Bridestowe back on top as promotion race turns into five-way affair

Paignton

BRIDESTOWE are back on top of the C Division West after beating Brixham by 50 runs …  but not by a lot in what is shaping up into a five-way scrap.

Average points from completed games are now in place to determine divisional standings and Bridestowe are on 15.00 per match. Stoke Gabriel, who were top before losing a last-over thriller against Plymouth 2nd XI, are fractionally behind on 14.89 points. 

Brixham’s new-ball bowlers Bradley McKee (3-34) and Rhys Dallow (2-19) gave Bridestowe a torrid time as they collapsed to 55 for six.

A stand of 118 between the Fogerty brothers – Tom (61) and skipper Dan (67) – got Bridestowe close to the final total of 200 all out in 35 overs. Matt Parsons (2-19) finished off the tail.

Brixham only got as far as 150 for eight in their 35 overs having become bogged down against mean spells from Tom Fogerty (0-22), Tom Pengelly (1-26) and Leon Horn (2-19).

Skipper Dan Fogerty did go for five an over, but his three-wicket haul stripped out the Brixham middle order.

Openers Mike Barron (25) and Richard Ward (34) did give Brixham a 65-run start, but apart from Parsons with 20 there was no follow-up.

ASHBURTON defeated relegation worriers South Devon by 28 runs in a low-scoring affair at Ballard Lane.

Ashes struggled to 134 for eight in a game reduced to 30 overs each – mostly scored by second-wicket pair Lloyd White (39) and skipper Ashley Berry (34) during a stand of 50.

South Devon's Dillip Salinda – three wickets against AshburtonMatt Churchill (14no) and Chris Yeo (13) chipped in with what proved to be valuable runs in the latter overs.

Pitch conditions suited South Devon’s resident Sri Lankans Lahiru Samaradivakara (2-31) and Dillip Salinda (3-28), who dominated the bowling figures.

South Devon slumped to 36 for five in reply as Charlie Towers (3-16) and Chris Yeo (3-7) got into the top order.

Matt Beasant (39no) shut up shop and attempted to rescue South Devon from the predicament they were in.

Yeo and Matt Churchill (2-21) continued to take wickets at the other end from Beasant and when time ran out South Devon were 106 for nine.

Victory lifts Ashburton into second place. South Devon (8.78) are one off the bottom and in a fight to the death with Brixham (11.11) and Teignmouth & Shaldon (10.22) to dodge the drop.

PAIGNTON enhanced their promotion prospects in the C Division West when they defeated Cornwood 2ndXI by 154 runs at Queens Park.

It could not be much tighter at the top of the C Division West where just one average point separates new leaders Bridestowe (15.00pts) from Cornwood (14.00) down in fifth. Between them are Ashburton (14.89), Stoke Gabriel (14.63) and now Paignton (14.55).

In a division with just one promotion place it could not be much tighter.

Carl McFarlane was Paignton’s top scorer with 71 off 53 balls as they totalled 212 for seven in a full 45-over game. Sam Robbins (26), Ollie Woodcock (21) and Thomas Blundell (20) were the supporting players.

Archie Trevarthan (3-43) beat Jack Brown (2-45) in the Cornwood bowling department.

Cornwood’s reply comprised a steady stream of single-figure scores with Trevarthan (9) nearest to reaching double figures until last man Andy Bees went in and made 16 not out in a hurry off eight balls.

Skipper Blundell (5-10) and spinner Rory Medlock (4-18) did most of the damage as the Corns were bowled out for 58.

STOKE Gabriel lost to Plymouth 2nd XI by one run in a nail-gnawer at Mount Wise.

In form Pete Evans thumped 16 fours and a six on the way to a top score of 110 in Plymouth’s total of 235 for six. Stands of 74 with Callum Cload (45) and 54 with Tom Hughes (46no) helped the score along.

Andy Ball and Isaac Withingtion had two wickets each for Stoke Gabriel.

Stoke lost both openers before reaching double figures, then started to make inroads into the target through Andy Kingdon (57), Withington (21), Jake Robinson (39) and veteran Neil Robinson (25).

Losing three wickets getting from 154 for four to 159 for seven slowed the chase, but Sean Rooney (23no) and Kyle Lardner (40no) gave Stoke second wind.

Stoke reached the last over from Hughes needing 14 to win but could only muster 12.