SIDMOUTH 2nd XI scraped home by 14 runs against Exeter 2nd XI to remain out in front of Shobrooke Park at the top of the C East standings.
Runs were in short supply on the County Ground, where Sidmouth were hustled out for 151 with more than 10 over to go. James Docherty’s studious 56 not out rescued Sidmouth from 69 for eight after a going over from Aashay Dube (5-30) and Owasis Ahmed (2-25).
Lee Claydon’s 19 down the order proved useful in the final totting-up.
Exeter opener Adam Frageley laboured long making 45 in a running total of 113 for six. Interruptions from Clayden (2-27) and George Bower (5-32) stopped the city side building match-winning partnerships.
Frageley’s demise was the beginning of the end for Exeter as their last four wickets fell for 24 runs on the way to 137 all out. Docherty (2-17) tidied up at the end.
THREE wickets each for David Kingham and Ben Major helped bowl Ottery St Mary to a 77-run win away to Teignmouth & Shaldon.
Rhys Norman hit 125 not out for Ottery as they scorched along to 283 for four. Neil Davey, the former Bovey Tracey, Devon and Herefordshire batter, made 74 in a 143-run stand with Norman.
There was more woe to come for T&S as Norman and Kingham (34) added 96 in the last nine overs.
Todd Ballman’s run of form for T&S continued with 94. He took a ton off Exeter seven days earlier. What Ballman did not have was enough back-up as only Harrison Linnitt got as far as 20 among the other batters.
Ballman was one of the last four men dismissed as Teignmouth & Shaldon faded from 198 for six to 206. Kingham finished with three for 34 and Major three for 32.
SHOBROOKE Park were 20-run winners in the C East top-of-the-table clash against Heathcoat 2nd XI.
Three teams – Sidmouth, Shobrooke and Heathcoat – all went into round five level on 52 points at the top of the shop.
Sidmouth’s win over Exeter 2nd XI has nudged them clear of Shobrooke by two bonus points. Heathcoat are now 10 points further back in third.
Shobrooke’s prospects did not look wonderful after Artie Evans (3-24), Jack Tucker (3-15) and Lee Dixon (2-19) sent them packing for 131. Only Chris Simpson (23) and Andrew Codling (32no) put up significant resistance.
Heathcoat ran into difficulties getting from 55 for two to 71 for six, Rob Ewing (2-12) in the shake-up, during which they lost Dixon for a then top score of 23.
Will Edwards (23) appeared to put Heathcoat back on course during a stand of 41 with Jack McManus.
Once Edwards fell to Codling (4-38) it was downhill in a hurry way to 111 all out.
SANDFORD 2nd XI emerged as 57-run winners from a high-scoring encounter with their Exmouth counterparts at Creedy Park.
Exmouth were on top with the ball during the early exchanges as Sandford slumped to 34 for four. Geoff Coombe and Elijah Pyne had two wickets each.
Prasison Alias (26) set about righting some wrongs, but when he was fifth out on 86 Sandford were back in the cart.
Sixth-wicket partners Archie Osborne (75) and Elliott Butterfield (95) changed the complexion of the game by putting on 119.
Butterfield went all the way to 262 for eight, which was when Miles Olczak (4-40) got him out. A final total of 282 for nine was far removed from 86 for five.
Exmouth entered into the spirit of the occasion with opener Will Gingell (64) getting them to 114 for three.
Wickets for Shaun Hawkins (4-27) and Pete Steer (2-18) bowled Sandford back into contention.
When Exmouth lost three wickets on 158, they emerged on the other side at 158 got eight. Tail-ender Matt Edworthy made his case for a move up the order with 51 not out from 37 balls as Exmouth recovered to gain maximum batting bonus points in a total of 225 for nine.
