Ashburton and Babbacombe win at a gallop in C Division West

ASHBURTON didn’t hang about on their way to a nine-wicket win in the derby clash with Dartington & Totnes.

Bertus Loots marked his return to Foxhole after a spell with Premier side Torquay by smashing a typically rumbustious 81 in D&T’s 155 all  out.

Loots, a Premier title winner in 2015, banged out six sixes and eight fours after going in at 23 for three.

Next best for D&T with 15 and 13 respectively were Elliot Miller and Ollie Payne.

Bowler of the moment for Ashes was Will Coon with five for 32 including Loots.

Tristan Wakefield and Tom Durman bagged two each.

Ashburton won at a canter – in fact the won by more than needed after run rate was factored in after an hour-long stoppage.

Openers Lloyd White and Martin Causey reached 84 without loss in the first 15 overs, White exactly 50 not out.

Play resumed for 16 more balls after tea until the rain came with Ashburton 96 for none.

When play resumed Ashburton’s target was 101 from 20 overs. There was just one snag, they got the runs too quickly.

Devon League rules say a second innings has to last 20 overs for the result to count – but Ashes had made the winning total with 14 balls to go.

There was only one thing for it: bat out another 14 balls.

Causey was caught down at fine leg trying to hook, but White and Durman got through to the end without further incident.

That’s two wins out of two for Ashburton, who will soon be talked about as promotion candidates if this sort of form continues.

Skipper Ashley Berry said: “It was another proficient performance by us, despite the strange situation with the rain and revised target.

“Batsmen and bowlers are in very good form and we've not diverted from Plan A yet.”

BABBACOMBE are joint top with Ashburton after they routed Plymouth Civil Service & Roborough by sevenwickets.

Civil never really recovered from losing three early wickets – Damon Calland had two of them – and subsided to 88 all out.

Dan Winsor made 21 and Atif Hussain had 20 before Tim Goodwin knocked both over.

Goodwin went on to claim three for 25 in his nine overs.

James Sharp (24) was the only other batter to resist for long as Dean Peall (2-17) and Paul Bates (2-14) rattled through the stragglers.

There was no issue with bad weather at Yealmpton as Civil were all out in 33.1 overs – and Babbacombe only used 13.2 knocking off the runs.

Stephen Lewis (23) and Jacob Hand (21) gave Babbacombe a start. Matt Inch and Peall with 17s not out finished things off.

James Carlisle had two for 30 in three overs for Civil.

Babbacombe are joint top of the table with Ashburton, just what skipper Broad hoped for.

“So far so good,” said Broad. “Forty points in very different fashions.

Against South Dveon we batted first and scored 270, this time we batted second and chased 89.”

On the game at Yealmpton, Broad said: “With rain forecast later in the day, and circumstances that meant a slightly under prepared wicket, then the toss was always going to be important.

“Fortunately I won so chose to bowl first.

“Early wickets were the started we wanted and after they counterattacked we put the squeeze on and took regular wickets.

When we batted we came off for heavy rain twice and lost wickets chasing quick runs.

“I promoted Matt Inch and Dean Peall to try and finish the game as quick as possible, which they did.”

Civil are playing games at Yealmpton temporarily while their Roborough ground is being reinstated after civil engineering work on the outfield.

SHALDON crept over the line with one wicket in hand and two balls to go in a nail-biter with Stoke Gabriel.

Stoke recovered from an unimpressive 88 for six to make 240 for nine in their 45 overs.

Kelsey Fahey (3-40) and Mark Couch (2-23) did the early damage with Stoke skipper Mike Meech (36) the only one to resist.

Jake Robinson, in at 85 for five, led the fightback with 53 off 44 balls in a stand of 86 for the sixth wicket with Steve Yates (31).

Getting Robinson out didn’t make much difference as Yates batted on with Andy Ball (24) and Dan Bullock (15) to add another 58.

Fifty extras – 35 of them wides – gave the Stoke total a lift.

Shaldon’s revised target was 214 in 40 overs – eminently gettable when they were 91 for three with Tshepo Legodi (53) in full cry.

Legodi and Jamie Day (38) got the score up to 160 for five when it all started to go wrong.

Four wickets went for 15 runs added  - Bullock (3-29) and Yates (3-44) doing the damage  -and at 175 for nine the odds favoured Stoke.

Andrew Espley (24no) was still there though and nursed last man Ross Abraham along to make a match-winning 13 not out to get Shaldon over the line.

SOUTH Devon’s game against Bridestowe was the only one in the division not to finish in a result.

Bridestowe made a respectable 239 for seven in their 45 overs – opener  Gary Sizmur top scoring on 81.

Sizmur and Ryan Dennis (63) put on 159 for the first wicket, defying all seven bowlers tried by South Devon skipper Ali Wright in an attempt to force a breakthough.

Joe Kitto (3-49) sorted out Sizmur and followed up with Dennis too.

Dave Knowles (2-37) dispatched Rhys Palmer (37) and Matt Dennis as South Devon fought back.

Left-arm seamer Dinesh Raheja picked up two wickets in his second spell on his 1st XI debut for South Devon.

The Indian-born all-rounder signed from Premier Division Heathcoat in the first week of the season.

South Devon  were 33 for two in reply when rain stopped play.

CHAGFORD picked up their first league win of the season when they defeated visiting Kingsbridge by 10 wickets in a rain-affected game.

Kingsbridge struggle d to make 137 all out in 43 of their 45 overs – only three batsmen making double-figure scores.

Openers James Westlake (26) and James Ford (20) put on 51 and third man in Freddie Ford weighed in with 21.

Freddie Ford was seventh out at 107, by when the skids were already under Kingsbridge.

No one made more than Matt Grose (9) as wickets tumbled to Oliver Herrington (3-16) and Craig Penberthy (2-16).

Del Lammonby (1-210 bowled a mean nine-over spell up top.

Chagford were challenged to make 67 to win in 22 overs and did it easly.

Lammonby made 45 not out off 43 balls and Craig Penberthy made an unbeaten 22 as the runs were knocked off without mishap and with seven overs to spare.