Plymtree 30Jun06

Kings 2006 tour of Devon and Somerset started against new opponents Plymtree CC. Located in the quiet Devon village close to Cullumpton the match was played in glorious but extremely hot sunshine. With work commitments preventing two players from being at there for the start of the match it meant Kings had to start with just 9 players. Despite this and the searing heat, but encouraged by a wicket that looked bowler friendly, Kings decided to field first in the 40 over aside match.

From the start opening bowler Joel Miah and Simon Pipe looked threatening, Miah's pace troubling both openers whilst Pipe was getting encouraging movement on a pitch already showing variable bounce. The early breakthrough soon arrived as Pipe beat the left handed Hope with a superb ball which hit middle and leg stumps. Diamond, the other opener decided to use the pace of both bowlers to run the ball to the vacant third man area but once this was closed off his scoring options were drastically reduced. Miah then struck a double blow for the visitors. First he bowled Betts without score and then Piper survived just two balls as Miah delivered the fast bowlers tactic of a short ball followed by the full length ball which took off stump. Pipe then claimed his second wicket as Bannister became the fourth bowler to have his timbers knocked over. Miah was then rested after a five over spell and Gordon Young was introduced to the attack and when Pipe finished his allotted eight overs he was replaced by Richard Sones. It was Sones who struck next when he bowled Coombs and Diamond finally succumbed when he became the sixth man out, once again bowled, this time it was Gordon Young who was the successful bowler. Despite a find rear guard action from Jarrod, the Plymtree skipper, Sones broke through again, this time bowling Raffel. Plymtree needed to now extend the innings as long as possible and Wakly offered some support to Jarrod, long enough to see Young out of the attack. Kings then turned to Richard Evans who succeeded in wrapping up the innings first taking a return catch to dismiss Jarrod and then bowling Wakly before removing Petit first ball, who top edged an easy catch to Smith behind the stumps. This left a now full Kings side, Miller and Tighe (plus 12th man Wright) having arrived chasing 83 to win.

The opening overs saw Kings openers of Miller and Perry playing watchfully as they became used to the pitch conditions. They also had to contend with several demanding appeals for lbw from Hope, all of which gained little consideration from the umpires, especially when Hope switched to around the wicket. Kings soon started to dominate as the batsmen started to find the boundaries with some ease. By the 10th over Kings were already half way to their target and their scoring rate increased as Piper's fifth over was dispatched for 13, including a majestic six out of the ground by Perry. Raffel then replaced Piper and he claimed the wicket of Miller who picked out Hope on the deep square leg boundary (58-1). However his next over was to go for 13 as both Perry and Mackenzie laid into some lusty blows to take Kings to the brink of victory with the scores level. The winning single duly arrived as Kings cantered to victory in just 15.4 overs.