Exmouth up as champions after beating Chardstock + Banstaple & Pilton take third place behind Heathcoat

Sam Goodier - half-century for Exmouth against Chardstock

SEAN Day and Sam Goodier steered Exmouth to a four-wicket win at Chardstock that clinched the D Division East title.

Exmouth and Heathcoat 2nd XI were already up going into round 18, but the contest remained for the league title.

Exmouth knew the title was theirs if they won – which was by no means certain when they were 119 for six chasing a target of 255. Gary Larcombe (3-29) had posed problems by dispatching Lawrence Greenway (25) the Luke Davies (26).

Day (82no) and Goodier (58) hoisted 137 unbroken to win the game with nine balls to spare.

Earlier, Rob Hutchings slammed 97 and Ed Pyman made 61 for Upottery in their 254 for seven. Day (3-32) was the best of the Exmouth bowlers.

HEATHCOAT 2nd XI were unable to catch Exmouth 2nd XI on the last day of the season for the divisional title, but will be satisfied with promotion as runners-up.

After an early going over from Rob Tasker (3-10) and Ryan Pulman (2-42), Heathcoat recovered from 28 for six to reach 149 all out. Paul Elliott (40) and Tom Reynolds did the baling out.

A target of 150 to win did not trouble Uplyme, Tasker (41no) or Pulman (57) unduly. James Onley-Gregson (3-13) delayed a five-wicket defeat for a while.

SANDFORD 2nd XI live to fight another day in the D Division East despite sliding to a four-run defeat against Barnstaple & Pilton.

Countess Wear and Uplyme were already down before the final round of games and either North Devon 2nd XI or Sandford would be going with them.

Sandford held a two-point advantage over North Devon, who were up against Clyst St George.

North Devon lost two and when the bonus points were totted up they remained behind Sandford.

Victory over Sandford earned Barnstaple & Pilton the third promotion place.

Shaun Hawkins led the unsuccessful Sandford run chase with 91 off 93 balls. He went in at 41 for one and was sixth out at 183 to James Lake (3-51).

Chris Blake (26), Jim Shepherd (22) and Jason Matten (21) all contributed towards earning five bonus batting points in a total of 231 for eight.

Those points kept Sandford out of the bottom thee and condemned North Devon 2nd XI to relegation instead.

NORTH Devon, four points behind Sandford with a round to play, knew they had to win at Clyst St George to stand a chance of dodging the drop.

St George, who were safely over the relegation waterline, made 183 all out.

Freddie Creer made 24 and Jayak Nallala top scored with 59. There was a slump from 130 for five to 134 for nine – Tim Cooke and Archie Popham taking two wickets each – but last pair Shane Coe (18) and Bertie Creer (24no) put on 49.

North Devon needed one big score and a stand or two to hang a chase one. Other than James Tyson (28) and Jay Rothery (25) they got neither.

A middle-order slump from 41 for one to 63 for five was North Devon’s undoing. Sam Read (4-9) and James Edworthy (2-17) combined to bowl out North Devon for 123.

COUNTESS Wear lost by 48 runs away to Uplyme in the meeting between two sides on the way down.

There were three wickets each for Kam Singh (3-28) and Parminder Singh (3-40) as Wear dismissed Uplyme for 223.

Nathan Bright’s 99 as not enough for Countess Wear, who finished on 174 all out.