B Division round-up: Captain Morgan saves Seaton from a rum do + winning start for Martin + Codling points Shobrooke towards victory

Ben Morgan - captain

FILLEIGH’S season started on a low note when they suffered a three-wicket defeat at Seaton.

Simon Prideaux’s side were depleted in places and could only muster 130 all out.

Opener Justin Saker made 37, so did Connor Nash, but the next best was John Hickman (18).

Ben Morgan (2-23) took wickets up front then Joel Seward (3-27) and Robbie Prior (3-16) got stuck into the lower order.

Seaton were made to work hard for their win and at 35 for five after a going over from Jon Hickman (2-21) and Connor Nash (2-32) were definitely second favourites.

Seaton skipper Morgan batted through for an unbeaten 61 to win the game for his side.

Morgan was delighted with his charges’ opening-day efforts. He said: “It’s always highly pleasing to start a campaign with a win. I was particularly delighted with the all-round performance given the lack of cricket during a soggy pre-season which left almost everybody seriously ‘under cooked’ in terms of outdoor practice.

“What’s more, we went into the opening game without the holidaying Josh Cann and Tim Mitchell, one of last season’s top performers, who is currently away at university.”

CHARLES Martin got off to a wining start as Plymstock skipper with runs and wickets in the win at Ipplepen.

Martin top scored with 53 in Plymstock’s 45-over total of 197 all out.

Along the way he shared in stands of 69 with Teddy Richards (20) and 48 with former captain Scott Mansfield (33).

Mansfield and Josh Hocken (27) kept the board ticking over.

Pens’ skipper Sam Wakeham brought himself on late in the innings and mopped up four Plymstock batters for 19 runs.

Ipplepen were all out for 159 with an over to go, giving Plymstock victory by 38 runs.

Tom Durman (35) and Callum King (26) were main run getters in an Ipplepen innings short on lengthy partnerships after openers Adam Peters and Durman were separated.

Martin (3-29) and Ian Whalley (3-17) unsettled the early order, then James Nicholls spun through most of the rest.

Nicholls had three for 15, and Syed Ali the odd one out, as Pens lost their last four wickets for 17 runs.

TAVISTOCK lost by three wickets at Shobrooke Park in a game that swung this way then that.

Opener Ian Gray was the anchorman for Tavistock – ninth out with the score on 116 – in a final tally of 145 all out.

After Billy Barriball went in the first over to Craig James (4-30), the former Cornwood seamer, Gray held it all together.

Dan Robbins (3-28) nipped out Gray’s partners on a regular basis.

Tavvy captain Shaun Daymond made 32 in the late overs.

Robbins (26), pointed Shobrooke in the right direction, although Tavvy’s South African new boy Dominic Snyman (3-18) ensured the home side didn’t have it all their own way.

Andrew Codling’s 56 broke the back of the chase.

BARTON edged home by two wickets in the derby tussle with Babbacombe at Cricketfield Road.

Babbacombe had a nightmare start – openers Steve Lewis and Chris Mabbutt both out for nothing – but progressed to 68 for three with Mike Pugh (28) ad Janrich Viljoen (23) chipping-in.

Dean Peall (34) held the lower order together. Forty extras – 34 of them wides – bolstered the score.

Jon Martin (3-11) was miserly as usual. Matt Crampton had four wickets for 42 runs.

Barton motored along to 113 for two with Crampton (59) and Will Grainger (32) to the fore.

Babbacombe bowles Paul Bates (3-24), against one of his former clubs, and Tim Goodwin (3-22) then made a game of it by ripping into the Barton middle order.

Shaun Needham (43no) survived an onslaught that saw four wickets to between 113 for one and 118 for five.

Tom Porter (10no) helped Needham get Barton over the line.

ALISTAIR Chilcott hit an unbeaten 57 to steer Thorverton towards a four-wicket win at Cullompton.

Cullompton’s batting fell away after a promising start and they were all out for 152.

Kenton Vos scored 45 on his Cully debut and Brendon Parr chipped in with 40.

Pick of Thors’ bowlers with four for 28 was Jake Choules.  Ben Slaviero had three for 27.

Although Jason Parr (3-33) posed problems at times for the Thorverton batters, the visitors had time on their side and won with 10 overs to spare.

James Blackmore, the Cullompton captain, felt his side were the architects of their own misfortune.

“We were 109 for two then 130 for eight – and that isn’t good enough,” said Blackmore.

“By batting poorly we made it hard for our bowlers to defend the total – another 50 on the board and we would have had a chance as we have the bowlers to get sides out.”

Andy Pitt, the Thorverton captain, had a different perspective.

“It was a fantastic performance from our bowlers, especially the spinners Nick Barton (2-17) and Choules during their tandem effort,” said Pitt.

“Then a brilliantly patient 57 from Alistair Chilcott saw us home.”