EXMOUTH lost a bit more ground in the Premier Division title race when they went down to a seven-wicket derby day defeat at home to Sidmouth.
The long-time leaders have now lost three of their last four starts on the way down to third in the standings. Leaders Exeter have zoomed 25 points ahead.
Relegation-haunted Sidmouth are a team on the up as their third win in four outings has cut the leeway between them and safety to 10 points.
Exmouth laboured to 134 all out with no one making more than Dan Pyle (40). Pyle’s stand of 81 with Jack Dart (33) took the running total to a promising 103 for three.
Losing six wickets for four runs scored as Sidmouth’s Matt Fourie (6-25) worked over the middle-order, left Exmouth’s innings in tatters. They only got as far as 134 thanks to tail-ender Ollie Cave making 22. There were two wickets each either side of Fourie for Mo Kaleem and Ethan Chiappe.
Opener Dan Powell made the top score of 79 not out for Sidmouth as they chased down the runs before the end of the 35th over.
Powell and Luke Bess (27) put on 85 for the third-wicket to settle the issue. Sidmouth skipper Taylor Ingham-Hill was 15 not out when the winning runs were scored.
Fin Marks, who resumed the Exmouth captaincy in the absence of James Horler, said: “We were outplayed in all three aspects of the game.
“Dan Powell batted well on a difficult wicket and fair play to Sidmouth.”
It’s Tavistock away for Exmouth this Saturday, where they will encounter West India new boy Joshua Dorne. He has replaced injured overseas player Hasan Ahmad for the next five games.
