juggled a couple but still held on. An amazing effort and a vital one. Kept the wickets coming regularly. So brilliantly well done to him. First time I’ve enjoyed a jug for slip catching. Must mention the rest though as it was a great team effort. Jim bowled well and held his end well when batting. Jack, Darren and Tom also all bowled great. Tim was his usual self taking another four wickets. A great asset to have. On any other day Ian would have been man of the match. A catch, a stumping and 42 well made runs. He took us to the edge of victory removing any remaining nerves. So in summary it was another great day and victory for us. Weather wasn’t great but held off for us. Thanks again to Richard for his brilliant effort in the scoreboard, appreciated as always and Jamie for once again providing a decent wicket and ground for us to play on. Next week is Cullompton away. Hopefully we can keep our good form going. Will be tough but I’m sure we are capable of putting in another big effort. So well done all. Finally well done to the first XI on 4 out of 5. It’s shaping up to being an epic season. Let’s keep up the effort.cheers and good night
John Weeks😀😀
Webbe and Tom opened up again and started off well. But at 20-0 Webbe missed a straight one and was bowled. 20-1 became 24-2 when Tom was caught at gully. This partnered Ian and Keith together. Keith managed 5 runs before he was also caught. Now it was 33-3. Ian was now joined by Jim. Jim did a good job holding an end up whilst Ian went about his work. Punishing the bad deliveries he was given. 7 fours from him got him to 42 and us to within 10 of winning. I joined Jim and we finished the game off. A nicely struck 6 to win. 102-4. A little nervous at 33-3 but a great innings from Ian saw us win reasonably comfortably in the end. Today was a great all round effort again. Lots of people contributing to a very good win. Different people stepping up each week is great to see. Man of the Match is a first for me. Not for his bowling or his batting. Keith wins for his superb slip catching. A specialist if ever a saw one. One or two slip catches is a rarity, so five is extraordinary. He juggled a couple but still held on. An amazing effort and a vital one. Kept the wickets coming regularly. So brilliantly well done to him. First time I’ve enjoyed a jug for slip catching. Must mention the rest though as it was a great team effort. Jim bowled well and held his end well when batting. Jack, Darren and Tom also all bowled great. Tim was his usual self taking another four wickets. A great asset to have. On any other day Ian would have been man of the match. A catch, a stumping and 42 well made runs. He took us to the edge of victory removing any remaining nerves. So in summary it was another great day and victory for us. Weather wasn’t great but held off for us. Thanks again to Richard for his brilliant effort in the scoreboard, appreciated as always and Jamie for once again providing a decent wicket and ground for us to play on. Next week is Cullompton away. Hopefully we can keep our good form going. Will be tough but I’m sure we are capable of putting in another big effort. So well done all. Finally well done to the first XI on 4 out of 5. It’s shaping up to being an epic season. Let’s keep up the effort.cheers and good night
John Weeks😀😀
Bideford 2nd XI v Uppottery 2nd XI
28/05/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. James Roe
4. Martin Stewart
5. James Greenleaf
6. Keith Berry
7. Darren Willcocks
8. Tom Stone
9. Ian Hayter
10. Pete Stevens
11. Jim Keates
1pm Start at Westward Ho!
No teas as normal
2. Andy Webbe
3. James Roe
4. Martin Stewart
5. James Greenleaf
6. Keith Berry
7. Darren Willcocks
8. Tom Stone
9. Ian Hayter
10. Pete Stevens
11. Jim Keates
1pm Start at Westward Ho!
