Abbotskerswell and Ipplepen prevail in C Division West clashes

IPPLEPEN were given a fright by Hatherleigh before clinching a one-wicket win in a harum-scarum finish.

Ipplepen have been top of the table all season and it will take an act of God to overturn their 52-point lead over Kingsbridge in what isn’t really a race any longer for the only promotion place out of the division.

Hatherleigh, in contrast, haven’t been out of the bottom two since week four and need to find 31 points somehow to get ahead of Paignton 2nd XI to reach safety. The odds on that happening are slim.

Opener Adam Quick top scored for Hatherleigh with 74 in their all-out total of 227 from the full 45 overs.

Three overs out Pens’ skipper Sam Wakeham chucked the ball to Mawgan Penrice, whose wicketless first three overs cost a modest 14 runs.

Penrice mopped up the lower order single-handedly with four wickets in 12 balls at a cost of 18 runs. Had a difficult running catch stuck in the fielder’s hands, he would have had a hat-trick. Three in four balls is not quite the same…

It looked like another routine assignment for Ipplepen when they were 206 for six with 16 overs remaining thanks to runs in the Tapley family laptop for Marcus Gadie (56), Jack Lewis (41) Jono Colgate (29) and a selection of bits and pieces.

A double strike by Quick (2-47) changed the complexion of the game as Wakeham then Henry Alsop went three balls apart.

And when Charlie Bingham (3-56) – the missing element in Penrice’s hat-trick – knocked over George Tapley the Pens were 221 for eight.

Matt Beasant and Joe Parker reduced the target down to one to win before Parker got out. The next ball bowled was a wide, which won it for Ipplepen.

“It got a bit closer than it should have,” said Pens’ skipper Wakeham.

ABBOTSKERSWELL made it three wins on the reel in the C Division West when they overcame Paignton 2nd XI by 12 runs.

Fifty-nine points from the last 60 up for grabs have propelled Abbots to fourth in the table. If they can stay there, it will be a sign of progress after two successive relegation seasons.

Jay Hussain (75) and Alfie Harrison (50) were Abbots main run makers in their 242 all out. Jacob Lander and George Woodcock took three wickets each for Paignton.

Matt Lipton (73), Ethan Hancock (38) and Lewis Swar (also 38) got Paignton in touching distance of victory despite interruptions from Brayden Notman (3-36).

Two wickets for Max Yates (3-27) – including Swar – and a third for Cameron Gold saw Paignton dip from 219 for seven to 230 all out.

PLYMOUTH 2nd XI were comfortable 66-run winners over C West stragglers South Devon at Mount Wise.

Alex Hill helped himself to 115 – 19 fours, two sixes – and enjoyed partnerships of 74 with James Toms (48) and 131 with Freddie Lown (61) in the city side’s all-out product of 305.

There were three wickets each for Sean Andrews (3-49) and Dan Yates (3-62), and two for Otty Yip (2-37) and Jack Allen (2-46).

South Devon’s batters found some balls to hit as Allen (52) and Yip both passed 50. Aaron Hammett (32) was next best in a total of 239 all out.

Melissa Banks took two South Devon wickets for 34 runs and ran-out Jonty Tupman.

CORNWOOD 2nd XI ended a four-game wait for a win in the C Division West when they defeated Chudleigh by 64 runs.

Matt Butterworth jogged the first-team management’s memory with a top score of 92 in the Wood’s total of 260 for six. He shared stands of 78 with Harry Woolway (41) and 98 with Aaron Richards (34).

Mark Russell (2.00) and Will Heather (3.11) were the cheapest of Chudleigh’s nine-over bowlers. James Bowden took three wickets – including Butterworth’s – late in proceedings.

Openers Russell (79no) and Rajkmar Neeiam (42) gave Chudleigh an 82-run start. No one else got to 20 as Eoin Hewitt (4-34) and Adam Goodliffe (3-24) shot them out for 196.

ASHBURTON made a mockery of the B Division table with a 22-run win over Stoke Gabriel in the top-against-bottom battle on the Eastley Memorial Ground.

Tail-enders Ashburton, who have not been out of the bottom two since week three, made 235 for seven with half-centuries from Matt Churchill and Charlie Towers helping things along.

Ash Berry (31) and Steve Edmonds (38) gave Ashes a start, which Churchill (63) and Towers (53) enhanced during a fifth-wicket partnership of 125. Ten-over bowlers Jack Tolley (1-30) and Justin Pringle (3-30) kept Ashes quiet mid-innings.

“Matt and Charlie Tower bagged to give us a solid total,” said Ashburton captain Lloyd White.

Table-topping Stoke, never out of the top three since week five, lost opener Pringle first ball and were 23 for two when Mike Meech went.

Tyler Hunter (79) and Abhishek Anand (64) put together a 109-run partnership that was stretched by Adriaan Maxwell (34) and Hunter going on to reach 203 for four. With 15 overs to go, six wickets in hand and 32 needed to win, it looked like a done deal.

Stoke got bogged down against the bowling of Steve Edmonds (3-9) and Matt Coon (3-25). Mike Smith’s 30-ball stay for one run was a case in point.

Stoke lost seven wickets for just 10 runs on the way to 213 all out.

Said White: “Taking seven wickets for just 10 runs will live long in the memory with Steve Edmonds and Matt Coon giving nothing away with the ball.

“Hunter and Anand batted superbly for Stoke but once we got both out we believed we had a chance.”

Ashburton are still bottom, but the 19 points between them and safety does not look so wide after this morale-booster.

“We'll keep battling until the end,” pledged White.

Stoke drop back to second in the standings as Bideford’s win over Plympton moved them up one.

TEIGNMOUTH & Shaldon pushed Exmouth 2nd XI closer towards relegation from the C Division East by handing them a 212-run drubbing.

Sean McKenna belted the Exmouth bowling for a rapid 134 off 82 balls – 15 fours, seven sixes – as the Riversiders marched to 362 for seven.