Sidbury debut new sweaters in win over North Devon 3rds

"Pleasure to lose to you fellows," said Ali, at the drawing of the stumps.

"The Braunton lot told me I must make it to your place if it's the last thing I do.

"Said the teas are to die for."

Well, we are an incredibly lovely bunch.

Not to mention magnanimous and handsome, bedecked, for the first time, in our new pure-wool sweaters, still smelling sweetly of ewe.

We'd travelled up to Instow, or thereabouts, and found a little ground on a big slope, above a church.

Cypresses lined the horizon and the Taw & Torridge estuary was laid out below us.

A constant Northerly zephyr took the heat out of a cloudless day, and we were playing cricket!

Damien Armes made a weekend of it and was more energised than the rest, who emerged from their cars after the journey up the Link.

Sidbury inserted the opposition and, though Toby Whitfield removed one opener and he and Alex Paget kept the opening skirmishes tidy, it was only when Armes (5 for 18) got the ball that it looked like Sidbury would be chasing a below-average total.

42-1 became 83-7 by the time he’d bowled his eight.

His first league 5-fer was impactful enough to name him the Clinch Plumbing and Heating man of the match.

At the bottom of the steep hill, Soren Hall was fighting his own battle against a football hangover.

Excused from bowling, he could occasionally be heard moaning or seen inexplicably rolling around in the deep.

The North Devon innings had a solitary bye for Astley-Jones and a tidy spell from Simon Rowe.

Arran De Moubray was described by Ali as fielding "like a God".

After no tea, North Devon unleashed surprisingly quick bowlers on Sidbury's openers.

Ed Chester and Mark Bishop dived, ducked, mis-cued and were hit on the helmet and gloves.

They nearly made it to the end of the opening salvo, setting a sufficient pace.

The real thrill started after Chester was bowled out.

Josh Reed had just broken a 72-hour fast and came to bat, eating a steak and eggs.

He was only there for 13 balls, but the opening bowler was still on when Reed (23) hit his first ball through the covers before hitting the bowler's last ball wide of mid-on for four.

This action was as if to say that that was the end of the bowler and Reed would probably hit a bouncer for six, and Sidbury was going to win the match.

Reed then hit a six over long-off before graciously losing his wicket to the only female player in the game.

Bishop followed suit but by then, the conclusion was clear.

Paget and De Moubray finished the game before we all went for a pint by the water.

This week, Sidbury are at home three times.

Ottery Rising Super Beavers visit on Wednesday, old friends Not The MCC on Friday, and Alphington & Countess Wear IIs on Saturday.