A MONTH or so ago I did not believe that I would be writing this article saying that both Sandford Cricket Eleven’s have their fate in their own hands.

If the First Eleven’s get a better result next Saturday than Bradninch they will stay in the Premier Division. If the Second Eleven’s get a better result than North Devon then they too will stay up.

On paper the Second Eleven have the easier task as the First Eleven’s have to travel to Tiverton Heathcoat and will be without Faisal Iqbal who has returned to Pakistan.

Also Bradninch will be playing Plymouth who have lost their star Pakistani cricketer and could be much weaker than the team having just played at Sandford.

Whatever the outcome both teams are to be congratulated on showing their true fighting spirit to make sure the season goes all the way down to the wire.

Over the past two weekends the First Eleven have beaten Exmouth to make it four wins in a row and then narrowly lost to Plymouth by six runs.

Sandford did exceptionally well to bowl the visitors out for 170 and then knock the runs off only losing three wickets and with 14 overs to spare.

Chris Simpson returned his best figures of the season 5 – 23 and there were two wickets each for skipper Richard Foan and Faisal Iqbal.

Faisal then led the reply scoring an unbeaten 81 with Freddie Filor scoring 32 and Richard Foan 25.

Plymouth’s Pakistani star helped himself to 151 not out in a huge total of 274 for eight. This took him to over 1,000 runs for the season, a feat which has not been done before since the Premier Division was reduced in size.

It proved too much for Sandford but they kept going right to the end and the nine bonus points they picked up could be crucial in the final count.

Chris Jelley took three for 39 and scored 34. Neil Bettis top scored with 58 and with Faisal Iqbal (51), Charles Fitzroy (37 not out), Pete Steer (31 not out) all making useful contributions an unlikely victory was nearly secured.

The First Eleven must take encouragement from the Second Eleven performance this week who also went to Tiverton Heathcoat and came away with a victory. Win the toss and bat!

The Second Eleven had a big defeat and a great win over the past two weeks. Against Exmouth, a total of 202 never looked enough, and so it proved as Exmouth knocked the runs off with almost 19 overs to spare and for the loss of only two wickets.

The Second’s have been unlucky enough to play Exmouth on both occasions when cricketers who should have been in the First Eleven have been selected and so it proved with the star batsman scoring 100.

Jim Shepherd (31), Ryan Glass (30), Tom Gidney (30), Dan Uren (29), Ben Clement (24) and Shaun Hawkins (23) all made contributions but no-one went on to get the big score needed.

It was a real surprise to see Sandford topple the league leaders. It wasn’t the strongest side put out this season as football seems to have once again reared its head during the cricket season.

Ryan Glass led from the front scoring 33 and then taking five for 30 as the Tiverton wicket completely changed after tea and at times was almost unplayable.

The key stand was between Jim Shepherd and Simon Saunders who made sure Sandford had a total that was defendable and even with conceding 10 penalty runs the victory was secured by 36 runs.

Barnstaple up next at home is a winnable game if 11 cricketers keen to avoid relegation are prepared to make themselves available.

Mike Canning