No teas as normal
Match Report
Game four was a home game against Upottery. It was another glorious day at Westward Ho! The ground was looking great as was the team. The first team had given me three players, so this was one of the rare occasions where a couple of players had to miss out. With the line up I had I was desperate to bat first on a great looking wicket. So my heart sank when their captain called correctly. But to my complete surprise he opted to have a bowl. As a young captain he probably lacked a bit of experience. So I was delighted to inform my players we would be batting. As Webbe was back he partnered Tom opening up. Very early on Webbe spooned a catch to point. My heart sank again, but to my delight he was dropped, on zero as well. This is something Upottery would come to regret. Both played out some good opening bowling. Waiting for the bad balls and punishing them. Webbe finally got going hitting some big sixes. Both were able to keep the scoreboard ticking along nicely. They passed the fifty mark and soon after they made it to the hundred mark. No wickets lost and amazingly not a single extra. Then just two balls before drinks Tom missed a straight one and was lbw for 37. Another great effort from but he must have been gutted to get out just as he was getting going. So with 20 overs to go Keith joined Webbe and the runs kept coming. Webbe had passed fifty and was dropped again in the eighties. He made them pay again by passing 100. Our first of the season and another awesome effort. He was supported by Keith who made 30. Another 100 partnership got us to 220 with about 5 overs left. When both were out in quick succession, Webbe for 149 and then I also come and went, The James’s took over. Roe and Greenleaf. Some lusty blows got us to a cracking total of 278-4. There were a couple pieces of luck along the way but we made the most of it and batted really well. Webbe and Tom got us off to a great start which is always a big boost. After tea Jim and Darren set about opening the bowling. After last week’s poor effort I was hoping we would be significantly better. Both did well and deserved a wicket or two. But some poor effort in the field especially from me meant no wickets. Apologies from me 😂. Martin and James Roe took over and continued the good work. Upottery got to 80-0 but were well behind the rate. Finally James Struck with a lbw. We then were able to create some pressure. Tom took an excellent catch as the wickets came at regular intervals. Martin was wicket less but Bowled well. Jim changed ends and took three wickets, two bowled . Showed he can bowl up the hill😂 Tom bowled well also and picked up a wicket caught behind by Ian. The overs were ticking over though and we were running out of time to bowl them out. So you’ll be totally unsurprised that I threw the ball to Pete😂 He bowled four decent overs picking up a wicket also. Darren also managed to pick up a late wicket. This meant with one over to go they were 9 down. Pete bowled it. Last ball of the game James Roe did all the hard work getting to the ball but couldn’t hold on. 179-9 was a good effort but had we held our catches early on we would probably have restricted them to around 100. Still 19 points is an excellent effort and proof once again of how good we can be. Consistency is the buzz word for us. We have the ability just need to show it more regularly. No team this season has been better. We have just been too inconsistent. Hopefully we put that right next week at home to Whimple. So a great effort from all. Man of the Match is again an easy one. Webbe was back with a bang with a brilliant 149. Without an excellent catch he may have pushed the double century mark. So well done him. Must mention Tom again though. Batted great again. Bowled really well and is our best fielder by some distance. So we’ll played him again. James Rowe showed his quality with 30 quick runs and 3 wickets. Aarrggg just that drop at the end😂😂 Big fine coming this week I hope😂😂 So in summary it was another great day to be beside the seaside. Thanks to Tim for his excellent stint umpiring, was a massive help. Thanks all that came and watched, was quite a crowd. Let’s build on this and put in a similar performance this week. Thanks again to all for the effort. See you next time.
