WOODBURY & Newton St Cyres defeated Topsham St James by 77 runs to move off the bottom of the D Division East.
It was the villagers’ first league win of the season, but not enough to get out of the bottom two. They still have to overhaul Braunton 2nd XI to do that.
Openers Riodan Deehan-Jackson (77) and Steve Boundy (66) gave W&NSC a 128-run start, which was augmented by 30 at first wicket down by former Exmouth 1st XI captain Miles Lenygon.
Matt Moretta (31) and Nalin Chouhan (22) chipped in down the order towards an impressive 292 all out. Declan Wardell (4-54) topped the TSJ bowling stats.
The Shells got as far as 221 for eight before they ran out of overs. Keeping up with a six-an-over asking rate was a problem with nothing greater than Wardell’s 32 and Ross Treleaven’s 38 in the top half. Moretta and Matt Pearce bowling at three runs an over did not help.
When Matt Williams was fifth out in the 32nd over, the target was 150 to win off 78 balls. Richard Milton (43) and Jamie Bach (22) took TSJ most of the way to their final resting place.
BRAUNTON 2nd XI are hovering two points above the D East relegation places after going down to a 52-run defeat at Budleigh Salterton.
Lloyd Murrin, who was Budleigh’s first-team captain until two years ago, helped himself to exactly a hundred then retired. Sizeable contributions from Lee Russell (40) and Tom Johnson (63no) sped the Otters towards a 45-over total of 270 for five.
Braunton’s opening bowler Mark Johnson (1-28) did a better job than anyone of keeping the runs down. Andrew Paddison (0-42) wasn’t far behind.
Steve Aston (54) and Charlie Taylor (42) got Braunton out of the blocks on the chase, then Paddison (22) and James Marsh (37) carried on.
When Braunton were 198 for six it had already started slipping away, even with Marsh still there.
Four wickets for Ryan Harris-Cotton (4-48) settled it once and for all as Braunton slid to 218 all out.
CULMSTOCK won for the first time this season in D East when they overcame bottom side Whimple by 36 runs.
Half-centuries for Zac Salter (50) and Lucas Bell (66), plus a near miss for Ross Stickland (46) helped Culmstock tot-up 254 for six. Mike Searle (0-33) was Whimple’s meanest bowler.
Whimple had everything to do after slumping to eight for four then 38 for five in reply under coercion from Marco Bell (2-26) and Ben Franks (3-27).
Skipper Searle (34) stopped the rot, with bits and pieces from the middle order. But when he perished on 95 for eight the end appeared nigh.
Matt Brown was already in by them and he went after the bowling with vigour.
Brown (67no), Oli Whitton (13) and last man Harry Anderton – 21 from 48 balls – put on 123 between them to post a total of 218 all out.
BRADNINCH & Kentisbeare 2nd XI remain in pole position in the D Division East thanks to a 12-run win over visiting North Devon 2nd XI.
Will Squire, the former Devon spin bowler, showed off his batting prowess for B&K with a top score of 87 in a total of 245 all out.
Squire was involved in stands that added 181 runs. The best of them was one of 76 with Neil Farley, who was unbeaten on 48.
Anosh Anthony (3-52) and Dylan Evans (2-32) could present cases as North Devon’s most effective bowlers.
North Devon were not afraid of chasing – and at 172 for three with 10 overs to go were in the mix. Connor Robson (84) and Sam Wormington (47) were the key batters.
Although Eliot Acton removed Wormington. Robson kept going until Morgan Lamey accounted for him.
Fifteen to win with 10 balls to go and three wickets intact was gettable. Will Greig (4-25) took three wickets in four balls to ensure it didn’t!
BARNSTAPLE & Pilton were made to work hard at times for a three-wicket win away to Alphington & Countess Wear.
When George Elnough knocked over A&CW batters Ethan Goddard and James Bogue in the first over, it looked ominous for the home side.
A middle-order fightback took A&CW from 28 for three to 167 for seven. James Bovey (35) and Greg Newcombe (27) began the revival. Abhishek Choudankar was 45 not out in a final product of 176.
Elnough came back for a second spell to finish with four for 41, Justin Saker (2-26) accounted for Bovey and Newcombe.
Barnstaple & Pilton’s run chase was a sum-of-the-parts job with no single contribution in the 30s. Matt Newton (29) and Connor Nash (26no) were out in front of the rest, whose flag-bearer was Colin Simpson (25).
Goddard (2-22) and Karthick Aluguri (2-27) bowled mean spells that kept B&P on a tight rein. Victory was secured with nine balls to go.
