WITH the Firsts having taken four of the regular Seconds teamers, plus a few other absentees due to injury or unavailability, the Seconds could have done without having to play one of the stronger teams in the C Division East – Teignmouth and Shaldon Firsts at Creedy Park.

T&S started soundly and batted with strength throughout their order, with a number of players making good starts but not going on the get really high scores. Harrison Linnitt 50 (seven fours), Morgan Couch 48 (five fours), Todd Ballman 43 (five fours and a six), Carl Woolnough 32 (five fours and a six) and Seamus McKenna 26 (three fours) being fine examples of this.

Their eventual total of 296 for eight from their 45 overs gave the Sandford boys a formidable total to chase.

However, amongst the carnage, 15-year-old 'Golden Arm' Will Hopkins again impressed with 3-41 from his nine overs, along with skipper Shaun Hawkins 2-48 (7) did their best to halt the run scoring. But the second team nemesis of another 42 extras including 24 wides did not help their cause. But at the end of the day they still kept plugging away to pick up four bowling points.

A couple of early wickets didn't help in pursuit of the run chase, but Jon James 36 (six fours) and Shaun Hawkins appeared to have arrested the situation with steady knocks before Shaun departed for 32 (five fours) with the score at 75 for three. The middle order came and went apart from Andrew Fry. 125 for six would have seen most teams fold, but Andy held fast and with a superb knock of 64 from only 48 runs (10 fours), and with the aim changing from winning to gaining maximum batting points, the team still had something to play for.

He was well supported by tailenders Matt Uren who batted for 54 balls (two fours) to remain undefeated on 19, and 15-year-old Jonny Handley with a superb 32 from 24 balls (six fours), coming in at no.10, to guide Sandford to 232 for eight when their 45 overs ran out, and in doing so attain maximum batting points.

Ex-Sandford player Liam Gardner bagged 3-33 (8), along with Ryan Bougourd 2-53 (9) were the main wicket takers for the visitors, but whilst a loss of 64 runs is always disappointing to report, at least achieving nine points in a losing cause was something positive to take home.

As skipper Shaun Hawkins said, “we may be losing a few games, but we're losing them well”, i.e. we keep picking up seven, eight or nine points in doing so, which in a division where only one team will be relegated this season, could prove very important.

The Seconds travel into Exeter on Saturday to play Exeter Seconds with a 1pm start.

Phil Matten