BRAUNTON skipper Dan Brierley’s mid-season prediction came true when his side trounced Clyst St George by eight wickets to ensure their C East survival.
Midway through the season Braunton were 44 points adrift at the bottom of the table and heading for a second successive relegation.
Brierley stuck his neck on the block saying then: “We will be stronger in the second half of the season and I sure we will be fine.”
Braunton crept past Countess Wear, eased past Uplyme and spent a couple of weeks level with Clyst St George in the third drop spot.
It was winner takes all when Clyst visited Braunton last Saturday as the winners would stay up and the losers go down.
Said Brierley: “One or two people probably thought I had lost by marbles when I said we would stay up, but I was always confident.”
Brierley must have been feeling even more confident after Martin Smith (5-11) and Joe Barnes (2-16) skittled Clyst for 99. Callum Mitchell bowled nine overs for five runs.
Skipper Chris Ferro’s 29 was the only score above 13.
Phil James (21) and Robert Paterson (53) put on 83 as Braunton sped to victory in exactly 21 overs.
CULLOMPTON ended their promotion season in the C Division East on a high with a nine-wicket win over Clyst Hydon.
The B Division beckons for the first time for Cullompton, who have won 13 of the 17 games played to a finish.
Jake Dienes ran through the Hydon batting in his way to figures of five for 35 as the home side were bowled out for 109.
Take out Ramesh Batagodage’s 27 and there weren’t many runs from the rest.
Brendon (57) and Jason Parr (51) knocked off the runs with the minimum of fuss.
While Cully celebrate promotion their near neighbours are stuck in the same division for another year after a mid-table finish.
FENITON breezed to a six-wicket win over relegated Uplyme in their final game of the C East season.
Laurie Thomas (42) and Bruce Maltby (41) were the leading run scorers in Uplyme’s 45-over total of 184 for nine.
Jon Pyle (4-40) and Jon French (2-40) were the leading bowlers for Feniton.
The chase was never in any doubt after Mark Salter (38) and Mark Kingdon (24) set it up.
Alex Frankpitt with a rapid 77 not out off 39 balls – 11 fours, three sixes – completed the formalities.
WHIMPLE skipper Ben Silk is starting to think the cricket gods have got it in for him and his team after the lost by two runs to Alphington.
Seven days earlier Whimple were one run short against Kilmington chasing 167 to win.
Alphington posted 245 for seven against Whimple, who were 243 for six when the overs ran out.
A stand of 196 for the first wicket between Dave Culshaw (97) and Nathan Kidd (81) had got the target down to 51 to win in the last six overs.
Twenty-four to win off the last over from Craig Grabham was just a few too many for Silk and Cameron Kidd, although three sixes made for an interesting finish.
Alphington’s total was built around a knock of 86 by opener Mark Halse, who got out at 152 for four.
Jos Grzyb (32no) and Ben Newcombe (29no) swished 57 unbroken at the end.
KILMINGTON were presented with a walk-over by Countess Wear, who were unable to raise a side.
Countess Wear have had team-raising issues for much of the season. They had no second team game last Saturday yet still couldn’t get 11 men on a teamsheet.