Cheers
John Weeks
Cheers
John Weeks
Exwick 1st XI v Bideford 2nd XI
21/05/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Tom Stone
4. Pete Stevens
5. Ollie Keates
6. Jack Ancill
7. Jim Keates
8. Tim Cooke
9. Keith Berry
10. Damon Berry
11. Ian Hayter
1pm Start at Exwick
No teas this week I’m afraid
2. Darren Willcocks
3. Tom Stone
4. Pete Stevens
5. Ollie Keates
6. Jack Ancill
7. Jim Keates
8. Tim Cooke
9. Keith Berry
10. Damon Berry
11. Ian Hayter
1pm Start at Exwick
No teas this week I’m afraid
Match Report
Game three was the away trip to Exwick. We arrived in good time and with a decent side. But we still had three decent players missing from last week. On losing the toss I was asked to have a bat. For me this was the bit we were a little short on. But with Tom partnering Keith we still had a decent line up. Keith though was out fairly early so Ian joined Tom. Tom was getting himself in and looking fairly comfortable. Ian was generally waiting for the bad ball which he was then smashing for fours.They managed to get us to 62 before Ian was out caught in the point region. I then joined Tom just before drinks. Together we managed to keep the scoreboard ticking along. Tom passed his fifty and was looking good. I was riding my luck just a bit but somehow got to 34.With 6 overs to go we had 149. I was then out but Tom was still going. Pete joined him and was struck by a short ball which cut his ear. He obviously came off for some treatment. Darren joined Tom and we consistently kept the board ticking, mainly thanks to Tom who was unfortunately out for 81 with about 7 balls to go. Pete was fortunately fine so he went back out for a couple last balls. A final total of 191-4 was a decent effort I thought. Particularly great from Tom. 200 would have been great but 191 was more than acceptable. So at tea I was quietly confident that if we bowled as we had done the previous week we would be in with a great chance. Unfortunately this wasn’t to be the case. We didn’t bowl well all round. The fielding wasn’t great particularly the catching. Had we held them I think we would have had a great chance. One off their openers batted well though smashing the bad balls we served up to the boundary. Had we took one of the chances he gave we may have stood a chance. But alas we didn’t and he punished us with 92 not out. Several extras and the odd miss field and Exwick got there with 3 or 4 overs to spare. The outfield was definitely a lot quicker second innings but still no excuse. Saying that though Ian and Tom both did ok jobs bowling. Both picking up a wicket and maybe I should have brought Damon on sooner. He bowled two decent overs and picked up his first wicket which he caught himself. Showing the rest how it’s done. So a poor fielding effort after a great batting one. The first game of the season was the opposite. A poor batting effort and a great bowling effort. We showed in game two that combining the two gives a greater chance. We had a couple missing but still there was too much inconsistency. Something we all need to work on. So 5 points isn’t great but let’s learn and move forward to next week at home. If we can get 191 at Exwick we can surely better that at the Ho! On Jamie’s magnificent look motorway 😂😀 Man of the Match this week is another easy one. Tom was magnificent with the bat and at the Ho! Would surely have had a 100 plus score. My aching legs proved how many 2’s we ran. Most would have been fours at the Ho! He bowled decently and was our best fielder by a mile. If only the catches had gone to him. So we’ll done to him. Hopefully more of the same in the coming weeks. As I said next week is Upottery at home so let’s try and bounce back with a decent all round performance. We have quite a lot of availability so selection maybe interesting 🤔 Many thanks to all who drove and Richard for his effort scoring. I know we gave our all and made the effort, but today we just lacked consistency. See you all next time.
Cheers
John Weeks
Cheers
John Weeks
Sidbury 1st XI v Bideford 2XI
14/05/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Keith Berry
4. Tim Cooke
5. Chris Luxton
6. Darren Willcocks
7. Ollie Keates
8. Jim Keates
9. James Greenleaf
10. Jack Ancill
11. Tom Stone
1pm Start at Sidbury
They will be providing teas for us, so a match fee will be required by all😀
Below are some extra directions for Sidbury.
2. Andy Webbe
3. Keith Berry
4. Tim Cooke
5. Chris Luxton
6. Darren Willcocks
7. Ollie Keates
8. Jim Keates
9. James Greenleaf
10. Jack Ancill
11. Tom Stone
1pm Start at Sidbury
They will be providing teas for us, so a match fee will be required by all😀
Below are some extra directions for Sidbury.
