Top three starting to pull away in D Division West

Dave Burke - meanest of Plymouth

PLYMOUTH II kept the pressure on D West top two Yelverton and Stoke Gabriel with a 74-run win over South Devon.

Ollie Parsons made a patient 57 not out for Plymouth, surviving five dropped catches, and Dave Burke a quick 25 in a total of 181 for seven.

South Devon were all out in reply for 107, Dom Farnham spinning away for figures of six for 26.

Dinesh Raheja top scored with 38. Only two other batters reached double figures. The loss of the last five wickets for 13 runs was a lowlight in the game.

Ex-Devon bowler Burke, predictably, was hard to get away and bowled his nine overs for 15 runs.

Plymouth stay in third place, ten points behind Stoke Gabriel, who defeated Whitchurch by 127 runs.

Stoke Gabriel handed out a 127-run hiding to lowly Whitchurch.

There were some sizeable stands for Stoke Gabriel in their total of 279 for seven, starting with 53 for the third wicket between Nick Gwynne (26) and Andy Kingdon (55).

Kingdon added a further 57 with George Smith (41), who put on 44 with Andrew Nicolopoulos (44) as the total grew.

Whitchurch bowling successes were hard to find, although Dan Poole (1-29) and Darren Sambells (1-35) bowled tidy, nine-over spells.

Whitchurch slumped to 17 for four in reply under pressure from Andy Ball (3-40) and George Yates (2-16).

Josh Meadows (26) and Mark Gibbs (43) fought back for a while, but had way too much to do.

Poole (26) and Gibbs, who was last man out, delayed the inevitable by putting on 69 for the eighth wicket.

Yelverton still top the table by eight runs after their 144-run win at Torquay II.

Richard Townsend (62) and Dan Cooper (37) were outscored by the 69 extras Torquay conceded in a total of 266 all out.

Ian Baker (4-29) and Ben Allen (3-51) were Torquay’s prime bowlers.

Torquay were all out for 122 in reply, Neil Leighton (37no) offering most resistance. Hamish Robertson and Dan Keylock took three wickets each

Bottom side Plymouth CS&R were nine-wicket losers at Barton.

On a day when they could not raise a second team to play Stokeinteignhead, Civil took what they had to Cricketfield Road, where they were bowled out for 108.

Stuart Dent made a top score of 24. Next best was Adrian Vickery with 18.

Scott Bellamy (4-41) dominated the Barton bowling figures.

Alex Hunt (30) and Bellamy (50no) gave Barton a 50-run start. Adam Latham (14no) was still there with Bellamy when the post was passed in the 15thover.

Paignton went down by two wickets in a close-run affair with Kenn at Queens Park.

Paignton’s batting was solid rather than spectacular as they totaled 172 all out in the  43rdover.

Luke Medlock, in at 47 for one and out at 128 for five, top scored on 41. Chip-ins came from Mark Smith (27), Sam Glanfield (20) and Tim Ward (19).

The Thomas clan – Ollie (4-35) and Jack (2-19) dominated the Kenn bowling figures.

Opener Ed Bragg hit an unbeaten century to guide Kenn home with 15 balls to spare.

There were no stands greater than the one of 45 between ex-Paignton player Martin Swannell (18) and Bragg for the first wicket.

Bragg’s duet with Peter Chislett (13) for 25 was significant as Kenn were 129 for seven when they came together. Another wicket than could have meant a different outcome.

Ward (2-5) and Tony Medlock (3-31) were Paignton’s leading wicket takers.