Seaton skipper Ben Morgan was left feeling that his team had ‘taken their eye off the ball’ in their defeat at home to Budleigh Salterton on matchday two of the shortened Devon Cricket League, writes Steve Birley.

Midweek Herald: Seaton Cricket Club 1st XI ahead of their Devon League Tier One Premier East meeting with Budleigh Salterton. Picture; SEATON CCSeaton Cricket Club 1st XI ahead of their Devon League Tier One Premier East meeting with Budleigh Salterton. Picture; SEATON CC (Image: Archant)

Morgan was perplexed that his side put down at least 10 catches – two of them dropped by the skipper himself!

He said: “Honestly, our catching was woeful. Some of them I’d have expected my three-year-old to hold onto! I know we could not put a hand on a ball, but if asked, I’m not sure I could put my finger on why we spilled so many!”

He continued: “I was left feeling so down at stumps as I don’t think anyone who saw the game would argue that we out battled and out bowled Budleigh and yet they left with the spoils from the game.”

Speaking about his side’s shift with the bat, Morgan said: “Given that we had little or no runs from Matt [Hewer] and Joel [Seward], to get to 239-8 speaks volumes for the strength in our batting these days. Josh [Cann] batted very well for his half century and I was very happy with our score at the end of our innings.”

Seaton then had Budleigh in all sorts of bother when the Ottermouth men batted.

Morgan said: “Ben Libby and I opened things up and, 20 overs in, they were 30-2. We then had them five down with 50 on the board, but those missed catches came back to haunt us.

“We put down Tom Oxland three times before he had 30 and he went on to get 74 and I put down my opposite number Neil Murrin when he was on 20 and he was still there at the end!”

Speaking about the overall performance, Morgan said: “A huge plus for me is that we have come out of a meeting with a side we’ll play in the A Division next season knowing that it’s certainly ‘one that got away’.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s trip to Exmouth, Morgan says: “We are going to be without Matt [Hewer] and Tristan [Wakeley] but may well have Brian [Cann] and, like all our games this season in this group, it’ll be a challenge at the Maer, but it is not a challenge we need to shy away from.”