LUSTLEIGH headed to Ilsington looking to continue their good form and knowing a win would keep them in the hunt for the top two finish in the Dartmoor league.

But after losing the toss they were asked to bowl first on a tricky, sloping square.

The different conditions made it difficult for Lustleigh's bowlers to find their rhythm early on, and Ilsington's opening pair took full advantage. Both openers reached the 25-run retirement mark before the home side continued to build a competitive total.

Ollie Poustie provided Lustleigh with a breakthrough, while Duncan Chapman produced arguably the bowling performance of the evening, completing his four overs for just 12 runs. Sadly, the wickets column didn't quite reflect the quality of the spell.

Mike Wright and Matt Pearce both chipped in with a wicket apiece as Lustleigh managed to restrict Ilsington to 139–3 from their 20 overs.

Lustleigh's chase got off to a flying start, with Ed Griffin and Harry Bannister both reaching 25 and putting the pressure firmly back onto the Ilsington bowlers.

With the platform set, Shaun Wright provided the perfect anchor, adding another valuable 25 to keep the chase ticking along. Matt Powell, back in the team, also made an important contribution as Lustleigh continued to chip away at the target.

Matt Pearce then came to the crease and battled against the bounce of the Ilsington wicket and some accurate bowling, scoring a valuable 17 before unfortunately holing out near the boundary.

That left Duncan Chapman to finish the job and finish it he did.

With the target in sight, Chapman held his nerve and found the runs required to take Lustleigh to 140 in just 19.2 overs— four balls to spare.

There may have been a few nervy faces on the sideline towards the end, but ultimately it was a perfectly timed chase from Lustleigh, getting over the line with four balls remaining.

Duncan Chapman takes the honours after an excellent all-round contribution — four economical overs for just 12 runs with the ball before calmly finishing off the chase.

A big thank you to The Primrose Tearooms in Lustleigh for kindly sponsoring the Lustleigh match day team.

Ilsington 139–3 (20 overs) Lustleigh 140–1 (19.2 overs)

Lustleigh win by 9 wickets.

Another successful chase on the road — and another excellent team contribution from Lustleigh. The final Dartmoor league game sees them visit Dunsford tomorrow.