Finlay Marks - in at the end for Exmouth in their win over Exeter

ALPHINGTON won a low-scoring thriller at Braunton by four runs to put eight points between them and the C East drop spots.

Alphington recovered from an unimpressive 74 for eight to make 140 for nine thanks largely to Lee Craven hanging around to make 44.

Tail-end Charlies Andy Mills and Stuart Shaw, both former captains, made a brace of 13s as the last two wickets added 66 runs.

Jon Baglow (3-29) did the bulk of the damage with the ball for Braunton.

Those lower-order stands came back to haunt Braunton, who were bowled out for 136 in reply.

Braunton went in fits and starts from 18 for three to 100 for five then 105 for eight.

Kam Singh (3-20) and Andy Mills (3-20) appeared to have Braunton on the ropes.

Baglow, who went in at 18 for three, batted on and on to make 60 not out. As long as he was there Braunton had a chance if the tail enders could hang around. It proved a handful of runs too many for Steve Moore and Mark Johnson, who was last out with the total on 136.

Dan Brierley, the Braunton captain, said: “Alphington put on 30-40 more than they should have done. 

“After such a good start, with Barnes and Johnson bowling, we should have got them all out for 100. 

“Having said that we still should have chased 140 though. 

“Baggy batted very well just didn't have enough partners to hang around with."

SIDMOUTH 2nd XI won by 220 runs at Barnstaple & Pilton in a one-sided affair.

Such is the strength in depth at Sidmouth they can put out a side that contains established Premier Division players who cannot get in a full strength first team.

Matt Cooke, who scored 64 against B&P, claimed a Premier ton against Plymouth last month.

Fellow opener Elliott Rice was in the Sidmouth first team last week having scored a 2nd XI ton the week before. He took another ton off Barnstaple & Pilton.

With Nick Gingell, another first team in and outer, making 27 and Byron Knowles 26, Sidmouth posted 300 for five in a game reduced to 40 overs each.

Archie Popham (2-61) was the only B&P bowler to take more than one wicket.

Barnstaple & Pilton were all out for 80 in  30.5 overs. Opener Sam Bithell (16) top scored.

There were three wickets for Charlie Dibble (3-7) and two each for Byron Knowles and Jash Patidar.

EXETER 2ndXI slid into even more danger at the bottom of the C East table when they lost to Exmouth by five wickets on the County Ground.

Exeter were held to 107 for eight in a game reduced to 35 overs a side. Opener Mike Wilkinson was second out for a top score of 25.

Sam Goodier (4-15) and Harrison Folland (3-10) were the Exmouth bowlers who did the damage.

Folland (26) and Finlay Marks (23no) shepherded Exmouth over the line with more than five overs to spare.

In a division with three relegation places Exeter are rock bottom with 31 points to find to get out of the danger zone.

WHIMPLE cruised to a five-wicket win over Ottery St Mary that kept them in touch with leaders Sidmouth.

Ottery were all out for exactly 200 in the last of their 45 overs. Opener Alex Clements made 62 – he and Dan Flower (32) put on 78 for the third wicket – and Lawrence Walker made 45.

The last five wickets went for 25 runs as Kalann Nessling (3-38) and Matt Brown (3-40) got to work.

Cameron Kidd went in when Whimple were 60 for two and his rapid 90 off 50 balls – seven fours, seven sixes – made victory a certainty.

Whimple are level on points with Heathcoat on 112 in joint second place behind leaders Sidmouth.

TOBY Lochead ensued the 1st XI management won’t forget him on selection night with a quickfire ton in the 2nd XI’s 159-run win over Shobrooke Park.

Lochead struck 10 fours and six sixes on his way to 109 off 90 balls in Heathcoat’s total of 319 for nine.

After Lochead was fourth out with the score on 190, Tom Frankpitt kept the runs coming with a bright-and-breezy 87,

Jareer Shikrani (3-68) finally dispatched Frankpitt, but Heathcoat went all the way to the end with Louis Stephenson (21) and Finn Stoneman (26) putting on 45

Jon James (1-39) and Dan Robbins (1-43) bowled the cheapest nine-over stints for Shobrooke.

An asking rate of seven an over was a tall order for Shobrooke Park, who subsided from 50 for three to 72 for seven as batters came and went.

Ever-youthful left-hander Richard Pyle dug in for 68 off 89 balls and earned his side two batting bonus points by taking them to 100 and 150.

Pyle was last man out in Shobrooke’s total of 60.

Stoneman took three wickets and there were two each for Stephenson and Hoe Hancock.