Ottery St Mary vs Uplyme & Lyme Regis - Ottery Win By 6 Wickets.

After last week’s disappointing loss, Ottery St Mary 1st XI returned home to take on Uplyme & Lyme Regis.

These two teams have a habit of creating close contests, including last season's remarkable last ball win.

Sam O’Nyons continued form and lost the toss again, being asked to bowl first.

Ben Major and Freddie Eul-Barker opened up this week and despite a high number of plays and misses, runs flowed due to a flurry of boundaries from both Hilless and Magee.

The introduction of Sam Rose brought about a change of fortune as Magee flicked a ball off his toes which was well held at square leg by a diving Tom Jeacock to depart for 21.

The scoring rate slowed by boundaries were still being conceded regularly, but the momentum then shifted as O’Nyons and Jody Clements put the brakes on with spells of very tight bowling.

The latter picking up a trio of wickets (all bowled!) as first Batey (15) saw an expansive drive trickle back to dislodge a bail, Elsworth (3) was deceived by a ball that nipped away and Farrow (9) saw one come back through the gate.

In between the last two batters, O’Nyons has Hilless (37) caught fantastically by Rhys Norman at deep mid-wicket as Uplyme plundered from 89-1 to 106-5.

Jaques and Steve Batey consolidated but took few risks against the bowlers seeming happy to see them out.

The score ticked along without ever getting away from Ottery, J Clements returning figures of 3-26 from his 9, O’Nyons going at less than two an over at just 1-17 off his.

Rose and Eul-Barker returned, with the former bowling Jaques (12) and trapping Temori (13) leg before whilst Eul-Barker had S Batey (29) top edging a sharp bouncer which was held brilliantly by Ben Major at deep fine leg.

Uplyme finished their alotted overs on 195-8.

The reply started with a flurry of boundaries and wides as the Uplyme bowlers struggled for their radar.

Hilless entered the attack and in an eventful first over, had Flower bowled for 16. Uplyme’s overseas bowled an awkward spell, extracting movement off the pitch coupled with some uneven bounce in the surface.

The run rate stalled and pressure eventually told as Norman, looking to expand was caught behind for 2 off the bowling of Elsworth.

Tom Jeacock was next in and after hitting a boundary, he departed leg before to Felgate.

With the game finely poised and rain coming in later on the next partnership was key.

A Clements was on 33 when Sam Rose entered, and the man from Adelaide eased his way into the innings with a series of boundaries all around the ground.

The former reached his fifty, but by the time he reached 56 Rose had passed him as he unleashed, racing to his second half century and taking opposition captain Farrow for 21 in an over.

The following over, he lofted Temori for a sumptuous shot over extra cover for a one bounce four and followed it up by hitting one even straighter over long off for a maximum.

At this point, Ottery were in a hurry and had hit 80 off just 7 overs, Clements proving happy to hand the strike over to the Australian who did the majority of the damage.

The partnership had reached 126, and with one to win Clements inexplicably edged behind to depart for 66.

The captain was left to hit the winning runs as Sam finished 84 not out from just 50 deliveries. 

A comfortable victory in the end thanks to some ridiculous batting from Sam, who with his innings as well as 3-38 off 9 was easily man of the match.

A great response after last week, the middle overs of the bowling innings proving most pleasing as the game could have easily got away. Next week the 1st team entertain Alphington & Countess Wear. 

A big thank you to Brett Venables and Gazza for umpiring and scoring.