Devon Dumplings v Somerset Stragglers

Wednesday 08 June 2022 at Shobrooke Park

Somrset Stragglers141AO DD 145-3

As the teams’ flags rippled out over the newly-thatched pavilion, Somerset Stragglers chose to bat having won the toss. Just prior to play, the Dumplings made Peter Spencer Bequest presentations of Club caps to three young players: Cameron Cunningham, Achilles Browne and Anand Abhishek. Overseas player Kagiso Rapulana also received his cap, kindly sponsored by former President Peter Jolliffe. 

The Stragglers started in a rush with 14 runs coming from their first over. However the Dumplings opening bowlers pegged them back, Tallan Burns causing the batters plenty of problems and being unlucky to only take one wicket in his 8 over spell. There were several dropped catches and Harry Everett, chatting to the scorers, almost missed another. A huge shout from his team-mates alerted him to a skied shot and he managed to take a fine diving catch at mid wicket to redeem himself The pressure began to tell on the Stragglers with both Richard Tidball and Everett bowling very effectively with Tidball finishing with figures of 8-3-13-2, and Everett 4.1-1-5-3.

Somerset Stragglers were all out for 141 from 37.1 overs, and Dumplings were feeling confident at the halfway point as both teams tucked into a traditional sumptuous cricket tea laid on by Judy Jolliffe. 

The Dumplings set off at a brisk pace and they were always ahead of the required run rate. Opener Anand Abhishek frequently found the boundary scoring 37 off his first 15 balls. It took a fine running catch at square-leg to dismiss him after he had made 89 off just 43 balls. The score by then was 123. Kagiso Rapulana and Harry Kandampully saw the Dumplings virtually home but with one good hit required to win, Rapulana having been dropped at point, then walked down the wicket next ball giving an easy stumping to young Jacob Hurry off the bowling of Iain Tier. Tier could have finished with 3 wickets, as there was another dropped catch the next ball. But by the end of the next over, the Dumplings had won by 7 wickets using just 19 of their overs. 

This game was the first Dumplings game where the rule that no-balls mean free hits was applied. There were several opportunities for the batters to take advantage of this but both teams failed to find the boundary on these occasions. 

Thanks to Shobrooke for preparing the pitch and to Gareth Tidball for raising our team and helping to write this match report. 

Somerset Stragglers :141 AO (Nelson 34 – Everett 3/5 R. Tidball 2/13) 

DD: 145 for 3 (Abhishek 89 – Tier 2/5)

DD won by 7 wickets

WH