THE new Sandford Community Cricket League is now underway with three games having been played over the past couple of weeks.

It’s great to see normality returning after a couple of difficult years due to Covid, and with meals again being available to players and officials after each game.

The competition has also been re-named the Sandford 100.

All six teams have played their first games of the 2022 season, and one outstanding result by the Sandford Youth and Parents team stands out from the other two.

Bearing in mind that last year, this was a relatively new team under the guidance of Jon James, and included many lads who had not experienced a lot of cricket against older men.

Their first game this season was against one of last year’s finalists, the Three Little Pigs, and the lads and dads strolled to victory by chasing down a very reasonable total of 127, which the Pigs had set them.

The Dads and Lads reached their target in only 90 balls, with 10 balls to spare.

Star of the win was young Joe Hopkins who not only bowled his leg spin very tidily, as well as taking a couple of wickets, but also batted very intelligently for a lad so young, having to retire once he scored his 25.

What a difference a year makes for these youngsters.

The Pigs will now be looking to get back on track in their next game in a couple of week’s time.

The Rugby Club took no prisoners against the newbies this year – Crediton Milling – thrashing them quite convincingly on the Mill’s debut in the competition.

Batting first the Mill were only able to score 94, which the Rugby Club passed with ease inside 52 balls, for the loss of only one wicket, and included three retirees.

However, considering most of the Mill’s players had not either played cricket before, or certainly not for a few years, this was a difficult fixture for them to start their 2022 venture.

However, they seemed to enjoy their first outing, and I’m sure they will learn as they go along.

They are unlikely to come up against such good opposition in future games. They were definitely the smartest team to play so far, in their new CMC tops and playing kit supplied by the bosses at CMC.

Sandford Football Club were the other winners, easily defending their score of 125 in their allotted 100 balls, against Graphic who could only manage 99 in reply before their 100 balls ran out.

To be fair they could probably have won by more if Luke Knight could have held a couple of dolly catches.

Instead poor old Luke thought it was a hand grenade coming his way.

I think the patches of fear are still showing on the outfield at both ends of the ground where he spilled his chances.

As usual the Ford were expertly led by their enthusiastic skipper Nathan “The Cat” Keast, who controlled his team admirably, even placing Steve Lyons in the firing line to pull off a “worldie” catch, which will be talked about for the rest of the season.

Graphic will no doubt re-group for their next match in a couple of weeks time, and use their new squad system to bring in a few of their regular stalwarts for their next game against the Pigs.

Phil Matten