HEATHCOAT regained top spot in Division One of the Blights Motors North Devon League with an emphatic 146-run victory over visitors Sandford.
Il will be calculators out at clubs trying to work out strategies and average-points targets for the season run in!
Sandford won the toss, chose to field, then watched Heathcoat rack up an all-out total of 291. Openers Tom Hatton and Jeremy Bedford set the tone, both getting quick runs. 83 for Hatton off 47 balls, 44 for Bedford off 19. Sandford fought back, thanks mainly to .Alfie Butterfield (4-58), backed up by Ellie Knight and Joseph Saunders, who both claimed a couple, that reduced Heathcoat to 232 for nine.
Last pair Archie Goldrick (53) and Matt Harrison (10) put on 58 for the tenth wicket to help their team to an imposing total
Sandford struggled against the home side’s bowlers. Andrew Fry top scored with 39. Jon James (28) was the only other significant contributor as wickets fell regularly on the way to 145 all out. 
Bedford (3-14) took the bowling plaudits. Matt Boundy, Frederick Walker and Harrison took two each.
Bridestowe & Belstone lost an entertaining game at North Devon by eight wickets. Both clubs put out young and diverse sides, and the spirit in which the game was played was testament to experienced captains Steve Moore and Richard Drake.
Bridestowe & Belstone chose to bat and scored a 40-over total of 262 for six. Sam Ewen top scored with 71 not out. his brother James hit 40, Joseph Woolnough scored 42, and there was a breezy 43 not out from Shaquan Glasgow at the end.
Off-spinning prodigy Issie Ollis was the pick of the home side bowlers with two for 37.
The North Devon chase was dominated by young openers Nav Vanderbona, 17, and 16-year-old Noah Tovell, who shared an opening partnership of 233.
Vandebona cracked his maiden league century, hitting a six and 14 fours in his 132 before he fell victim to Thomas Drake. Tovell was there at the end on 90 not out as North Devon reached their target with four overs in hand.
Nine-man Westleigh lost by 46 runs at Hatherleigh despite putting up a spirited fight.
Hatherleigh scored 337 for six in their 40 overs, Opener Greg Solkin hit 100 and shared a 9-run partnership with Aiden Spinney (46)
Emmerson Wood and Shrey Ghosh compiled an unbroken 158-run partnership; They both faced 38 balls, Ghosh hit 53 not out and, Wood belted 20 from the last five balls to reach 102 not out. James Starkey, and James Morris both claimed a couple of wickets for the visitors.
Westleigh gave it a go! Kyle Faber led the chase hitting 161 off 90 balls. He bludgeoned 10 sixes and 16 fours and put on 173 with Starkey (39). After Faber was the fifth man out, Westleigh subsided to 291 all out, despite 33 not out from Morris.
Wood (4-25) claimed man-of-the-match.
Nomansland beat Barnstaple & Pilton by three wickets at Raleigh Meadow in a Division. Two match.
Barnstaple & Pilton scored 199 for seven. Openers Jamie Sutton (45) and skipper Ali Poll (30) put on 80 in 20 overs. Matt Newton hit a robust 62. Mark Metters rolled back the years with 14. There were two wickets each for William White and Freddie Barlow
Nomansland reached their target with over six overs in hand. thanks mainly to their captain Elliot Butterfield’s 94 and 55 from White. Newton, and veteran spinner Tony Gilbert, in a welcome return to form, both took two wickets.
Exford conceded their game at Victoria Park.
