BABBACOMBE puled off a unlikely three-wicket win at Stoke Gabriel where they knocked off 284 to win with two balls to spare.
Andrew Kingdon made 91 against his previous club and Callum Moses chipped in 77 during a stand of 135 for the third wicket.
Chasing 284 in 45 overs was always going to be a challenge. When Babbacombe were 85 for six – effectively 85 for seven as opener Marcus Thompson was injured and had not batted - the very thought of it must have seemed far-fetched.
Stoke skipper Jack Tolley (3-52) and Isaac Withington (2-58) had done a pretty good job on the top half of the order.
But hopes of an early finish were dashed by a match-turning stand of 172 between Dean Durrant and Steve Bowman.
South African Durrant stood his ground while wickets were falling fast. Bowman was batting down the order due to an arm injury.
While Durrant kept going for 59 not out, Bowman lashed 13 sixes and five fours to reach 112 not out.
Stoke skipper Tolley was lost for words after the match. No doubt he will have plenty to say at midweek training.
Redding could barely believe his side had won, but certainly wasn’t speechless.
“Once Steve's eye was in there was no stopping him,” said Redding.
“Dean Durrant batted very well too.”
JACOBUS Snyman slammed 155 as Dartington piled up 285 for six en-route to a 150-run win over Bridestowe.
With South African Snyman in top form – he hit 16 fours and six sixes – and plenty of support the runs kept on coming.
An opening stand of 141 with veteran Chris Cook (49) was followed by another worth 54 with Joe Parker (24).
Chris Lavis (3-51) was the most successful of the Bridestowe bowlers.
Bridestowe slumped to 14 for four then 36 for five as Jonno Colegate (4-16) went through the early order.
Brandon Horn (43) and Alex Jopling (27) out up some resistance but the damage was done and Bridestowe folded to 135 all out.
PLYMOUTH 2nd XI made it three from three in the C Division West by winning at Shaldon by five wickets.
Only Dartington & Totnes (59pts) have a better record than Plymouth (58) with Ashburton (57) hard behind both of them.
Ruben Minnaar (36) made early runs for Shaldon, Richard Fisher (41) top scored in the middle and Tshepo Legodi swished 23 off 22 at the end.
Plymouth spinner Fahad Ali (4-29) pipped Dave Burke (3-38) for bowler of the day as Shaldon were dismissed for 158.
Openers Geoff Martin (38) and Ollie Parsons (58) laid a 52-run foundation and Parsons batted on and on until the scores were level, Sam Knapman (22) chipped in.
HALF-centuries from Matt Butterworth and skipper Ben Griffiths pointed Cornwood 2nd XI towards a two-wicket win over struggling Kingsbridge.
Kingsbridge have lost 2,000-plus league runs from the side that just missed out on promotion last season – and it showed as they laboured to 156 all out with five overs to go. Opener Richard Carr was fifth out on 108 for a top score of 52.
Lee Baker and Luke Richardson took three wickets each for Cornwood.
Butterworth (57) anchored the top half of the chase before falling at 100 for five.
Griffiths (52no) batted through to the end as Cornwood negotiated a tricky spell from Olly Robinson (3-28) to win the game.
ASHBURTON thrashed Yelverton by 163 runs to move within two points of leaders Dartington & Totnes at the top of the C Division West table.
Ashes only lost two wickets on their way to a sizeable score of 330 at Langton Park.
Openers Jake Pascoe (91) and Lloyd White (39) hoisted 91, Pascoe and Ashley Berry put on 113 for the second wicket and skipper Berry was still there at the end unbeaten on 105 with Dan Coles (43no).
It was Berry’s first league ton for Ashburton and the club’s fourth-best total in a 1st XI league match
James Casey and Chris Mercer both bowled nine overs for 49 runs for Yelverton, which compared favourably with some of the others in the book.
Ben Grove made 58 opening up for Yelverton and shared a stand of 96 for the second wicket with Richard Townsend (48). Once Arun Karthick (3-32) and George Marshall (3-8) set to work, wickets fell regularly.
A stubborn, tenth-wicket partnership threatened to deny Ashes maximum bowling points and with one over to go Martin Causey was thrown the ball. He duly obliged, uprooting Toby Julyan's off stump and taking the tenth wicket off the final ball of the innings as Yelverton were all out for 167.
Played three, won three and only three dropped points. No wonder ton-up Berry is happy.
"It’s been a great start to the season and this was another well-worked team performance,” said Berry.
The lads have been giving it everything and enjoying the rewards.
“But we know we can still improve and won’t be resting on our laurels.”
