PLYMSTOCK 2nd XI gained the unwanted distinction of being the first club in the entire Tolchards DCL to be relegated this season following a seven-wicket defeat at South Devon.
Fourteen defeats in a row have left Plymstock 86 points away from safety with only 80 to play for.
Relegation means an immediate return to the D Division West, which they clambered out of last season as champions.
Opener Dave Ling (60) and Mamun Chowdhury (59) were Plymstock’s main contributors to a total of 194 for nine. The pair put on 120 for the third wicket.
South Devon pacer Mali Marshall turned in a season’s best return of four for 32. Jon Martin (2-26) gave nothing away.
South Devon lost wickets at 31, 130 and 173 on the way to their seventh league win of the season so far.
Man of the match Marshall and opener Aaron Hammett (22) put on 99 for the second wicket. Marshall was still there on 68 not out when the winning runs were scored.
CHUDLEIGH defeated Ipplepen 2nd XI by 16 runs to trade places with Paignton 2nd XI in the C West danger area.
While Paignton were on the way to a 106-run loss at Ashburton, Chudleigh were posting 203 for eight against the Pens.
Opener Jasper Bubb, formerly part of Exeter’s youth set-up, made a half century that helped Chudleigh reach 140 for six.
Nick Halse (20) joined in along the way, followed by Yogi Yogesh with a typically ebullient 76 not out from 48 balls. He was involved in stands that added 103.
Jack Edworthy (2-14) and Steve Bowden (2-20) booked Pens’ best bowling stats.
Ipplepen, destined for mid-table security, were bowled out in reply for 187. Yogesh (3-33) fired the opening salvos for Chudleigh, followed by Rob Clarke (3-38) and George House (2-15) whittling away the lower order.
Runs from Adam Peters (20), Jeff Heath (29), Matt Quartley (52), Marcus Green (24) and Andrew Bligh (20) got Pens up to 185 for seven in reply.
The chase went wrong after Clarke removed Bligh. The last three wickets fell for just two runs added.
THREE wickets each for Marcus West and Aditya More sped Ashburton to a 106-run win over relegation worriers Paignton 2nd XI.
While Ashburton are focused on getting ahead of Cornwood 2nd XI in the C West promotion race, Paignton’s concern s getting out of the bottom two … and staying out.
Nick Martin was the man of the moment for Ashburton with 106 off 70 balls in their sizeable total of 289 for eight. It was his second ton of the season so far, following the 144 taken of Brixham four rounds ago.
Martin and More (53) put on 118 for the fifth wicket. After they went West (23no) and Jack Warren (35no) kept the runs coming.
Paignton seamer Jacob Lander (3-40) slowed the progress of Ashburton’s top four. Mark Orchard (3-37) bagged wickets lower down.
Paignton appeared to be heading for an early exit after dipping to 19 for four with West (3-43) largely to blame.
Carl McFarlane took the battle to Ashburton with a brisk 102 off 86 balls.
A stand of 68 between McFarlane and Ethan Hancock (26) was as good as it got for Paignton before they went into a terminal decline.
More (3-25) and Matt Partridge (2-12) moved them on for 183.
TEIGNMOUTH & Shaldon were pushed every step of the way by Kingsbridge before coming away with a two-run win.
After Ross Jameson (34) and Harrison Linnitt (23) got T&S away to a 60-run start, skipper Todd Ballman made a rapid 90 towards a final tally of 235 all out.
Kingsbridge skipper James Fletcher tried seven bowlers in an attempt to unsettle the T&S batters. Connor Rothwell (3-35) and Neal Peach (2-22 off 9) were the most effective.
Kingsbridge’s top six all got among the runs on the chase with Alex Browne (45) and Rothwell (43) the primary scorers.
Stands of 66 between James Fletcher (26) and Browne, and one of 71 from Rothwell and Rakesh Gheravada (35no) hinted at a successful run hunt. Tshepo Legodi (2-37) and Usamah Iqbal (2-15) kept it tight with the ball for T&S.
Twelve to win from the final over, bowled by Carl Woolnough, was just a few too many for Kingsbridge, who came up short on 233 for five.
HALF-centuries from Matt Butterworth and Josh Goodliffe put Cornwood on course for a 91-run win at Brixham that keeps them four points ahead of Ashburton in the C West promotion race.
An opening stand of 66 between skipper Robin Dart (38) and Harry Woolway (37) – broken when Mo Shaikh (3-12) dismissed the Cornwood captain – was the platform for a total of 247 for seven.
Butterworth (54) and Goodliffe (50) added 81 more for the fifth wicket. Ethan Carlisle tonked 25 not out off 11 balls at the end as the Wood added 134 runs in the last 15 overs.
Lee Upham (2-28) was Brixham’s only other multiple wicket taker apart from Shaikh.
Brixham were all out for 156 in reply. Woolway (4-30) did most of the damage, aided and abetted by the Caunter brothers: Josiah (2-33) and Jacob (2-20).
Woolway achieved something no other bowler has done this season: he dismissed dangerman Shaikh for a duck.
Brixham got to 56 for one thanks to openers Tim Robinson (21) and Dalton Sanders (28). Woolway largely reduced them to 61 for six before Ethan Black (47) and Lee Upham (22) stopped the slide.
Said Dart: “Despite a little wobble after the fast start, we set ourselves up with a perfect platform for our middle order to go a play with freedom in the last 15.
“We stood up early with the ball and took vital wickets. Harry Woolway getting Shaikh for nothing was fantastic considering he has been scoring runs for fun this year.
“Brixham’s tail made us work for the 20 points, but we got there.”
