Paignton keep firm hold on D West top spot

Eddie Jones - three wickets for Hatherleigh in win over Kenn

PAIGNTON 2ndXI maintained a firm grip in top spot in the D Division West by handing out a 93-run hammering to Chelston & Kingskerswell.

Tim Ward’s men are 48 points clear of fourth-placed Chelston & Kingskerswell and could be promoted if they beat Lewdown this Saturday, providing Chelston and Ipplepen 2ndXI both lose.

Charlie Ward (73no) and Rory Medlock (26) got Paignton going after a sluggish start against the bowling of Lucas Grierson (2-26) and Chris Harrison (4-10).

Paignton’s all-out total of 172 was too many for C&K, who were dismissed for 79 in reply. Opener Nick Guest (26) was the only batter to make more than 10.

Spinners Rory Medlock (4-11) and Sam Woodcock (3-10) did the damage as C&K lost their last five wickets for just three runs.

HATHERLEIGH 2ndXI stayed on course for promotion in the D Division West with a convincing 116-run win over lowly Kenn.

Jasper Presswell took out his frustrations at being left out of the first team by smashing 12 fours on his way to a top score of 84 not out in Hatherleigh’s total of 284 for six.

Presswell was involved in stands worth 157 during his stay.

Skipper Danny Forrester was not far behind on 81 and shared a stand of 117 with Adam Quick before Presswell got going.

Joss Farr (4-61) had Quick and Forrester in his collection of wickets.

A break for rain left Kenn a target of 266 to win in 42 overs. They only made it as far as 149.

Matt Wonnacott (42) and Ben Chaloner (30) had the only scores of note for Kenn, who slumped from 133 for five to 149 all out.

Six Hatherleigh bowlers bagged wickets. Eddie Jones spun out three and there were two for Niall Leahy and Presswell.

Hatherleigh sit second in a division with three promotion places.

SOUTH Devon got their promotion drive back on course with a workmanlike six-wicket win over Plymouth Civil Service & Roborough at Marsh Road.

Back-to-back defeats by Lewdown and Paignton 2nd XI cost South Devon the divisional leadership and dropped them down to third in the table.

Civil, who are anchored to the foot of the table, were always unlikely to make it three defeats in a row. But they were no push-over either.

Painful over – Dillip SalindaNabeel Khattak top scored with 64 off 25 balls for Civil – six sixes, six fours – in their total of 183 all out. He took 30 off one over from Dillip Salinda

South Devon shared the wicket taking around with three each for Joe Kitto (3-19) and James Allen (3-27) and two apiece for Salinda and Ali Wright.

Skipper Allen asked youngster Otty Yip to share the new ball with Toby Goodman and he responded by bowling five overs for 12 runs conceded. Yip does not turn 13 until August 15 and is believed to be the youngster player ever selected by South Devon for a 1st XI game.

A second-wicket stand of 81 between Wright (57) and Salinda (41) put South Devon on the road to victory. Harry Senior clubbed 32 not out off 15 balls to clinch victory with 14 overs to go.

South Devon in the third promotion spot go to Plympton 2nd XI this Saturday 26 points clear of Chelston & Kingskerswell. Two more wins should be enough to clinch their return to the C Division West after two seasons at a lower level.

Skipper Allen preferred to look back rather than ahead after the match.

“Toby and Otty gave us a great start – Toby at pace and Otty by generating some big movement,” said Allen.

“It was good to come back after Nabeel smashed us around.”

WHITCHURCH went a long way towards easing their relegation worries with a five-wicket win over Ipplepen II.

Ipplepen’s batting was solid rather than spectacular as they reached 200 all out with seven balls to go.

Simon Tapley (30) and Paul Thomas (39) got runs at the top of the order, topped up by Callum King (20) and Callum Thomas (24) in the middle overs.

Ben Hodge (3-26) and Tyler Hunt (2-34) were Wayfarers’ leading bowlers.

Opener Ben Powell (54) pointed Whitchurch in the right direction. Rob Bone (39no) and Mark Gibbs (34) all chipped in as the runs where whittled away with more than five overs to go.

ANDY Walter was lured out of retirement by Plympton for the basement clash with Lewdown and played a key role in a crucial seven-wicket win.

Plympton and Lewdown are two of the sides battling to avoid going down with Plymouth CS&R and probably Kenn.

Lewdown were ahead of Plympton going into the game, but not any more as they have traded places in the bottom three. But with only four points between the teams it remains wide open.

Walter’s role was to hit 38 in support of Steve Raven (44no) as Plympton knocked off 136 to win.

Earlier, Tom Pengelly (39) had top scored for Lewdown. 

Surya Suresh followed his five-wicket haul against Hatherleigh with four more (4-24) as Lewdown were removed for 135.