Axminster 2nds had just nine players for their game at Bradninch II.

However, nine became ten when John Waterhouse, who had driven to Mid Devon to watch son Niall in action, saw the deficiency in numbers and donned whites to bat – though he had to get away during the interval and so Axminster fielded with nine when the home side batted.

Club chairman Peter Kiy skippered the side in the absence of regular captain James Whetlor and when the Bradninch skipper won the toss of the coin, Kiy and Ben Fuzzard opened the batting. They made a cracking start with Fuzzard putting bat to ball with great effect. From the first ball the score board ticked along at a rapid rate to show 33 after just four overs. However, in over five Kiy was bowled for one and, in the next over, three further wickets were lost without addition to the score! Fuzzard was one of those wickets, he was returned to the pavilion with 32 from just 22 balls. Neil Fuzzard, at six, joined Niall Waterhouse and they took the total to 63 before Fuzzard fell for nine. Niall Waterhouse eventually fell for a gritty 58-ball 25 and the only other double figure scores were 10 from Dave Hayball and an unbeaten 10 from Rex Helston as the innings closed on 100 all out. The Bradninch openers, Chris Acton (63no) and Will Birley (11) added 75 for the first wicket before Birley was caught behind by Ben Fuzzard off the bowling of 13-year-old Max Helston. Elliott Acton joined his father Chris and struck two fours before he was bowled by Rex Helston – meaning the two wickets taken were claimed by a father and son combination - but that was as good as it got for the Axe men as Bradninch eased to an eight wicket win.