YELVERTON Cricket Club First XI broke two club records in the process of winning their first match of the season against Plymouth by 176 runs.

Having lost the toss and being asked to bat first, Yelverton openers David Ackford and Rob Grove got off to a steady start on a damp but drying wicket. However, having established the pace of the pitch they started to attack the Plymouth bowling and put on one of the finest batting performances ever seen at Langton Park.

Over 40 overs, Ackford and Grove put on a first wicket stand of 303 – an astonishing new club record – with Ackford contributing 88 and Grove amassing an impressive 197 before being bowled just shy of his double century by Sam White. Grove’s innings included 14 sixes and 13 fours and is the highest score ever made by a Yelverton player in the Devon League. Yelverton finished on 326-2 off the 45 overs of their innings.

The total was always going to be a challenging one for Plymouth to chase and two early wickets from Yelverton’s opening bowler, Ed Sorensen, put them on the back foot at 25-2.

Whilst there were good contributions from Toms (35) and Knapman (32), wickets continued to fall and Plymouth were all out for 150 in 40 overs. The Yelverton wicket takers were Toby Julian (3-38), Toby Beresford-Power (3-6) , Tim Baxter (2-27) and Ed Sorensen (2-25).

Yelverton took a maximum 20 league points away from the match.