B DIVISION strugglers Ashburton were put to the sword again, Barton not hanging about on their way to a seven-wicket win.

Once openers Steve Edmonds (33) and George Yabsley (24) were out of the way, Ashburton found runs hard to come by against tight bowling from Stuart Bowker (3-34) and Muhammad Basit, who bowled 10 overs for 15 runs.

Lloyd White (20) and the dogged Matt Churchill (19) propped up the middle order for a while, but Bowker divorced them, which left Tom Cox (5-17) to run through the bottom half.

Basit showed just how valuable overseas players are to a team, with a match-winning 88 at the top of the order. Ashburton don’t have theirs in post yet due to visa issues.

By the time Matt Coon (2-29) had Basit caught behind the target was 21 to win. Fin Last (35) took Barton most of the rest of the way.

Victory takes Barton up to second in the table, which is a great turnaround from last summer’s losing battle against relegation.

Steve Lewis, the Barton captain, said winning the game was not quite as straightforward as it looked in the scorebook.

Four games into the season Ashburton are already 12 points adrift at the bottom of the division they have just been promoted into.

Skipper White said if they want to remain where they are, somethings have to change.

“We need to up it a notch – and quickly,” said White.

“As a group, we aren't hitting the highs that we know we all can.”

SEATON dodged a potential banana skin away to Bovey Tracey 2nd XI, where they won by five wickets thanks to an unbroken 95-run stand between Sam Goodier and skipper Tim Doulton.

Bovey Tracey had to work hard for their all-out total of 182 and were glad of patient knocks from Sam Veale (23), Ed Foreman (45) and Callum Stanley (19) for getting to the last over.

Dan Green made 22 in a hurry. A staggering total of 47 extras outscored everyone!

Two wickets each in tight spells from Doulton and Sam Dormer limited Bovey. Ben Morgan picked up two wickets in four balls as the end for figures of three for18.

Although Seaton opener Archie Trott never settled against the new ball – in and out for a single – Kai Croft (40) and Tristan Wakeley (25) soon nibbled away at the arrears.

Two wickets for Green, one for Veal and a run-out had Seaton on 88 for five when Doulton went out to join Goodier.

Another wicket or two then might have affected the outcome, but Bovey could not find a way to take them.

Doulton overhauled Goodier (40no) from a standing start to make 61 not out and clinch victory with more than three overs to spare.

Green said it was a tough day made tougher by the feeling Bovey were short of runs.

Green added: “Although the lads bowled well, a few things didn’t quite work for us. We will move on and learn.”

BOVEY Tracey 1st XI were defeated as well, tail-gunners Archie Goodrick and Dan Pugsley navigating Heathcoat to a one-wicket win in a Knightshays nail-bitter.

Knocking off 174 to win was beginning to look like a tough ask for Heathcoat when they were 118 for eight on the chase.

Dylan Penberthy-Hutchings (23) and skipper Jamie Drew (33) had long gone by then as Albie Bradley (3-23) and Chris Yabsley (2-26) worked through the top-order batting.

Heathcoat hopes were revived during a watchful stand of 30 for the ninth wicket between Freddie Bucknell (15) and Goodrick. Then Bradley had Bucknell caught behind and it was back to the drawing board.

Last pair Goodrick and Pugsley had time on their side – and used it waiting for a bad ball to come along. Nine over elapsed getting from 148 for nine to 166 for nine. Then Pugsley cut loose. In three hits he scored the winning runs.

Bovey’s batting depth was tested after they found themselves 19 for three after losing three wickets in three balls, spread across two overs.

Reuben Stanley (28) performed the first adjustment, backed up by Rob Pryke at seventh wicket down with 41.

Last pair Pete Bradley – possessor of two Premier Division centuries in his younger days – and Yabsley supported Pryke adding 73 for the final two wickets.

Heathcoat bowlers Drew (2-17) Finn Stoneman (1-22) gave Bovey little to go after during their 10-over stints.

Jake Pascoe, who was minding the shop in the absence of skipper Seb Ansley, said perhaps batters need to apply themselves more studiously.

Rob Pryke, Pete Bradley and Chris Yabsley did brilliantly to get us to a defendable total when it looked like we'd be done by three o’clock,” said Pascoe. “Individuals have got to be better with shot selection and ownership.”

Pascoe said the fielding element of the performance was largely good, although with one qualification.

‘Taking a wicket (Jeremy Bedford) with the first ball of their innings gave us belief for sure,” he said.

“I thought we had it when Heathcoat were nine down but Goodrick and Pugsley did a great job to get them over the line, although a chance or two were missed on our part.”

LASTLY, Todd Ballman hit an unbeaten century for Teignmouth & Shaldon that set them on course for a two-wicket C East win over Exeter 2nd XI on the County Ground.

Consistent batting all the way through the top five helped Exeter reach 232 for eight in a 45-over game.

An opening stand of 107 between Calum Gundry (60) and Max Cockram (28) was enhanced by Aashay Dube (21) and Sean Langford (43) after drinks.

Oscar McCallum (2-34) jostled with Tyler Blackburn (2-32) for T&S’s bowling pat on the back.

Ballman went in wen T&S were 50 for three, which soon became 66 for four following the loss of Seamus McKenna (26).

At 88 for five with Carl Woolnough just out to Seb Looker, T&S had some work to do.

A stand of 60 between Ballman and McCallum (20) put T&S in a position where they could win. Liam Gardner (16no) and Ballman added 47 unbroken to ensure they did.