SANDFORD Cricket Club's new weekend Development XI played their first South Devon League game of the season last weekend when they travelled to Winslade Park at Clyst St Mary near Exeter to play Royal Devon Cricket Club.

They batted first and amassed 248 for eight in their 40 overs with Jack James smashing 50 supported by Jonny Handley 40, Tom Gidney 42, and Rhys James (Jack's brother) 34.

In reply to the formidable target set them, Royal Devon kept up with the run rate thanks to some loose bowling, and plenty of wides (54 in total), but they kept losing wickets and were eventually bowled out for 211 in 35.3 overs for Sandford to claim a 37 run victory, and 12 points for doing so.

Jack James also claimed three for 40 from his eight overs, along with a couple of wickets each for Toby Pennington (2-37 from 7) and Tom Gidney (2-23 from 8).

A good start to the new venture, but room for improvement on the bowling, and in particular, wides front.

The Club's Community League programme is now up and running again, with the first round of matches having been played over the past couple of weeks.

This has resulted in wins for the reigning champions Three Little Pigs, Sandford Football Club and Crediton Milling.

The Three Little Pigs comprehensively beat Crediton Rugby Club by seven wickets. Rugby Club 139-7 (20 overs), Three Little Pigs 141 - 3 (15.4) thanks mainly to impressive knocks from Will House 27, Jack James 26 and Bailey Carbines also 26.

Sandford Football Club proved too strong for the Sandford Cricket Club Development XI.

Having notched up 154 for four in their 20 overs thanks to Steve Lyons 26, Jack Grinney 25, Nathan Mew 26 no and Stu Botting 26, the Football Club then restricted the Development XI to 110-8 in their 20 overs with Andy Uren claiming three wickets for seven runs in two overs.

However the match of the first round saw Graphic clinch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Having been set only 115 for victory by Crediton Milling, who had Louie Gulley with 32 to thank for their eventual score of 114 (17.5 overs), with Graphic's skipper Sam Dyne doing most of the damage 3-13, Graphic managed to throw it all away at the death by being bowled out for 113 (19.1) to lose by one run.

It was that man Louie Gully again being the hero, this time taking the last wicket with a catch off his own bowling, with the first ball of the last over of the game.

Can it get any better than this for Louie, with a match winning performance in the Community League to go with his new Exeter Chiefs Rugby contract?

Phil Matten