Clarke stars with gloves and bat for Uplyme 2nds in defeat at Halberton and Sampford Peverell

Uplyme and Lyme Regis 2nds were beaten by 77-runs when they travelled to Mid Devon to meet Halberton and Sampford Peverell in a D Division East match.

Skipper Rodney Holmes won the toss and opted to bowl as he had a team that contained more bowlers than batters!

The hosts made a flying start and raced to 50 after just 10 overs.

They continued to prosper and it was not until halfway through the innings with the score on 135 that veteran bowler Steve Howe made the breakthrough.

The introduction of Daley Holmes helped to check the home side’s progress and, despite the Mid Devon side’s batsmen plundering plenty of runs, he picked up a fivefer and finished with splendid figures of 5-39 as the innings closed on 276-6.

The Uplyme reply started positively with Eddie Clarke and David Jones putting on 50 before Jones was bowled.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals until Wesley Holmes joined Clarke and it looked as though the innings would gain some momentum. Unfortunately, on 16, Wesley tried one shot too many against the off spinner and was bowled with the score on 115. Rodney Holmes was run out for one and it was then left to Daley Holmes to make a positive contribution. His partnership with Clarke added 63 in short time and, with 13 overs left Uplyme needed another 100 runs.

Thirteen-year-old Daley batted well before falling for a well constructed 30.

Uplyme managed to achieve maximum batting points when they reached 200, but the game was up when Clarke, having kept wicket and batted throughout the innings, played a tired shot in the penultimate over to be last man out on 94, six short of what would have been a richly deserved century.