Saturday, May 29

Bond Timber Cornwall Cricket League (Division Two East)

Tideford (149-9)

Launceston (150-5)

TOMMY Davey hit a career best 48 as Launceston beat Tideford by five wickets at the Port Eliot Estate Ground.

The hosts won the toss on a wet, damp track and surprisingly chose to bat and made 149-9 off their 45 overs, before the visitors, who slumped to 72-4, were led by home by Davey and James Setterington.

Tideford’s openers – Dan Robotham and Joe Milligan – got off to a solid, if unspectacular start, although Robotham looked to attack when possible.

The partnership was broken when Robotham (10) was run out by Davey’s superb throw from extra cover.

Jamie King dragged on for a duck off Shane Davey, before Milligan (46) and Cornwall Over-50s batsman Anton Luiten took the score past 70 at drinks.

That stand was eventually broken when Luiten was trapped lbw by Matt Bloomfield for 28.

Milligan continued to dig in, as did Mike Burnett, before Milligan was bowled for 46 looking to swipe Bloomfield (2-38) through the leg-side.

As the pitch dried out, scoring gradually became easier. However, every time the hosts looked to up the ante, Launceston grabbed a wicket.

Burnett (16) was caught at mid-off by Bloomfield off the returning Shane Davey (3-35) before second change David Cox (2-35) had Nick Pooley caught and bowled for 11 and Paddy Harper well caught by Ryan Christophers at long-on for six.

Wickets continued to fall as Russ Cole (3) was run out and teenager Gregor Norster was well caught by Glenn Coles off Shane Davey (3-35) as the hosts ended on 149-9, a score made possible by a brilliant fielding display.

Launceston had won just once this term and hadn’t played since May 1, and lost David Sillifant early as he was trapped lbw by Chris Anderson (1-30) for nine.

While Phil Spry dug in, Mark Thomas attacked, making 39 off 29 balls before he was castled by the impressive Nick Pooley.

Spry was soon lbw for 12 to Pooley (2-43), before Mike Burnett soon bowled Glenn Coles for a single. At 72-4, the hosts would have been confident. But from there, Tommy Davey mixed attack and defence perfectly as he and Setterington (29no) gradually took the game away from the hosts.

Davey peppered the cover and straight boundaries in his 48 off 61 balls, while Setterington dug in against Pooley, who was unlucky not to take several wickets.

Both men were dropped early on, with the partnership only broken just before the end, when Robotham took a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling to deny Davey a maiden first-team 50.

However, Setterington ended on 29 not out to give Launceston a much-needed victory, and move them away from the bottom two.