Bideford bag the spoils in basement battle with Barton

Paul Heard - four wickets for Bideford in win over Barton

SKIPPER Paul Heard took four wickets and there were three more for Jack Ford as Bideford beat Barton by 108 runs in the basement battle at Westward Ho!

Barton’s preparations for the game were less than ideal as five of the previous week’s side could not travel and the 2nd XI was raided for the teenage Crocker twins as well as veterans Gary Spencer and Jim Parker.

Bideford took full advantage of Barton’s problems by making 230 for six in 50 overs, then holding the Torquay side to 142 for nine in reply.

In the four-way dogfight at the bottom of the A Division table, Barton (112pts) are still propping up the table. Bideford (127) have moved ahead of Abbotskerswell (121) and Ivybridge (123), but with 80 points to play for in the final four games positions remain fluid.

Ben Perry’s run of form for Bideford continued with a top score of 96. It was his fourth 50-plus score in the last six games. His other knocks were 49 and 39.

Heard hit 60 going in second wicket down and put on 115 with opener Perry.

Stuart Bowker (3-43) and Matt Crampton (2-49) were Barton’s most effective bowlers.

Morgan Harford was promoted to open for Barton and responded with a mature knock of 50 off 97 balls. He was fourth out on 110.

Run-scoring support was in short supply – Adrian Lipton (16) was next best – once Heard (4-24) and Ford (3-21) got to work.

Barton’s situation looks perilous, but skipper Adam Parker remains upbeat.

“We will be back to strength for the run-in at the end so I am confident we can still turn things around,” said Parker.