Match Report
So to game number 2. This Week was a much easier task getting a side together. Having more than 11 to choose from I was relieved that a couple couldn’t play. Saving me from tough decisions. And nobody pulled out Friday night 💪💪The second longest trip for us was to Sidbury. A ground and place none of us had been to before. We arrived in plenty of time and were pleasantly surprised at what a nice ground it was. The sun was shining and it looked set for a great day. So with a decent side I had a tough call at the toss. I decided in the end to field. The football kick off time had absolutely nothing to do with my decision 😂 Bideford 2nds come first always😂 so out to field we went. Chris and Darren opening up. Darren did ok but bowled the odd bad ball which was punished. Due to the size of the ground particularly one side is was no run or four. So after 3 overs from Darren, Jim took over. At the other end god as he is known in the group chat was going about his business and living up to his name. Wicket one was caught well at cover by James. Two opening maidens had created the pressure. Two LBW’s and a decent catch at gully by Webbe gave Chris 4 Wickets and destroyed their top order. A quite unbelievable spell. 8-6-6-4. Actually I take that back. A run of the mill normal performance from him. Normal on the next level above the rest of us anyway.With Jim disturbing the stumps Sidbury were 5 down for around 40 runs. After Chris had finished Tim took over. He used flight and guile to bamboozle their batsman. Another decent catch at mid wicket from Webbe and Tim ended with 3-15. Another great spell. Jack had taken over from Jim and continued on with the great work. A superb slower delivery out foxing one batsman and another LBW. He finished with 2-15. Quality again. 80 all out. A quite exceptional bowling performance. Only 3 wides was quite remarkable. We gave nothing away and did a very professional job. For the first time in two years we had a tea to enjoy. And that we did. Very nice and thanks to Sidbury for that. Onto the batting we go. Webbe and Keith opened up. I think Keith must of had his wheat a bix as he plundered 10 off the first over. Not to be out done Webbe hit 13 off the second. It seemed as though we would canter to an easy victory. As with us though we always like to test the nerves. Keith was caught behind first. James joined Webbe and Webbe proceeded to smash several fours. I think four in a row at one point. He though was given out LBW with 14 required. Tom unfortunately was bowled next ball, which meant I was the hat trick ball. I survived this and managed to smash 3 fours to see us home. A slight wobble but comfortable in the end. 25 overs not needed. A cracking all round effort and the icing on the cake was a 4pm finish. Plenty of time to watch the football match which hadn’t crossed my mind at all. I knew exactly how the game was going to go and had planned everything accordingly 😂😂 So to sum up. A brilliant all round team effort at a nice ground on a hot sunny summers day. Man of the Match can only go in one direction. Chris was next level today. An amazing match winning spell. Well played. Must mention the young guns Jim and Jack. Two great spells backing up Chris. And the miserly Spell from Tim. Another great effort. And finally Webbe with two excellent catches and several lusty blows. See us home though next time please Andy😂 I wasn’t happy having to put my pads on and risked going out with no thigh pad, fortunately got away with it 😂 Thanks to all who drove and Richard for scoring, appreciated as always. Thanks to all for the effort made and thanks to Sidbury for an excellent tea. Next week is away again at Exwick. Hopefully not on the mat this time. But hopefully another decent effort. Finally can’t end without making mention of a great effort from the first XI. Chasing down 284 is a fair effort well played. And of course the mighty red men who added another trophy to their ever expanding cabinet. In all as days go I’ve had worse. Thanks and good night😀😀
Cheers
John Weeks
Cheers
John Weeks
Bideford 2nd XI v Alphington and Countesswear 2nd XI
07/05/22
Team Sheet
1. John Weeks
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Keith Berry
5. Damon Berry
6. Jake Cleave
7. Jack Ancill
8. Tim Cooke
9. Ollie Keates
10. Jim Keates
11. Martin Stewart
1pm start at Westward Ho!
2. Andy Webbe
3. Darren Willcocks
4. Keith Berry
5. Damon Berry
6. Jake Cleave
7. Jack Ancill
8. Tim Cooke
9. Ollie Keates
10. Jim Keates
11. Martin Stewart
1pm start at Westward Ho!
