THE last couple of weeks of Community League Cricket at Creedy Park have seen The Three Little Pigs become title favourites for the 2021 season.

They have had two big victories against Sandford Youth and Parents, and Graphic, within the past fortnight, to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

Against the Sandford team they restricted their opponents to 105 from their 16 overs, and then smashed their way to victory in 13.3 overs.

Against Graphic they amassed a massive 180 (a new league record) from their 16 overs, and then kept Graphic down to 133, to win by 47 runs.

As a result Graphic remain bottom of the league having not yet won a game this season.

The Pigs have now won all three of their games played quite convincingly, and their latest win was achieved by swapping their batting order around. Amazing all-round cricketing ability from a bunch of hillbillies!

Hard on the heels of the Pigs are Sandford Football Club. Under the leadership of the effervescent and cricket “nut” Nathan “The Cat” Keast, the Footie Club have recovered well from their initial loss to the Pigs in their first game. Their latest, victory saw them create quite an upset when they steamrollered the mighty Crediton Rugby Club.

With the Rugby Club having set a target of 113 from their 16 overs, they saw “Keast’s Krunchers” overhaul their target in only 14.2 overs, despite a mid-order collapse, which once again saw their Chairman Adam Voisey get yet another “first baller”.

In fairness to the Rugby Club this was their first game of the season in this year’s competition, as their previous two games had fallen foul to the inclement weather that meant cancellations of both fixtures. However, it has to be said following this showing, their youth policy is starting to need a bit of updating if Johnny Leyman’s studs are to get back into contention.

So with the season more than halfway through, the table shows that The Pigs are almost in this year’s final as they already have six points from three games, and one more victory from of their remaining two games should see them safely through.

The Football Club has four points from three games, with Yeoford hot on their heels, with three points from two games (having had one game cancelled).

Then come the Rugby Club with two points from their cancelled two games, and one loss, followed by the Youth and Parents with one point from two games (as a result of a cancelled game).

Last, but definitely not least, is poor old Graphic, who despite winning the competition back in 2018, are floundering with zero points from their first three games.

It has been agreed that the 2019 Final, which had to be cancelled initially because of weather, and then Covid, will be played on this year’s Finals Day on Sunday, July 18.

Ironically, the two finalists for 2019 – the Pigs and Rugby Club were due to meet on that day anyhow (not originally planned I can assure you), and as such their game will in effect be a “double-header," with the winners winning the 2019 competition, and also earning two points towards this year’s competition.

If you want entertainment one evening during the week, come and watch the Sandford Community League Cricket games. Good laugh, and you can enjoy a pint at the same time.

Weekly games are published in this Cricket Club report.

For the second week in a row things did not pan out to well for the Saturday sides.

The First XI travelled to Tiverton Heathcote and came away defeated by 93 runs. Only Jamie Palmer managed decent figures of 2 - 36 and then none of the batsmen managed to compile that match winning innings as Sandy Allen 36, Albert Grieve, 34, and Johnathan Campbell 32 were the only ones who really started.

The Second XI also suffered a defeat at the hands of Braunton First XI but this was a much more encouraging performance than the week before. Heads didn’t drop despite only scoring 146 as Ross Donaldson top scored with the bat and Liam Gardner weighed in with two wickets.

I get the feeling that Matt Theedom was not impressed in his game for the Third XI away to Axminster Second XI.

It seems that one of their First XI had been unable to travel so opened the batting and helped himself to 157 out of a total of 236 for nine.

Finn Warren took three for 50 and there were two wickets a piece for Arlo Vaughan and Ellie Bishop. Alex Stevens and Andy Uren both scored 31 before Matt went in and plundered the Axminster attack scoring 96, not out, off very few balls to see the side home with six wickets to spare.

FIXTURES

Tomorrow (Saturday, June 19) - First XI v Plymouth - 12.30pm start.

Sunday, June 20 - First XI v Lynton - 1.30pm start (possibly).

Tuesday, June 23 - Yeoford v Three Little Pigs - 6.15pm start.

Phil Matten and Mike Canning