East regional match reports from correspondents: Holmes (pictured) is Honiton's star man in win over Bideford

Honiton

E DIVISION EAST

BIDEFORD 2ndXI ran out of steam chasing 253 to win against Honiton in E East and lost a close encounter by 15 runs.

Man of the match was Honiton’s Adam Holmes who belted 102 off just 58 balls as his side accelerated from 109 for five to 252 all out. Best of the bowlers for Bideford with three wickets each were Dan Smith (3-43) and Keith Berry (3-21).

Opener John Weeks anchored the Bideford pursuit with 86 and his stand with Julian Hayter (64) got the home side up to 200 for three with 11 overs to go. Then it all went wrong.

Hayter and Weeks went in the space of three runs to man of the match Holmes (3-51) and after that a procession of batters came and went again in a hurry as Bideford stumbled to 237 all out.

F DIVISION EAST

BRAUNTON 2ndXI are starting to look unstoppable at the top of the F Division West after mowing down Whimple 2ndXI by 261 runs.

Batter Julian Lambert helped himself to 121 in Braunton’s 40-over total of 327 for five. He put on 212 for the second wicket with Ed Holmes (55).

The runs kept coming from Steve Hunt (36) and Dan Brierley (60no) whose time together produced 95 runs.

Whimple were all out for just 66 in exactly 20 overs. Mark Johnson (5-29) did most of the damage and there were two wickets each for Andy Jones and Gary Osborne.

Braunton (19.1pts) are way ahead of North Devon 3rdXI (14.3) in the race for the divisional title.

VETERAN Bob Heaman (50) and Jedd Foster (55) both made half-centuries for North Devon 3rdXI in their 53-run win over Upottery.

North Devon’s total of 177 for four soon looked too many for the visitors, whose first three batters only managed a run between them.

P J Kaal (30) and Matt Button-Stephens (33) repaired some of the damage, but with them out of the way Nathan Ware (3-18), Rob Mann (3-10) and Foster (2-26) dismissed Upottery for 124.

G DIVISION EAST

TOPSHAM St James’ run of four games without defeat came to a crushing end against a strong and determined Alphington side, who totally dominated a one-sided contest.

Alphington were aided by the most crucial decision of the day, as skipper Andy Mills won both the toss and the right to bat first on a drainingly-hot afternoon. His side took full advantage, although Topsham battled hard, and at the half-way stage of the innings, with only 76 on the board, must have felt they had a good chance.

Crucially, though, only two wickets were down, and young Charlie Francis was getting himself well-established. He was eventually sixth out for a very competent 59, enabling the other batsmen to play their shots around him. None did so to greater effect than Will Pring, whose 56 took only 30 balls and tore the heart out of the home side, enabling Alphington to finish on 212 for seven.

Six of Topsham's seven bowlers took wickets, although the seventh, Jon Hull, bowled as well as anybody. Alan Peter again made an effective opening partnership with Hull, and fully deserved his 2-25. Youngsters Billy Knightley, Morgan Maynard, and Oscar Munson took a wicket apiece, as did veteran Gary Salter, playing against his old club, and skipper Alex Davison, who sacrificed himself to avoid the youngsters having to face the rampant Pring, whom he eventually dismissed.

On the superb University track, Topsham must have thought that they still had a chance. If they did, the delusion did not last long. Duncan Reavill hit three fours early on, but his 17 turned out to be the only double-figure score of the innings.

Oscar Munson, making his debut in adult cricket, showed that his batting holds even more promise than his bowling, and Alan Peter again played both well and sensibly, but once they went it was a procession. With Morgan Maynard unable to bat because of an injury in the field. Topsham were all out for a very sorry 58, losing by the enormous margin of 154 runs.

Andy Mills took 4-6 and Rob Ansell 2-10, on a day when both must have anticipated a long hot session in the field. Young Seb Looker opened the bowling, and, although relatively expensive, fully deserved his 3-28 and looked a fine prospect. Again, the only non-wicket taker was an opener, this time Tim Collier, who bowled his eight overs for only 13 runs, and set the tone for a dominating performance by Alphington.