WHITCHURCH crashed to a 10-wicket defeat against Lewdown in a game that barely lasted 23 overs from start to finish.
Whitchurch slumped from 32 for one to 33 for six as the Maynard brothers – Keith and Matt – got to work on the top order.
Richard Hall hung around for a while to make 22 and there was an 11-run contribution from Kenny Mackenzie down the order a number nine.
Keith Maynard finished with bowling figures of seven for 14 and there were two more for younger brother Matt as Whitchurch collapsed to 59 all out in the 15th over. Six batters did not manage a run between them.
Oliver Jordan (32no) and Luke Mortimore (21no) had the game won early in the ninth over.
Lewdown remain fourth in the nine-team table. Whitchurch have dropped into the bottom two.
Richard Potts, the Whitchurch captain, said although the club had team-raising issues over the weekend the side put out against Lewdown was better than 59 all out.
“We were a few players short, we did well to get 22 out across the 2 teams, but that's no excuse,” said Potts.
“I certainly didn't see us being all-out for such a low score.
“The track looked nice, the sun was out, so I was happy to have a bat,” said Hall.
“I played a lovely forward-defensive shot second ball; it caught the toe and went back on to the stumps.
“Rich Hall looked good for his 22 and edged one into the stumps. There was nice bounce, but a few kept really low.”
Potts said the Maynards bowled a ‘nice line outside off-stump’ and added: “Especially Keith, who had more pace and bounce and deserved his seven wickets.
“With such a low total to chase the Lewdown openers had a freedom, which they duly took with some nice boundary shots.
“Now we must pick ourselves up and move forward quickly against Teignmouth & Shaldon this Saturday.”
TAVISTOCK slid to a third successive loss in E Division West when Paignton 3rd XI defeated them by 26 runs on the Torre Valley North ground in Torquay.
Mark Bennett and Andy Singh both made 31 for Paignton towards a total of 202 all out in the last of their 45 overs. Billy Criddle (22) and Harry Davies (21) both chipped in.
Will Scott-Munden, just back from holiday, took five Paignton wickets for 27 runs given away.
Although opener Andy Gauler was an early casualty when 10-man Tavistock batted, Marc Webber (20), Scott-Mundan (44) and Brett Thomas (24) got the chase up to 103 for four.
Losing three wickets for 10 runs put a different complexion on the game as at 113 for seven the odds now favoured Paignton.
Basil Kuriakose (34) and Jack Bellamy (23) revived Tavvy hopes during a stand of 63 for the eighth wicket.
Tim Ward (3-22), the former Devon all-rounder whose previous scalps include Damian D’Oliveira, Graham Cowdrey, Matthew Fleming and Chris Adams, won the game for Paignton with the last two wickets in successive balls.
BRIDESTOWE are off the top of the E Division West after going down by five wickets to Torquay & Kingskerswell.
Opener Andy Brimmacombe batted right through the Bridestowe innings for an unbeaten 105 in their total of 208 for six.
Such was Brimmacombe’s domination of the bowling, no one else made more than 16. That was skipper Tim Shaw.
Torquay & Kingskerswell’s bowlers mostly operated at around four runs an over. The exception was Tom Lillywhite, whose one for 29 off nine was significantly less expensive.
Bridestowe had T&K wobbling at 16 for two early on, but Lillywhite (27) and veteran Mike Pugh (50) soothed any jangling nerves during a stand of 64.
By the time Pugh was fourth out on 120, the result looked a foregone conclusion.
Ryan Hanauer batted to the end for an undefeated 79 off 56 balls – 10 fours, four sixes – to clinch victory with more than three overs to go.
Chagford are the new leaders in the E Division West courtesy of their three-wicket win over Teignmouth & Shaldon 2ndXI. Torquay are third.
CHAGFORD were made to work hard for the three-wicket win over Teignmouth & Shaldon 2nd XI that took them to the top of the E Division West table.
Tyler Blackburn (37) had the only notable score for Teignmouth & Shaldon in a progressive total of 107 for five. Harrison Linnett with 78 off 64 balls – 52 of the runs coming in boundaries – put his foot down to help T&S reach 202 all out.
Jim Mawle (4-26) pipped Stuart Lipo (3-25) as Chagford’s bowler of the day.
James Fulner (30) made early runs for Chagford – and when he departed Paddy Poustie (65) got on with the chase.
Blackburn (4-16) made life tough at times for Chagford and at 117 for six the game was in the balance.
Poustie and Mawle moved the score on to 189 for seven during a stand of 72. Making 16 to win from the final three overs with three wickets intact was Chagford’s last challenge. Martin Herrington made it easy by dispatching Oscar Lovell for three fours in the same over.
Chagford (87pts) have displaced Bridestowe (84) in the latest table. Torquay are on 75 points in third.
