CHUDLEIGH moved on from losing to Plymouth 2nd XI with a 40-run win over visiting Brixham in the C Division West.

Skipper Will Heather was the man of the moment for Chudleigh with 104 towards a 45-over total of 275 for six.

Best of numerous chip-ins were Luke Quaintance’s 32, Rajkumar Neeiam (30) and Alex Haywood (24).

Brad McKee (3.44) and Mo Shaihk (3.11) were Brixham’s most economical bowlers. No one took more than one wicket.

Heather still had business with Brixham: a four-wicket return that slowed them to 235 for seven by the time their overs ran out.

A stand of 105 between George Benton and Shaikh got Brixham to 151 for three. Shaikh (96) got all the way to 227 for four before Heather winkled him out with two overs to go. Brixham were so far behind the clock by then the outcome wasn’t in doubt.

Three wickets in four balls in the last over gave Heather match figures of four for 23.

Meanwhile, Ipplepen’s grip on the leadership remains as firm as ever after they saw-off next-door neighbours Abbotskerswell by seven wickets.

Abbots were bowled out for 160, which the Pens knocked off with more than 22 overs to spare. And they did it without prolific run-getter Jamie Ingram, who suffered an arm injury while fielding.

Ipplepen are 39 points clear of second-placed Brixham at the top of the division, which only has one promotion place. That’s quite a cushion with eight games to go.

Charlie Hill, not for the first time in his Abbots’ career, rescued the team from all sorts of trouble at 32 for four. Without his 92 off 95 balls, they would have got nowhere near 160.

George Tapley had three of the first four Abbots’ wickets to fall. Noah Rider eventually spun out Hill on his way to three for 16.

Ipplepen lost wickets at 34, 97 and 120 on the way to win number nine of the season.

Marcus Gadie was second out for 28, which left Rider (64no) and Warrick Green (26no) to finish the job.