Match Report
Here goes then with my first match report back as captain. I was thinking early in the week that I’d probably have too many players and would have some tough decisions to make. How wrong I was😂😂 By Thursday evening I had a decent side and with a couple unavailable I didn’t have the tough decision to make. Happy and contented, I looked forward to our opening game. Everything was going well. But alas as always something comes out to bite you. Not one but two Friday night pull outs. Ones is generally ok but two was a nightmare. I can’t repeat on here my exact words upon hearing the news😂 Especially as the first half dozen I asked couldn’t help out. In the end though Damon Berry and a very hungover Martin Stewart came to our rescue. Big thanks to them for that. So finally onto the game. On arrival at the ground there was a fair bit of mist hovering around. It stayed pretty much all day. Proper umpires would probably have taken us off towards the end. I believe they did over at Instow. Must make an early mention of how good the ground and wicket were looking. Thanks to Andy, Jaime, Martin and anybody else who helped. Excellent as always. On winning the toss I decided to have faith in our batting line up and batted first. Andy Webbe was back, so he partnered Jake opening up. Some tight opening bowling made it tough to score. Jake missed one and was bowled for 1. Webbe hit a four and a six before chopping one to gully. So at 13-2 we were in a little trouble. I joined Keith and between us we moved the score onto 37. I then wafted at one and chopped on. Martin was at 5. He and Keith managed to stop the wickets falling but did struggling to get going. They did though battle on and got the score to 99 before Keith was out lbw. 46 was a great effort and so with 9 overs left I was hopeful of posting 150 plus total. Jim joined Martin and decided to run himself out. Can’t comment because I missed it. Darren then picked out the deep square leg fielder. We were now 105-6. Martin still there though so was hopeful of a few more runs. Unfortunately we struggled to get the ball away. Jack and Ollie came and went quickly. Damon and Tim tried to help Martin but we ended up disappointingly 119-9. Not a great total. Would definitely have liked 40 more. Must mention there opening bowler though who had figures of 8-6-3-2. Well played😀 So with not many runs to play with I decided to open with Martin Stewart. Darren partnered him off his new short run up. Both did excellent jobs keeping it very tight. Their ten overs went for only around 20, but unfortunately no wickets. Jim and Tim took over and kept up the pressure. There 10 overs also went for around 20. With Jim picking up the first wicket of the season lbw. Four good spells meant they were 40-1 at drinks. We had a sniff but would have to keep up the pressure. Jack came on and did just that. Picking up a wicket bowled and if only he hadn’t overstepped. An absolute ripper bending back off stump but alas a no ball. The only one in the hole game😡 With around 15 to go the experience in their batting started to pay off. They had gotten themselves in and now started to hit a few big shots. Tim came off for Ollie and Jim came back on but a couple loose ones and they were edging closer. Martin took a couple wickets near the end so they were 4 down. But with 4 overs left they got over the line. 30/40 more would possibly have been enough and I was a little disappointed with the batting effort. We did bowl well though and were in with a good shout till near the end. Just couldn’t quite keep up the pressure. Was a great effort though. Little bit rusty maybe. Let’s hope that gone by next week. Man of the Match was tough. Keith batted well as always. Jim, Jack and Darren bowled well. But probably just, Martin wins with 33 not out and 2-15. Well done him. Next week is away to Sidbury. A new one on me so will be interesting to visit. They will I believe be providing teas😀Thanks to all who played and the effort made.
Cheers
John Weeks
Cheers
John Weeks
Bideford Devon League 2nd XI 2016
Back row- Andy Webbe, Chris Luxton, Steve Bond, John Weeks, Tom Farnell, Gareth Davies, Ike Aviston
Front row- Matt Parkhouse, Tom Parkhouse, Marten Stanbuy, Ollie Hannam, Rosie Ball
Front row- Matt Parkhouse, Tom Parkhouse, Marten Stanbuy, Ollie Hannam, Rosie Ball
Bideford Devon League 2nd XI 2014
Westward Ho! 2015
