SANDFORD Cricket Club's First XI won their third straight win last Saturday with a comprehensive four-wicket victory over Plymouth at Creedy Park, thanks to a great recovery partnership of 140 between skipper Adam Small and the in-form Harry Southgate for the fourth wicket.

Earlier Plymouth won the toss and decided to bat, and with an opening wicket partnership of 52 appeared to have confirmed what a good decision that had been. However, once opener Hemu Hirani departed second wicket down for 31 (five fours), with the score on 70, wickets started to fall at regular intervals.

Kagiso Rapulana came and went for 33 (four fours), but the linchpin of the innings was Surya Suresh who came in second wicket down and batted more-or less through to the end of the innings, despite carrying an obvious back injury. His innings of 97 (10 fours four sixes) wasn't necessarily the prettiest to watch, but he took advantage of any loose bowling on offer, and fair play to him for sticking it out and helping his side reach 236 all out after 48.2 overs.

For Sandford, overseas star Tanbir Hayder took 3-45 (10) backed up by his fellow spinner Jackson Thompson 3-41 (9), and opening bowler Matt Jeacock 2-45 (9.2) which should have been three, but we won't mention his dropped caught and bowled chance which my gran could probably have caught!

Sandford's reply got off to its obligatory notorious start, as the first three batters departed with only 23 on the board – not ideal to say the least.

However, Harry Southgate and Adam Small set about putting the innings back on track, as together they added 140 for the fourth wicket before Smally was superbly stumped down the leg side for an excellent 71 (11 fours).

Harry then guided the rest of the order towards the winning target, before finally falling for an excellent 93 (nine fours and a six) from a very patient 120 balls. He was finally out with just six runs needed for victory. Thankfully, there were no further scares and the winning runs were secured at 240 for 6 after just 44.5 overs.

Callum Williams was the only opposition bowler to take more than one wicket - 2-57 (9), including that of Southgate, but the 20 points attained for the victory ensure Sandford have now gone three games unbeaten and in doing so opened up a 40 point gap between themselves and the relegation zone. It also moved them up to fourth in the Premier Division, 21 points behind leaders Exeter.

Next week the Firsts travel into the big smoke as they place Exeter away with a 12.30pm start.

Phil Matten