Seaton 2nds went down by eight wickets on their visit to Bradninch II, but there was plenty of evidence that the future of the club is in very good hands indeed.

Skipper Ian Hunt has often lauded the quality of the youngsters at the club, and they certainly made a good impression on their visit to Mid Devon.

Batting first Seaton lost skipper Ian Hunt (4) in the fourth over, but Rob Gibson and son, teenager Sam Goodier, then took the score to 61 before Goodier, an unbeaten centurion seven days before, fell to a stunning return catch from off-spinner Will Birley. Dave Turner joined Gibson and the senior pairing took the total to 108 when Gibson was bowled for a splendid 82-ball 56. His innings included six fours and two sixes, his half century being chalked up in 77 balls. Two runs later Mike Wheeler fell for one and it was then quickly 125-5 with the demise of Ben Goodier for eight. Jamie Bond helped Turner add 18 for the sixth wicket before Turner was stumped and the final wicket to be lost was that of Will Sharland, bowled for five by Andy Nichols who had been a regular in the Seaton 1st XI 25 years before!

The Seaton innings closed on 164 with Phil Chappell’s 3-20 and Will Birley’s 2-46, the pick of the Bradninch bowling.

The home reply got a good solid start with skipper Chris Acton and Bryn Jones adding 80 before Acton was trapped leg before to the second delivery of third change Ian Hunt’s opening over. Two balls later Hunt again trapped a second home batter leg before and Bradninch were 80-2. However, that’s as good as it got for Hunt and his team as the home side eased their way to an eight wicket win, completed in the 39th over.

Hunt finished with 2-20 from seven with the best of the rest, in terms of bowling figures, being the 0-16 from four overs of pace by Ollie Aplin and 0-18 from the lively pace of the other teenager in a youthful strike partnership, Kersely Sutton.

Seaton may have been beaten for the first time this season in a 2nd XI league game, but they will have departed Mid Devon knowing that they have a bright future ahead given the number of talented youngsters in their ranks.