Thorverton go past inactive Plymstock into B Division top spot

Brendon Parr - hit a brisk 87 for Cullompton

SKIPPER Andy Pitt hit 60 to lead Thoverton to a seven-wicket win over Bovey Tracey 2nd XI and into top spot in the B Division table.

Plymstock were perched on the summit going into round three, but were not in action on Saturday as they were due to play Filleigh, who have pulled out of the division.

Thorverton will find themselves in a similar situation this Saturday as they were due to play the North Devon outfit.

Bovey mustered 179 all out in the 43rd of 45 overs, which was a good outcome for Thorverton as the visitors were 120 for four with 20 overs to go.

Jake Choules (3-36) got into the middle order and Shane Yelverton (3-13) had two wickets in his second spell to mop up the last bowling bonus point.

Opener George Yabsley (28) and Devon U15 player Sam Russell (59) were the primary run getters for Bovey. Thirty-two extras helped.

Pitt and John Farley (21) opened up with 54 and, one wobble aside, it was a routine chase.

Three wickets fell for 20 runs added as Pitt, Ben Sapiecha (25) and Paul Fielder departed, but an unbroken stand of 49 between David Baldock (34no) and Yelverton put that right.

Said Pitt: “We did well to keep them below 180, considering the pitch played so well and the outfield was so quick.

Skipper's knock - Chudleigh's Matt Heather, who took 72 off Kilmington“We do need to cut down our wides as we are giving away easy runs and having to bowl another ball.

“Batting-wise we tried to be really positive in the first 10 to put pressure on them and it worked.

“Chasing down 180 with 15 overs to spare was particularly pleasing.”

CHUDLEIGH kick-started their season with a 43-run win over B Division newcomers Kilmington.

Skipper Matt Heather was the man in form with the bat, compiling a patient 72 off 104 balls in Chudleigh’s total of 213 for six.

Support came from Mark Solway (24), Dan Britcliffe (36no) and Will Heather (36).

Rob Crabb’s nine overs for 23 runs kept Chudleigh quiet mid-innings.

Kilimington were 154 for four in reply with Brett Garner going well when the wheel fell off their innings.

Four wickets fell for nine runs added – Garner among them for 91 – and after that it was downhill all the wauy to 170 all out.

Will Heather (3-14) dealt with Garner, which left Saqib Hasan (4-32) to spin out the rest.

Having lost their first game and had no match in week two due to Filliegh pulling out of the division, skipper Heather was glad not to waste any more time time getting off the mark.

“Having a week off can throw you off slightly, so I was really pleased how the team shook that off and performed so well,” said Heather.

“This win is a big confidence booster for us, and with three-four players still to come back in, we are looking forward to the weeks to come.”

CULLOMPTON won by 59 runs at Seaton to clamber up to second in the table.

Seaton’s bowlers were assaulted by the Parr brothers, Brendon and Jason, who scored 87 and 45 respectively in a total of 232 for eight.

Ben Libby and Wesley Holmes took two wickets each for Seaton.

Seaton has problems against the turning ball and batters found runs hard to come by. Four batsmen got into the 20s – Steve Pritchard, Holmes, Joel Seward and skipper Ben Morgan – but none went any further.

The overs ran out when Seaton were 173 for eight.

Having lost badly to Kilmington seven days earlier, Cully skipper Jason Parr was looking for a bonce back and got one.

“We showed much better intent with the bat this week and Brendon’s 87 was a fantastic knock,” said skipper Parr.

“There were some good contributions, scored quickly from the lower order to get us up to what I thought was an above-par score.

Our effort with the ball and in the field was brilliant.

“Jacob Dienes (2-19) bowled a good spell with the new ball and I thought the three spinners – Scrace, Vincent and Pullin – bowled very well on a pitch that suited them nicely.”

Beaten captain Ben Morgan said: “They batted, fielded and bowled better than us.

“We didn't field very well and bowled too many loose deliveries.”

IPPLEPEN are up to third in the B Division standings following a run-rate win over Brixham.

Pens recovered from a shocking start – they were seven for three after a going over from Brixham’s Sri Lankan U19 player Dhanan Lakshan – to make 295 all out.

Mawgan Penrice (74) and Callum Stanley (57) put on 160 for the fourth wicket, then Ben Forset (40) and captain Sam Wakeham (31) added 74 in a rush for the seventh wicket.

Lakshan returned late in proceedings to take two more wickets for a five-for-40 haul.

Brixham got as far as 145 for eight before bad light stopped play Tim Robinson top scored with 47.

Pens are just four points behind early leaders Thorverton in the latest table. Brixham are winless at the bottom.