Captain Caddy to Uplyme’s rescue (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Captain Caddy to Uplyme’s rescue

8:51am Wednesday 16th May 2012 in Lyme Regis By Ky Capel

UPLYME & Lyme Regis 144 (17pts) beat TOPSHAM ST JAMES 138 (7pts) by six runs

A CAPTAIN’S performance helped propel Uplyme & Lyme Regis to successive victories in the Devon League E Division.

Ashley Caddy top scored with 69 as the hosts were bowled out for 144 on a damp wicket before claiming the crucial wicket of opposing skipper Ross Treleaven (56) as Topsham St James fell just seven runs short of success.

Caddy said: “We lost the toss on another wet wicket but myself and Mark Batey managed to put on a really good partnership.

“On that sort of wicket you just need to take it steady and take it ball by ball, which we did.

“We did discuss beforehand that it would be a 140 to 150 wicket and we were ahead but one of their guys took four in four and you can’t do much about that.

“Overall we lost eight wickets for 40 runs and we were a bit despondent about that but we got our heads up as 144 was what we were looking for.

“It was then another great bowling display. Their captain batted really well though and if he had batted higher than six he probably would have won them the game.

“It was squeaky bum time near the end but I was always confident.”

Batting first, Uplyme were in a spot of bother when Dave Norman (2) and Steve Batey (1) fell early doors to the accurate deliveries of Treleaven (4-58).

But opening batsman Mark Batey and captain Caddy steadied the ship with an 81-run partnership.

Once the former departed, only Derek Wellman (17) offered any form of resistance in the lower order as the home side were all out for 144.

Topsham’s reply got off to a disastrous start as both Saad Choudhary and Joe Thomlin-son went for ducks, courtesy of fine bowling from Steve Batey (4-35).

The newly-promoted side always appeared on the back foot, but with Treleaven in fine form the outcome remained in the balance.

However, Caddy, who snared seven maidens in 15.2 overs, stepped up to the mark and removed the danger man to effectively seal victory.

The win keeps Uplyme & Lyme Regis at the summit ahead of a busy weekend.

On Saturday they entertain Shaldon Optimists in league action before making the 262-mile round trip to Redruth the following day for a National Village Cup clash.