AT last some good news from last weekend. Sandford's remarkable young Fourth team secured a very important victory on the second pitch at Creedy Park by beating promotion chasing rivals Culmstock Seconds by five wickets.

Culmstock were asked to bat first, and at 42 for no wicket seemed to be going well against the Sandford opening bowlers. However 42 for one saw wickets fall at regular intervals to 112 for nine, and a last wicket stand of 19 eventually saw the visitors set a target of 131 for the Sandford team to chase. Fielding a number of their first XI players, only opener A.Marshall 29 (five fours) showed any mettle in defying the Sandford bowlers.

For Sandford all the young bowlers took a wicket, but it was 15-year-old Jimmy Orchard, who for the second time in recent weeks, destroyed the visitors batting with an outstanding performance of 4-15 from seven overs.

As is very often the case at this level, a total of 132 can be a formidable target to chase down, and so it proved initially. The Sandford innings was in tatters at 29 for four, but step up father and daughter partnership of Dan and Ellie Knight.

Together they added 55 for the fifth wicket, before Dan was culpably out LBW for an excellent 35 (seven fours).

However, Ellie stuck in there with skipper Jason Matten as no further risks were taken in order to get over the line. In the end Ellie remained unbeaten on 25no from 46 balls (four fours), including hitting the winning boundary, and shared an unbeaten sixth wicket stand of 50 with Jason who decided to take on the Culmstock bowlers with a quickfire 36no from only 26 balls including seven fours and a six. Victory was achieved at 134 for five in only 27.2 overs for an excellent 20-point victory.

Having unfortunately been deducted five points for playing an illegible player the previous weekend, albeit an existing club member (ridiculous rule at this level), this victory now leaves the Fourths 29 points in front of Culmstock who remain third, but with Culmstock having two games to play and Sandford only one game to play.

So with two teams due to get promotion, the Fourths are in a handy position with their last game being at home to Newton Tracey Seconds in two weeks' time at Creedy Park, who are in second place themselves.

So no game this week for the Fourths, but they will be waiting eagerly to establish the results of the two teams below them to see how the positions stand going into the final weekend of the season.

Phil Matten