THORVERTON 2nd XI were on the receiving end of a two-ton assault when they ran into Barnstaple & Pilton.
And despite a century in reply from Thorverton skipper Dave Baldock, Barnstaple & Pilton emerged as 119-run winners.
James Roe and James Poole, who opened-up for Barnstaple & Pilton, made 108 and 162 not out respectively in a team total of 375 for two. Their stand of 193 ended when Roe was bowled by Paul Thomas.
Jimmer Thomas (63no) added another 159 unbroken with Poole in the final throes of the innings.
Eight bowlers had a trundle for Thorverton, with limited success!
Baldock went in for Thorverton at 64 for two and blazed away for 115 not out from just 86 balls faced. He hit 18 fours – three in one over from Tom Powell – and a six.
James Meredith opened-up with 40 and Sam Fice made 23 at the end to take Thorverton to 256 for nine.
Thomas (3-40) and Charlie Holm (2-51) were the main wicket-taking bowlers for B&P. Tom Poole (9-0-30-1) was the most economical.
NAVINDU Vanderbona and Oscar Meech bowled North Devon 2nd XI to a 22-run win over visiting Ottery St Mary 2nd XI in the Sawndhills.
Meech (3-46) took out three of the top four – Regina Lilii accounted for the odd one out – then Vanderbona (4-34) vacuumed-up the bottom half of the order as Ottery slowed chasing 233 to win.
Losing Rob Johns, Kevin Brandom and Matt Brewster getting from 81 for one to 88 for four did not help.
Charlie Mitchell (35), backed-up by Albert Southall-Brown (16) and Zac Johns (10) kept Ottery in the hunt up to 170 for seven.
A combination of Vanderbona and Simon Wright bowled North Devon to victory with two overs to spare.
North Devon could thank Richard Wild (42) and top scorer Lilii (56no) for getting them back in the saddle after they had been a lacklustre 46 for four.
Lilii, who went in four wickets down, put on 53 with Freddie Tucker (31) and 46 with Wright (30) towards a final product of 232 for nine.
Will Harrison (3-42) and Sophie Brandom (2-31) were the bowlers with most success for Ottery.
A 32-run home defeat at the hands of leaders Upottery dropped Shobrooke Park down to fourth in the D East table.
Shobrooke were top of the table themselves seven games into the season, but have lost three of their last four starts on the way out of the promotion places.
Upottery top the table on 193 points with Bradninch & Kentisbeare 2nd XI (176) then Whimple (167) and Shobrooke (166) at the rear.
Matt Broom top scored for Upottery with 70 in their tally of 222 for nine. Pete Matravers (28) and Ben Kidson (26) both chipped-in. Forty-four extras came in handy.
Despite half-centuries from Joe Harris (79) and Ben Trenaman (53), Shobrooke’s chase ran out of time on 190 for nine.
The Pulman brothers – Ryan (3-20) and Adam (2-24) – were Upottery’s leading bowlers.
WHIMPLE defeated Topsham St James by 27 runs in a low-scoring encounter that barely lasted 40 overs.
Topsham St James must have fancied their chances of a badly needed win towards their survival fight at the bottom of the table after skittling Whimple for 79.
Veteran seamer Brian Jeary (3-16) picked-up three wickets, so did Nibu Thomas (3-11) and there were two more for Declan Wardell (2-12).
Fergus Campbell (35) had the only score worth talking about in a Whimple innings that included just one other double-figure score.
Topsham got to 38 for one in reply – Jonny Sapwell well on the way to making 19 in the running total – then collapsed like a pack of cards as Campbell (3-18) and Andrew Codling (3-17) worked them over.
Six wickets fell for two runs scored as Topsham subsided to 40 for seven. There was a brief lull in the carnage before Mike Searle took two wickets in one over to dismiss the home side for 52.
Whimple stay third in the table behind top two Upottery and Bradninch & Kentisbeare.
Saint James remain one off the bottom with 15 points to find to get ahead of Clyst Hydon and out of the drop spots.
BRADNINCH & Kentisbeare 2nd XI cruised to a comfortable 75-run win over Clyst Hydon in a game trimmed down to 30 overs a side due to bad weather.
Jed Findlay (46) got B&K away to a flying start – he was second out on 83 – then Connor Carthew (59no) Jock Keillor (22) and Ankit Badwal really got on with it!
Badwal smote 58 not out from just 25 deliveries while amassing 84 unbroken with Carthew for the fifth wicket.
None of the Hydon bowlers went for fewer than six runs an over, or took more than one wicket.
Skipper Ian Sutton (71 off 75 balls) was Hydon’s main performer with the bat in a response of 173 for five.
Next best with 39 not out was Louis Marks, whose stand of 71 with Sutton was the greatest in Hydon’s innings.
Wickets were shared between four bowlers. Ankit Badwal (2-24) was the only one with two wickets. James Mills (5-1-11-0) was the meanest.
