UNBEATEN Ipplepen clinched the C West title without losing a game by imposing a three-wicket defeat on Kingsbridge.

Town found runs hard to come by with opener Freddie Ford (55) having a real battle for his top score of 55. Pens’ George Tapley (4-30) was on a hat-trick during his first spell.

Joe Parker and Warrick Green both operated below four an over to keep the pressure on.

Charles Smyth (26), Seth Gloyn (29no) and Freddie Wier (20) found ways to get Kingsbridge up to 191 all out.

It looked like a routine assignment for Ipplepen as they strode to 140 for three in reply with runs in the laptop for Tapley (38), Marcus Gadie (25), Sam Wakeham (19) and Jono Colgate (27).

Losing three for 20 – Colgate one of them – left Green (23no) to finish the job. Richard Carr and Bhanu DeSilva took two wickets each for Town, who are going to finish second.

Meanwhile, Ipplepen 2nd XI live to fight on in the D Division West despite a 10-run defeat in the basement battle with Tavistock 2nd XI.

Ipplepen could have been in jeopardy had either Barton or Abbotskerswell 2nd XI’s won. They didn’t and are doomed to the drop.

Harry Geering (53) and Marc Webber (42) made the scores that mattered for Tavistock, who were all out for 168 in the last over.

Jack Edworthy (3-39) was Pens’ leading wicket taker. Brad Aldridge (2-34), Ross Kennard (1-26) and Marcus Green (2-7) were hard to get away.

Ipplepen’s response was an up-and-down affair punctuated by bursts of wicket taking from Ryan Burke (3-15 off 9) and Nelson Stanley (2-33).

Jeff Heath (40) and Hugo Denman (20) made most of the runs reaching 100 for three. After a slump to 129 for seven, Ross Kennard (35) battled on.

With the finishing line in sight, Stanley and Marc Lewis (2-13) bagged a wicket each to slow Pens to 158 for nine.

Elsewhere, Ashburton, who have already been relegated from the B Division, went down to a five-wicket defeat at Plymstock in the penultimate game of Lloyd White’s time as captain.

The twin pressures of work and family life are the reasons White has stepped down after four seasons at the helm.

Plymstock were tasked within knocking-off 170 to win against Ashburton, which they did with exactly 16 overs to spare.

Opener Max Castledene (33) was at one end while he and Chester Oldfield (66) got as far as 55 for two.

Steve Edmonds (2-33) knocked over Castledene then Scott Mansfield in quick succession, but normal service resumed with Adam Frost (38) jogging along with Oldfield.

By the time Frost was bowled by Toby Pascoe, the winning post was in sight. Josh Sumner (12no) hit Pascoe for four to win it.

George Yabsley was Ashburton’s top score with dogged 47 not out from 87 deliveries. He went in at 46 for three and batted through. Nick Martin (32) and Jack Warren (14) were Yabsley’s companions in stands of 61 and 39 respectively.

Plymstock shared the wicket-taking around between Frost (2-33), Billy Gibson (2-37), Archie Hall (2-24) and Jimmy Nicholls (2-19).