Rob Shergold - five wickets for Barton against Abbotskerswell<br>credit: https://www.ppauk.com/photo/2148335/

ABBOTSKERSWELL wrapped up a season that failed to live up to expectations with a 90-run win over Barton.

Abbots, fourth in 2018, were tipped to be up among the front runners again – and started promisingly with a win over Ivybridge. Seven defeats on the trot put paid to any hopes of promotion.

Four wins in the final six games got Abbots out of the bottom two and kept them there, to the relief of all concerned at Two Mile Oak.

Going into round 18 of the season, Ivybridge were already down and Barton in danger of going with them if they lost and Bideford won to move out of the bottom two.

Although Barton lost badly the news from Tavistock was that Bideford had lost by an identical 90-run margin.

Barton stayed up by 11 points – all of them bowling bonus points as their playing record was otherwise identical to Bideford’s.

Last man Connor Adams top scored against Barton with 32 not out in their all-out total of184.

Plenty of batters got in and settled the got out without building a score. Best of the contributions came from the two Charlies – Hill with 20 and Dowling with 29.

Rob Shergold (5-42) and Jonny Martin (3-29) had Abbots reeling on 149 for nine before Adams and Dan Cowdry (17no) put on 43 for the last wicket.

Barton were 25 for four after an early battering from Elliott Adams (4-18) and without Parker’s batting 45 would have disappeared without trace.

Noah Tobias (5-8) finished what Adams started, taking five of the last six wickets to fall as Barton succumbed to 94 all out. 

Nick Watkin, the Abbotskerswell coach, said: It was great to end the season with back-to-back wins. 

“Alex Birt, Dan Cowdry and Connor Adams batted well to get us to a good score, then Elliott Adams and Noah Tobias both bowled superbly to bowl us to victory. 

“Overall, our second half of the season was largely positive and proves that with the right additions we can compete with anyone in this division.”

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