Reports and reactions from the C Division East

Mark Kingdon - in the thick of the action for Feniton

BRAUNTON dished out a five-wicket defeat to Budleigh Salterton II after chasing down 172 to win with five wickets in hand.

Veteran opener Neil Murrin (49) and Donovan Robinson (57) were Budleigh’s main scorers in a 40-over total of 171 for six. They put on 85 for the second wicket.

Wickets were hard to acquire, although Dan Brierley (2-45) and Joe Barnes (2-36) did their bit.

Braunton opener Jon Baglow (47) and Mike Taylor (40no) got the chase up to 102 for two.

There was a lull in proceedings while Braunton regrouped after a double strike from Khair Ahmadazai (4-43), but it wasn’t long before Jack Whittaker (32) got the chase on track.

Victory keeps Braunton out of the bottom three relegation places. They host Feniton, the side immediately below them this Saturday.

Budleigh have fallen 27 points adrift and need to improve on a one-six record. Doing it against unbeaten leaders Sidmouth this Saturday may be tricky.

TOM Gooding, Matt Rockett and Matt Pile all hit half-centuries in Kilmington’s four-wicket win over Exeter II.

Tom Richardson fired an unbeaten 118 for Exeter in their total of 212 for seven.

Richardson went in a 29 for one and batted on and on. 

The most productive stands were 55 with Paddy Poustie (14) and 56 with Callum Hogan (19).

Tom Olive, Gooding and Josh Short had two wickets each for Kilmington.

Kilmington captain Brett Garner was always confident after openers Gooding (55) and Rockett (56) put on 102. Pile went on when Gooding got out and his unbeaten 54 ensured no foul ups.

Jamie Telford (3-44) struck late in the game for Exeter when the result was barely in doubt.

Kilmington skipper Bret Garner said: “It was good to see Matt Rockett back in the runs. He has been struggling of late, but that was the real Matt.”

“Given we were 100-1 after 11 overs in the chase I’d have been happier if we had won the game two or three down, but you cannot have everything and I have to be pleased to have won against a good Premier 2nd XI.”

LEADERS Sidmouth had their first real scare of the season before closing out a 14-run win over Ottery St Mary.

Sidmouth were bowled out for the first time this season with Nick Mansfield (27), Anthony Griffiths (22) and Tom Wainwright (26) the three main run scorers.

Wickets fell two by two to Will Harrison, Jody Clements, Oliver West and Henry Mutter.

Ottery lost wickets in batches in the first half and when West (31) was dismissed by Nick Gingell they were 70 for five.

Henry Mutter (46) dug in and wrung what runs he could out of the bottom half.

When Mutter was ninth out at 111 it looked all over. It wasn’t. Last man Harrison (19no) and Joe Burch wiped off another 26 runs before Ed Hurley (3-26) broke the stand to win it for Sidmouth.

FENITON sprang a mini-shock when they won by six wickets at Whimple.

The surprise was that Feniton were six places below Whimple in the table with only two sins in six starts.

Cameron Kidd top scored for Whimple with 49 – no one else got past 16 – in paltry total of 115 all out.

Matt Davies (3-20) and Jonny Pyle (3-23) were Feniton’s destroyers in chief.

Feniton’s chase was largely uneventful. Graham Tucker (26) laid the foundations, which Mark Kingdon (40no) built upon.

Whimple have dropped back from third to fourth. Feniton have gone 26 points clear of Budleigh in the bottom three but still need three points to get out of it.

Whimple skipper Silk said: “Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I wish I had stuck them in instead of batting first.

“As well as they bowled, we did not bat too cleverly, that is all but Cameron Kidd who looked once again in complete control only to be caught trying to nudge the ball into a gap to get the single needed to bring up his half-century.”

Feniton skipper Pyle said: “This was a big win for us. I was always looking to bowl first and when we got the nod I thought our bowlers, and particularly Matt Davies, exploited the conditions superbly.”

CLYST Hydon are starting to float off at the bottom of the C Division East table after a nine-wicket defeat by Alphington left them 36 points away from safety.

Hydon were all out for 99 in the 31stover after they were asked to bat first by Alphas’ skipper Luke Phillips.

Sean Devine, who went in at 10 for one, was ninth out on 76 for a top score of 23. Heflin Wood (17) and Oz Besley (10) were the only other batters in double figures.

Mark Halse (4-21) whipped out the middle order after D J van Vuuren (2-20) tackled the top end.

Alphington won at a gallop in 15 overs. Phillips (40) was the man out. Tom Nightingale (17no) and Matt Taylor (30) took Alphas over the line.

Clyst are at home to Exeter II this Saturday.