Report by Harry Everett.
All eight teams of Division Two played, including Exeter CC and Bradninch and Kentisbeare CC who remarkably managed to play twice in the dreadfully wet and cold April.
Clyst St George and Exmouth are new to the division, Exmouth had played previously, but are welcomed back.
Division 2 round-up:
Topsham St James Ladies' team got their 2024 season off to a great start with a three-wicket victory over Bovey Tracey Ladies.
With captain Caitin Rodgers unavailable, Hannah Clark took charge of the team and after winning the toss, chose to field. Opening bowlers Lily Harlond (3-15 off 4) and Liv Woollam (3-16 off 5) shared the first five wickets between them – all five being clean bowled. Two debutantes; Holly Walsh (1-17 off 5) with ball in hand, and two great catches from Jamie-Lee Benson contributed to making it a short afternoon on Dartmoor's edge.
Largely thanks to Megan Pascoe (41*), Bovey Tracey finished on 83 AO – a superb fielding display from 10-player TSJ.
Topsham did not win as comfortably as they would have expected to at the halfway stage, however.
Bovey did not give up, reducing Topsham to 58 for 4. Claire Pym opened and got to 27 before falling to one of Monica Gair's 2-5 (off 4), Megan Pascoe equally efficient (2-18 off 6). With just three runs required another wicket fell, but captain Hannah Clark (17*) and Jamie-Lee Benson guided the team home to claim the 3-wicket victory.
Hosts Heathcoat lost the toss as Clyst St George elected to field first in their inaugural game in the league
The first two partnerships were most fruitful for Heathcoat ladies, but no partnership exceeded 25 as they fell to 97 all out in 20 overs.
It was some of the home side's first hardball game, some had even only been to one cricket practice before being gutsy enough to play in this game, so big kudos to both sides for getting sides out in chilly April!
Ellie White top scored with 21* but Esme Brooks was the stand-out CSG bowler and player of the match for her 5-12 off five then 28*. Alyssia Hayes also got 25 as Clyst won by six wickets, the Knightshayes club rueing giving away 42 extras.
Exmouth won the toss and opted to field, but saw wicketkeeper Grace Golsworthy rack up 48 as Exeter 2s scored 127-8 off 35 overs despite Nadine Gillespie's 3-19.
Noone made double figures for the south coast side as Lottie Wood took 4-5 and Lucy Vosper 3-9, Exmouth all out for 55.
Exeter the league frontrunners with two wins from two.
The one Somerset side in the division, Taunton Deane's second XI, showed Bradninch and Kentisbeare's first team how to do it with 208-7 off 35 overs. Whilst their home ground Vivary Park was recently underwater, Kensham Park played host to one of the highest-scoring matches of the ladies' competition in April. Charlotte Webber’s 58 opening was the top score, whilst Ami Balasubramaniam whacked 38* off 32 balls down the order.
B and K were never up with the rate, but did provide the Taunton sides with little in the gifted wickets stakes. They batted through to 142-2, Yvonne Jackson 42* and Meg Acton 69*.
