AXMINSTER are resigned to relegation into the D Division East next season after losing derby clash with Seaton by seven wickets.

Champs in waiting Seaton were always favourites to win the game as Axminster have not been out of the bottom three since the first month of the season.

And so it turned out as Seaton dismissed Axminster for 167, then knocked off the runs with more than 18 overs to spare.

Defeat leaves Axminster 22 points away from safety with only 20 left to play for this Saturday at Uplyme.

Matt Pile made 38 of the first 49 on the board for Axminster, who subsided to 68 for five after he had gone. Phil Collins (2-21) and Joe Berry (2-15) did the damage.

Joe Elsworth (50) and Sam Farrow (25) got he total up to 144 for six as Axminster recovered.

Kersley Sutton (2-34) and Ben Morgan (3-46) ran through the stragglers.

Seaton stammered at the start as Stephen Pritchard and Brian Cann went cheaply,

Joel Seward hit an unbeaten 86 for his current club against his previous one to set Seaton on course.

Seward, who hit 10 fours and four sixes in 75 balls faced, put on 77 with Sam Goodier (38) and 77 more unbroken with Morgan (29no) to win it.

FILLEIGH took a big stride towards playing B Division cricket next season by beating Barnstaple & Pilton by 142 runs in the North Devon derby.

Victory keeps Filleigh in second place with a game to go, which is against fading promotion hopefuls Cullompton.

Filleigh are in second place on 235 points, chased by Kilmington (227) and Cullompton (221).

A win over Cully will guarantee Filleigh a place in the promotion play-offs and a date with either Abbotskerswell or Alphington next Saturday.

Defeat could let Kilmington go past if they beat lowly Countess Wear, or even give Cullompton on last bite of the cherry if Killy loose too!

Barnstaple dropped back into the bottom two in the wake of the result and have to make up eight points on Countess Wear to be safe.

B&P play Clyst Hydon this Saturday – a side not mathematically safe from relegation themselves – needing to win and for Countess Wear to lose to stay up.

Justin Saker slammed a top score of 102 for Filleigh in their Raleigh Meadow total of 252 all out.

Saker, now on 761 runs for the season, put on 39 with Ryan Bowden (24), exactly 100 with Macaully Harrison-Hooton (48) and 44 with Harley Ashdown (15).

James Thomas (4-43) was the most successful of the B&P bowlers. Steve Moore (0-29 off 9) was the most economical.

James Campbell (3-15) reduced B&P to 48 for three on his own before George McEndoo (24) dug in at one end,

Wickets kept falling at the other end to Connor Nash (2-29), Bowden (2-25) and Saker (2-10) as B&P tumbled to 110 all out.

FENITON ensured a nail-biting end to the season for Clyst Hydon when they defeated they by nine runs.

Matt Kingdon top scored on 30 as bits and pieces got Feniton to 177 al out in the 49^th over.

Clyst Hydon were bowled out for 168 with 2.4 overs to go, home skipper Jon Pyle taking three for 24.

Defeat leaves Hydon 13 points clear of the drop spots with a game to go. If they lose to second-bottom Barnstaple & Pilton this Saturday, and Countess Wear beat Kilmington, Feniton could get sucked down.

Kingdon went in a 103 for six after Graham Tucker (26) and Alex Frankpitt (21) had been and gone.

Dhanuja Haturusingha (4-22) and Oz Besley (4-41) were the bowlers who did the damage for Hydon.

Opener and captain Ian Sutton looked like taking Hydon to victory as he batted on and on for 92 off 112 balls.

Pyle made the breakthrough Feniton needed when he dismissed his opposite number at 155 for eight. The tail only managed another 13 runs.

Feniton are away to champions Seaton on Saturday.

CULLOMPTON captain James Blackmore fears his side have blown their promotion prospects for another season after losing by seven runs to Kilmington.

Kilmington made 235 all out then dismissed Cully for 228 in reply.

Kilmington had plenty of motivation for the gamed as a win would keep them in the promotion race too.

With a game to go the 2-3-4 at the top behind champs Seaton is Filleigh (235pts), Kilmington (227) and Cullompton (221).

The last round of fixtures sends Cully to Filleigh while Kilmington entertain relegation worriers Countess Wear.

Said Blackmore: “We have to beat Filleigh and hope Kilmington get rolled.

“It is out of our hands now and we can only blame ourselves for a comedy of errors against Kilmington.

“We were 191 for six with plenty of overs to come, and just fell apart.”

Opener and captain Tom Gooding stroked a top score of 84 for Kilmington, putting on 120 with Ian Gooding (39).

Matt Rockett made 33 and Alex Rockett made 42 while participating in stands worth 91

Best of the bowling was Tafara Mupariwa (3-40) by a whisker from Jack Grandfield (3-43).

Blackmore (51) led the way at first as Cully reached 152 for five, putting on 69 for the fourth wicket with Brendon Parr (42).

Brett Garner (3-35) got into the middle order at just the wrong time for Cully, Only Adrian Pullin (54) resisted long as Kilmington got on top of the lower order.

COUNTESS Wear snatched a lifeline that may just keep them up when they beat Uplyme by 66 runs.

Gavin Darke hit 109 and Mark Davey made 68 in a Wear total of 273 all out.

Davey and Darke put on 196 for the fourth wicket after James Whetlor (3-33) took out the first three batters. Jon Bendall (23) got a few at the end.

Uplyme were 207 for six when their overs ran out, mostly coming from the old firm of Batey and Batey – Mark (63) and Steve (53), aided and abetted by George Baker (36no).

The Wear moved out of the bottom two thanks to their win, but nor far enough away to feel safe.

If second-bottom Barnstaple & Pilton win at Clyst Hydon on Saturday, Countess Wear will be in trouble if they lose to Kilmington.