SAM Read slammed his third league ton of the season so far in Clyst St George’s 104-run win over Feniton.
Read made 110 on day one against Budleigh Salterton 2ndXI, 167 in the win over Chardstock and added to his collection with 119 at Feniton’s expense.
With 479 league runs in the book already, at an average of 79.83, Read has helped Clyst into top spot in the D Division East.
And it’s perhaps no surprise that representatives of Premier Division clubs have been sounding out Read about stepping up a few levels.
Former Clyst St George old boys Ben Green (Somerset, Exeter and Devon) and Ed Middleton (Exeter and Devon) both went through the youth set-up at Bohea Field before moving up the ladder.
Read was fourth out on 168 against Feniton. He put on 60 with Chris Ferro – he made eight – and 77 with Freddie Creer (21). Andrew Donovan (31) and Jayak Nallala (42) hustled 70 more towards a final tally of 246 for six.
Matt Davies (2-25) an Adrian Pullin (2-41) took the bowling plaudits for Feniton, who were dismissed for 142 in reply. Opener Mark Salter’s 43 was as good as it got.
Creer bagged five wickets for 21 runs as Feniton tumbled from 128 for six to 142 all out.
It was a good one to win for Clyst, who are now 15 points ahead of second-placed Feniton at the top.
KENTISBEARE out of the D Division East relegation places after beating Clyst Hydon by 47 runs in the derby clash at Merryfield.
Openers Scott Chappell (36) and Matt Stewart (81) gave Kents a start and by the time Stewart was fifth out they were well on their way to 215 for seven. Richard Norman helped himself to 27.
Pick of the Hydon bowlers with three for 43 was Lewis Rhodes.
Hydon looked the likely winners at 163 for three with runs in the bank from Rob Randall (65), Sinthuran Thevaraj (23), Graham Trude (26) and Dom Carswell (23).
Then the wheel fell off in a dramatic way. Seven wickets fell for five runs notched as Hydon plunged to 268 all out with nearly six overs to go.
Kents’ skipper Tom Martin (4-27) had three of the wickets to fall and Neil Farley (2-22) grabbed a couple.
Hydon have replaced Kentisbeare in the bottom three.
SANDFORD 2ndXI routed Honiton by nine wickets in a game that barely lasted 30 overs from start to finish.
Table-proppers Honiton were bundled out for 49 on 20.1 overs. Luke Phillips, the former Alphington captain who switched clubs last month, top scored with 21.
Neil Maud (4-22) and Brian Leach (4-15) did the majority of the damage with the ball for Sandford.
The runs were knocked off inside 10 overs, mostly by Ryan Glass (31).
Honiton have lost three of their last four games on their way down to second from bottom and have problems putting totals on the board. Twice in four games they have been bowled out for less than a hundred.
James Pickard, the Honiton captain, said there is plenty to work on at training this week.
“If we lose early wickets everyone crumbles and it is literally a lack of application,” said Pickard.
“We are having a change around with batting order this week to see if we can make it click with some different batting positions.
“Out of the bowlers I am virtually the only one who doesn't really bowl wides, which is very frustrating.
“So far this season we are over the hundred mark for wides, so that's all the extra balls plus the extra runs as well.
“Our fielding is getting better, but we need to work more as a team.
“Once we actually manage a convincing game, I think things will change.”
SAMPFORD Peverell & Tiverton’s winning run was cut short when Chardstock handed them a nine-wicket hiding.
Guy Bucknell was last man out for 38 in SP&T’s total of 117 all out. They were 65 for seven before Josh Kallaway (16) and Ben Franks (13) gave Bucknell some support.
Alex Watson (5-21) and James Pyman (3-30) were the main destroyers with the ball.
Gary Larcombe (54no) and Rob Hutchings (44no) swept Chardstock to victory in the 19thover after the early loss of Steve Allsopp.
UPOTTERY defeated bottom side Budleigh 2ndXI by one wicket to go joint third in the table.
Openers Lee Russell (24) and Steve Booth (60) gave Budleigh a start, but the only other score of note was Alex Richardson’s 20.
Upottery’s James Mitcham took wickets at regular intervals on his way to a five-for15 haul.
The run chase was far from straightforward – Adam Jones (3-35) and Joe Marley (3-31) made sure of that – but Rob Tasker (48) and Ryan Pulman (28) nudged Upottery closer.
Last pair Andrew Pulman (12no) and Adrian Salter (1no) finished the job.
