WITH each team left with one game to play in this year’s Sandford Community Cricket League competition, it is still close at the top of the league, with three sides still able to win the title. They are Crediton Rugby Club, Three Little Pigs and Sandford Football Club.

So, with the teams now taking a two-week break due to the Devon County game v Wiltshire, there will be a couple of interesting games still to be played when battles re-commence, especially with the Football Club due to play Crediton Inn, who are more than capable of spoiling their chances, and the two leading teams Rugby Club and The Pigs playing each other in the last game of the season, before the final on Friday, August 9.

Since my last report the Rugby Club have had two big wins, beating Graphic, last year’s winners, by nine wickets, and Crediton Inn by 10 wickets.

The game against Graphic was quite remarkable. The first four Graphic batsman all batted well, and subsequently had to retire when they all reached the obligatory 25, at which point they have to retire under the rules of the competition.

However, apart from extras, none of the other seven batsmen scored a run between them, and the side could only score 122 from their 16 overs.

When the Rugby Club batted, they lost an early wicket, with again the departing batsman not troubling the scorer, but then they had three batsmen that had to retire, before the two undefeated batsmen scored the necessary runs to secure the win.

The game will be remembered for the fact that all of the seven batsmen that were actually out, did not score a run between them. Quite remarkable!

The Rugby Club then played Crediton Inn the following week, and got off to the best possible start when Sam Fice knocked over two of the Crediton Inn’s top batsmen in his first over.

Things continued to go from bad to worse for the Inn as they quickly subsided to 14 for four, before eventually recovering slightly to 88 for nine from their 16 overs, with Father and Son combination, Jamie and Pete Forrest, rescuing the debacle, with scores of 25 retired and 19 respectively.

Skipper Gebler was not a happy bunny, but he can’t grumble as he was the first wicket to go down, bowled around his legs. Unbelievable Geoff!

With some ferocious hitting from the Rugby Club batsmen, victory was subsequently achieved inside only 6.5 overs, without any loss of wickets, although both openers were obliged to retire after scoring 25 each.

Man of the match, Sam Fice, took three for seven in his three overs when he bowled and smashing 28 not out when he batted to secure the win with a massive six.

This result, together with The Pigs winning their most recent game, has meant that Crediton Inn can no longer qualify for the final.

They have been a little unlucky, as they have had two games cancelled because of the rain earlier in the season.

Coupled with the Rugby Club defeat, this means the maximum number of points they can get is six, and with the Rugby Club and Pigs already on seven, this means qualification for the final for the Inn is unattainable.

However, The Inn could spoil the ambitions of Sandford Football Club, who they play in their one remaining game. Football Club need to win to stand any chance of qualifying for the final, and then it will be down to Run Rate.

With a number of the Inn players being footballers who play for Sandford, this could be a real “grudge” match.

Football Club are hoping captain Adam Voisey will not have recovered from his recent thumb injury, as this should strengthen their team, even if they get his mum to play.

The Three Little Pigs have been the surprise team this year. They’re the only team in this year’s competition who haven’t won the Barrie Sparham OBE Memorial Trophy before, but they have given themselves the best chance of reaching the final, so far being undefeated.

Their last game will be against the Rugby Club, and if the Football Club beat the Inn, it will be “all to play for” to finish off the “round robin” set of league games.

The Pigs made hard work of their recent game against the Sandford Parents and Colts team, and were reliant upon Lee Waring with a quickfire 28, when all seemed lost, to see them home with three balls to spare chasing a modest 117 to win, despite their intimidatory appealing to the umpires every time the ball hits the batsman’s pads.

However, they are entertaining.

With their previously mentioned subsequent losses to Rugby Club and the Pigs, Graphic and the Parents and Colts respectively, will battle out their final game when they meet each other for the privilege of seeing which team picks up the “wooden spoon”.

The next games take place on Tuesday, July 30: Parents and Colts v Graphic and finally The Pigs v Rugby Club on Wednesday, July 31.

The top three positions are: Rugby Club seven points, run rate 9.32; Three Little Pigs seven points R/R 7.78; Sandford Football Club five points R/R 8.48.

Phil Matten