STOKE Gabriel defeated Bideford by two wickets to trade places with them at the top of the B Division table.

Bideford made 217 for nine – Jack Ford top scoring on 48 – which Stoke overhauled with more than three overs to go.

Stoke now hold a 10-point lead over Bideford with 100 left to play for. 

Opener Fawaaz Gallie – 38 off 97 balls – was the fulcrum the Bideford innings hinged on. Alex Hannam (22) and Julian Hayter (29) chipped in. Stoke bowlers Tyler Hunter and Adriaan Maxwell took three wickets each.

Stoke opener Justin Pringle had a different approach to fellow South African Gallie: he butchered the bowling for 141 at run-a-ball rate. He was the last man out with the scores level.

Abhishek Anand (46) played a role in an 82-run stand with Pringle.

Josh King’s latest five-wicket haul (5-39) for Bideford was his fourth this season and took him to 40 victims.

Jack Tolley, the winning Stoke Gabriel captain, said: “We felt that we did well to contain Bideford to under 220, We took early wickets then, after a good fourth-wicket partnership, regular wickets to stop them gaining too much momentum to take into the second half.

“Justin and Abhi took us deep. King bowled well all afternoon, but Justin just kept going.”

Ford, the losing captain, said: “We were just beaten by one innings from a very good player, who produced a chanceless innings.

“Obviously goes without saying it was a disappointing day out for us, but Stoke is always a tough place to go & visit and there is a still a long way to go in the season.” 

“It was a great game of cricket! We know there is still a lot to do with five games to go so let’s see what we can do. Plymstock next is always a tough place to go so we won’t be looking any further ahead than that game.