Drama at Moor Lane where nail-biter ends in a tie | All the news from the Tolchards DCL D Division West

Matt Parsons – runs for Brixham

CONRAD SUTCLIFFE REPORTING

IPPLEPEN 2ndXI and their Plymstock counterparts fought out that cricketing curiosity the tie in their meeting at the Moor Lane ground.

Only a handful of league games in Devon finish as ties every season and cricketers can go an entire career without playing in one.

Teddy Richards helped himself to 117 in Plymstock’s 45-over total of 286 for six.

Richards hit 16 fours and three sixes from 103 balls faced and shared stands of 141 with co-opener Paul Birlson and 86 with Mark Woodward (64no). Alex Thomas was 23 not out at the end.

Veteran seamer Paul Thomas took three Plymstock wickets for 60 runs and Keith Wakeham, another old warhorse, had two for 47.

Ipplepen went off in hot pursuit with Jeff Heath (68) and skipper Adam Peters (79) taking the total of 137 for two.

Peters and Josh Thompson (41) kept the board ticking over, but the Pens were gradually fell behind the clock until Noah Sutton and Thomas came together at 254 for six and stamped on the loud pedal.

Pens reached the final over from Atif Hussain needing 16 to win with Sutton, a 14-year-old keeper-batter, on strike.

Sutton and Thomas tipped and ran five runs from four deliveries to leave 10 to win off two balls. Sutton launched the first one for six and scampered three with Thomas off the last ball to leave it all square.

BRIXHAM entered the ‘Eaves Era’ with a 46-run win over Babbacombe as the process of rebuilding after relegation into the D Division West began.

Craig Eaves has returned to the area from a job in Sussex and was promptly recruited as captain.

Brixham started badly against Babbacombe and were 49 for six at one stage after a going over from Paul Bates (3-29) and Steve Bowman (3-25).

Eaves, who went in at fourth wicket down, top scored with 46 and his stand of 54 with Matt Parsons (36) got Brixham up to 164 all out.

Only opener Aidan Lightowlers (36) avoided an early exit as Eaves (3-8) got stuck into Babbacombe’s top order.

Lee Upham unsettled the middle order then Rhys Dallow (4-20) sorted out the stragglers as Babbacombe subsided to 118 all out.

BARTON 2ndXI motored to a four-wicket win at Whitchurch with more than 18 overs to spare.

Three wickets each for Chris Needham (3-32) and Adam Last (3-21) hastened Whitchurch towards an all-out total of 179. Mark Gibbs made 49 and Nigel Barriball 23.

Greg Shelton (73) led the Barton reply and Fin Last took Barton within sight of victory with a rapid 24 that included three sixes.

Whitchurch did not help themselves with some wayward bowling. One over that contributed handsomely to a total of 46 extras included seven wides, three no-balls and four byes!

HARRY Arden’s maiden league century was the highlight of Hatherleigh 2ndXI’s 107-run win at Kenn.

Opener Arden made 106 off 101 balls with 14 fours and a six in Hatherleigh’s total of 286 for eight.

Greg Solkin shared a 112-run opening stand with Arden, who was still there when the 200 came and went.

Danny Forrester (38) and Cameron Rowlands (20) both chipped in down the order.

Pete Chislett (2-25) was the solitary Kenn bowler to remain below four runs an over.

When Kenn were 130 for three midway into their reply, the chase was on! It took just three balls to turn the game Hatherleigh’s way.

Forrester (2-23) took two wickets in two balls at the end of an over, top scorer Adam Milton (41) being one of them, and Richard Tidball (2-34) added a third at the start of his new spell immediately afterwards.

Andy Underhill (23) resisted for a while before Kenn caved-in to 179 all out.

PHIL Warwick hit an unbeaten 88 as Ivybridge chased 267 to win against neighbours Plympton and got them with two and a half overs to spare.

Steve Raven had been the man of the moment for Plympton with a rapid 115 off 82 balls – 13 four, six sixes – in a sizeable total of 266 for nine.

Isaac Rowsell (24) and Jake Agnew (17) shared stands of 65 and 60 respectively with Raven.

Jon Doel (3-59) ended Raven’s fun on 231 when he was seventh out. Chris Greenhouse (3-36) was the most economical of the Ivybridge bowlers.

Plympton leaked runs at the start of the Ivybridge reply with no-balls and wides helping the total to 31 for none after four overs. A 14-ball over from Rowsell did not help.

Sam Northmore (26) propped up one end in a 54-run stand with Warwick as the target came down. Chris Greenhouse chipped in with 26 and Doel (34no) was there at the end with Warwick in an unbroken stand of 74 to win it.