WHEN you get to play in the top division of the County then you know every week will be a challenge and so it is turning out to be.

After four games Sandford sit bottom but there are five teams above them separated only by six points so there is no need for worry just yet.

The batsmen need to hopefully get another 30 to 40 runs between them each week to give the bowlers that little bit more of a buffer.

The past two weeks has seen Faisal Iqbal top score with knocks of 54 against Exeter and 64 against Bovey Tracey.

Against Exeter Neil Bettiss scored 31 and Richard Foan 30 but a total of 205 was never going to be enough against a very strong Exeter unit.

Ryan Glass followed up his 23 by taking two wickets but that was the only success for the Sandford bowlers.

Bovey Tracey arrived at Creedy Park bottom of the league and without a win, but still managed a victory by four wickets.

Shaun Hawkins scored 38 and Chris Simpson 30 but once again 212 was a well under par score. At 157 for six with three wickets for Pete Steer, two for Jamie Palmer and one for Faisal, Sandford could have hoped for a better outcome but it was not to be.

This weekend they travel to Hatherleigh, another team in the bottom six.

The Second Eleven have had mixed fortunes over the past two weeks although the win against Clyst St George was really the Matt Theedom show.

He plundered 142 out of the Sandford total of 281 with David Baggs hitting 41 and Robert Stoyle 34. The total was further enhanced with 45 extras.

Matt started off slowly but when he found his range the ball was consistently being dispatched over the fencing at the road end into the long grass.

Clyst St George made a really great effort in the run chase and at the start of the final over, only needed eight runs to win with two wickets left.

They had their man of the match at the non-strikers end unbeaten on 83 and he just needed to get to the strikers end and undoubtedly the game would have been theirs.

However Matt Theedom was bowling the final over and with his second ball the batsman played the ball firmly back and Matt diverted the ball on to the stumps to run out the danger man.

Next ball he bowled the final man to finish with figures of four for 64. Skipper Shaun Hawkins also took two wickets.

This last week the Second Eleven travelled to Upottery and lost by six wickets. Acting skipper Chris Blake top scored with 51 and there were knocks of 29 by Adam Small and Brian Leach.

Simon Saunders took two wickets but the total of 192 was easily passed by the home team.

Fixtures this weekend at Creedy Park:

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 2 – Second Eleven v North Devon Second Eleven – start 1.30pm; Sunday, June 3 – Sunday Second Eleven v Westleigh – start 1.30pm.

Footnote: Apologies from last week’s article but Faisal did not take 33 ODI wickets for Pakistan as this was the number of runs he conceded when bowling and Sandford Second Eleven play in the Devon League Division D East and not West.

Mike Canning