Sixty points from last three games keeps Ottery up and sends Shobrooke down with Whimple | "It was an unbelievable effort from all involved over the last three games' – Ottery skipper Alex Clements

Clyst St George batsman Andrew Donovan – man of the match against Sandford 2nd XI

SKIPPER Alex Clements hit an unbeaten 72 as Ottery St Mary defeated Sidmouth 2nd XI on the final day of the season to change the promotion and relegation picture irrevocably.

Long-time leaders Sidmouth knew a win over long-time strugglers Ottery would be enough to seal promotion from the C Division East.

Losing cost Sidmouth their promotion shot and handed it to Clyst St George, whose win over Sandford 2nd XI moved them into top spot instead.

Ottery knew if they won they would dodge the drop by a whisker and send someone else down instead. It turned out to be Shobrooke Park.

Chris Ferro – CSG's 'Mr Consistent' with the batAn Ottery win might not have been the result most C East watchers were expecting, but it was not a huge surprise to Clements as his side were almost faultless during their final three games.

“It was an unbelievable effort from all involved over the last three games to take 60 points from 60 available,” said Clements.

“Huge credit goes to our bowlers over he last few weeks as they've really stood up and put pressure on the opposition, which we've then backed up in the field.

“Credit goes to Exmouth too as they kept our game on a few weeks ago when they could have easily called off for Covid and played a much younger side. In the end it helped us out massively.

“Truly it was a ‘great escape’ and, hopefully, we can use this momentum to build for next season.”

Jash Patidar (40) and James Powell (33) had Sidmouth’s two top scores before they were bowled out for 167. Three wickets each for Jody Clements and Will Harrison did most of the damage.

Opener Clements batted from start to finish for Ottery and stands of 52 with Harsha Liyanage (31) and Jack Malden (29) made victory a formality.

CLYST St George outgunned Sandford 2nd XI in almost every department to claim the 169-run win that clinched the divisional title and the lone promotion place that goes with it.

Consistent Chris Ferro made 36 opening up and Freddie Creer made 24 on top before Clyst really got going through Andy Donovan and Stephen Bourke.Freddie Creer - supported Donovan and Ferro for CSG

Donovan and Bourke joined forces at 95 for three and were parted 173 runs later when the latter was dismissed for 68 off 50 balls.

Donovan batted through for an undefeated 122 off just 83 balls – 13 fours, five sixes – in CSG’s tally of 304 for five.

Fin Warren (3-54) and Archie Osborne (2-36) took the bowling honours for Sandford.

Sandford’s response became a dismal succession of comings and goings once the second-wicket stand of 83 between Tom Gidney (50) and Archie Osborne (45) was broken on 102.

No one else reached double figures and five batters did not manage a run between them as Sandford collapsed from 127 for two to 135 all out.

Bourke trousered five Sandford wickets for 13 runs and man of the match Donovan took three for nine.

SHOBROOKE Park slipped out of the C Division East after they lost by 137 runs to Exmouth 2nd XI.

Ben Trenaman’s side started the final day of the season one place and 0.33 of a point clear of the second drop spot, which was occupied by Ottery St Mary.

Losing to Exmouth by itself was not enough to send Shobrooke down, but Ottery’s unlikely win over table-topping Sidmouth 2nd XI was.

Former Sandford captain Richard Baggs hammered 16 four on the way to 104 for Exmouth in their total of 253 for five.

Sean Day, like skipper Baggs a player with a Devon League pedigree, made 97 in a stand of 208 for the fourth wicket. No one else made more than seven.

Andrew Codling (3-41) was the only Shobrooke bowler with much to celebrate.

Shobrooke’s innings stuttered from the start and it took Henry Field (21) and Richard Pyle (36) to inject some life into it

Pyle soldiered on alone after Field fell to a run out, but skipper Trenaman was the only supporting batter to get into double figures.

Once Pyle went the end wasn’t far away: four wickets fell for two runs scored as Day (3-25) and Greg Marks (3-18) ran through the tail.

BRAUNTON cruised to an eight-wicket win over depleted Exeter 2nd XI that confirmed them in third place in the final C West table.

Exeter’s regular starting line-up had been decimated by first-team calls for the crucial game against Heathcoat in the Premier Division.

The city side wanted to cancel the 1st XI game due to Covid absences, but play their second and third team games as normal, but were told by the league the senior side had to play.

Freddie Cockram (62) top scored for Exeter in a 45-over total of 179 for nine.

Tommy Stewart (24) and Alex Small (24) were the other significant scorers in the Exeter innings.

Shashank Iyer (4-37) had a field day with the ball for Braunton and Alfie Huxtable (3-31) was not far behind.

Braunton openers Rob Collier (70) and Jack Whittaker (67) put the game beyond Exeter’s reach with a partnership of 153.

THE game between Upottery and relegated Whimple was cancelled.