HEATHCOAT 2ndXI and their Exmouth counterparts are now neck and neck at the top of the D Division East after a ding-dong battle at Knightshayes.
Exmouth, who were 11 points clear at the top, made 242 for seven in their 45 overs.
Heathcoat, who trailed Exmouth in second place, knocked off the runs with six wickets in hand.
When the points were totted up afterwards, it was all square on 187 each with seven games left. In a division with three promotion places, Heathcoat are Exmouth are already 28 points clear of the fourth-placed side, which bodes well for both of them.
Lawrence Greenway (53no), Sean Day (45) and James Horler (47) led Exmouth’s batting effort. Fin Stoneman was Heathcoat’s leading bowler.
Will Thompson (54) got Heathcoat up and running, then Simon Sobcjak and new boy Dan Lord sped them to victory with unbeaten half-centuries.
Lord, who has played county age-group cricket and Premier Division cricket in Cheshire, is a keeper-batter new to the area.
Heathcoat make the long trek to Uplyme this Saturday.
BARNSTAPLE & Pilton remain on course for a top-three promotion slot in the D Division East after beating visiting Upottery by 20 runs.
Opener George McEndoo top scored for B&P with 82 in their 45-over total of 229 for eight.
McEndoo put on 128 for the first wicket with Brady Saunders (38), Steve Moore (39no) chipped in below halfway.
There were took two wickets each for Shane Kennard and Rob Tasker, who also ran out McEndoo.
Upottery plodded to 111 for six in reply – Moore (2-12) and James Lake (3-17) among the wickets - with James Mitcham (31) the only batter to make much headway.
Tasker with a lively 67 got Upottery back in the game. Henry McEndoo (3-50) got Tasker out with an over to go as the visitors pulled up on 209 for nine.
Victory keeps B&P third in the table, 11 points clear of Chardstock, whom they visit this Saturday, and 24 behind joint leaders Exmouth II and Heathcoat II.
NORTH Devon 2ndXI defeated Countess Wear by 53 runs to keep some distance between themselves and the relegation places.
Had North Devon lost to relegation worriers Countess Wear they would have dropped into the bottom three as Clyst and Sandford II below them both won as well.
Joe Kelly top scored for North Devon with 62 in their total of 212 for nine. He shared a stand of 75 for the third wicket with Alfie Huxtable (28).
Jay Rothery (25) and skipper Simon Wright (23no) weighed in.
The Singhs – Parminder (4-36) and Kam (2-17) – were Wear’s most effective bowlers.
The Wear had it all to do after slumping to 113 for eight in reply – Jack Hockin (3-21) and Archie Popham (2-49) largely responsible. James Bogue (21), Jon Heaver (22) and Kav Dias (23) had all been in and out by then.
Kam Singh (34no) and Phil Irish (18) delayed the inevitable with a stand of 43 before Rothery (2-4) wrapped things up.
North Devon 2ndXI make the long trek to Exmouth 2ndXI this Saturday.
SANDFORD 2ndXI picked a good one to win when they overcame Uplyme & Lyme Regis by seven wickets.
Uplyme are one of the three teams below Sandford in a division with three relegation places and are now 39 points distant.
And Clyst St George’s win over Chardstock would have moved them ahead of Sandford out of the bottom three had Shaun Hawkins’ men lost.
Opener Mark Batey (75) was fifth out for Uplyme in a total of 230 for nine.
Charlie Moss (62) made 89 in a stand with Batey and 40 more with Jed Whttington (42).
Hawkins (4-35) and Harvey Blake (3-53) were Sandford’s most effective bowlers.
Hawkins then lashed an unbeaten 130 as Sandford cruised to victory with more than four over to go.
Adam Small (30) shared a stand of 52 with Hawkins, who put on 164 unbroken with Dan Uren (43no) to seal it.
CLYST St George’s 32-run win over Chardstock keeps them just six points from safety in the D Division East.
It looked like a formality when Chardstock were 140 for seven chasing 235 to win on the Bohea Field with Rob Hutchings (70) and Alex Watson (52) both out of the way.
Lower-order stickability got Chardstock up to 193 for eight and Clyst were glad to see the back of the last two batters in a total of 202 all out.
Bertie Creer (3-37) and Steve Bourke tied up the loose ends.
Clyst’s total of 234 for eight was a product of early runs from Dan Kendall (42) and Jayak Nallala (40), topped up by a stand of 75 between Dan Takle (43) and Sam Read (42no).
Clyst will clamber out of the bottom three if they beat Sandford II this Saturday.
