NORTH DEVON HOLIDAY HOMES LEAGUE – WEEK FOUR (MAY 3)
THERE was a major turn up in Division One with the surprise defeat of last season's runners-up North Devon, who travelled to face last year's Division Two champions Heathcoat with a played two, won record whilst the Knightshayes men had gone down in both their opening games.
The form book was torn up though as the home side took on, and passed the visitors' offering of 235 all out, to win by four wickets with two balls of the contest to spare.
Stuart Rhodes hit his third ton in as many top-flight outings this term with 1107 whilst Dan Bowser chipped in with 62. Quazim Adams and Liam Lewis each claimed three wickets for the home side who battled to victory thanks to Adams (75), skipper Pete Randerson (66) and an unbeaten 41 from Lewis.
There was also a surprise at Bradninch where the home side had to concede their game with Newton Tracey as they could not raise a side!
Last season the Mid-Devon club fielded two teams in the league, but they lost their opening two matches this term they have already lost their opening two games and this walkover defeat means played three, lost three and effectively ends any hopes of bettering last year's third-place finish.
A frustrated Newton Tracey were forced to turn out at their place and hold an impromptu single wicket competition!
Victoria Park won the other top-flight game, and in some comfort too as they claimed a nine-wicket victory on the doostep at Bideford. The home side posted a decent enough 184-8 led by a half century from Ian Hayter whilst Chris Luxton hit 47. Neil Bettis took 4-17 for Victoria Park then Marc Bettis plundered a superb unbeaten 116. Bettis and John Glass (35) put on 166 for the first wicket.
DIVISION TWO
BRATTON Fleming were seven-wicket winners at Shobrooke Park where they hustled the home side out for a paltry 83 and knocked them off in next to no time.
Alex Reddick (22) and Dave Manning (16) offered the most resistance; Mark Goodman took 2-7 in nine as the visitors strolled to victory.
Filleigh II had a fine 60-run win at Beaford where they scored 188-8 led by 68 from Martin Collier. Jaz Kalsi (32) and Tom Marsh (30) made useful contributions whilst Alan James bagged a brace for the home side who were then restricted to 128-8.
Geoff Lake resisted for 26 but the bowlers were on top with Tim Fryer taking 3-27 in seven and Mike Prideaux 2-19.
DIVISION THREE
ADAM Hingston hit an unbeaten 45 as Bude beat Barnstaple & Pilton II by seven wickets. Hingston's knock helped his side to 157-3 in reply to the home side's total of 156-8.
Dave Beer hit 52 for Barum whilst Matt Clarke, who had been the most successful bowler with 2-49, chipped in with an unbeaten 22. Ben Purcell bagged a brace for the winners.
Ilfracombe were bundled out for 100, 41 of which were scored by Jamie Sutton and then visitors Incorrigibles lost six wickets in a successful run chase. Nathan Townsend and Dan Brierley both took a couple of wickets for the hosts.
Simon Ashplant hit a superb unbeaten 118 whilst Bob Eames struck 40 as Sandford II scored an imposing 251-3 at Instow.
North Devon II battled to 118-6 at the close with golden oldies Tom Stanton top scoring with 34 and Bob Heaman hitting 21.
DIVISION FOUR
THERE was a 19-run win for Cheriton Fitzpaine in a low-scoring affair at home to Halberton & SP. Peter Blight and Steve Stentiford jointly top scored with the bat for the mid-Devon side with 23, but there were also 46 extras in a total of 152.
Will Carr and Robbie Keight both took three wickets and Ben Coe had a direct hit for a run-out as the visitors were bowled out for 133. R Durrant made a good 44 in a losing cause for H&SP.
Alan Withecombe continued his fine start to the season with an unbeaten 116 as Bideford II scored 208-5 at Kelseymen. Darren Hart chipped in with 52, two wickets each for John Letherbridge and Martin Lewis. Lewis then top scored with 31 and Tom Mitcham gave support with 27 but the home reply was done and dusted on 115, Hart completing a fine, all-round effort with 3-10.
DIVISION FIVE
THERE was a full programme in the basement division where the main talking point came in the Bude II versus Nomansland game.
The Witheridge based visitors scored 276-4 led by Gary Say with 85 and Dave Gooding with 44. But the star of the show was undoubtedly 17 year old Josh Clare, who hit 73 including 30 in one over from the home skipper Mike Taylor!
Claire was very close to following in the footsteps of Sir Garfield Sobers and Kapil Dev when he sent the first five balls of a Taylor over out of the ground.
The sixth delivery was also thumped, but much straighter and it cannoned into the shoulder of the batsman at the other end – his skipper Andrew Crossman. Bude skipper Taylor said: “The lad didn't half hit it well. I put the ball in the same spot, he gave it the same shot, and it was awesome stuff.
“Then the last ball I sent it down a little quicker and still he spanked it – only to hit the batsman at my end on the shoulder – it would have gone for four for sure so I was spared having an over go for 34.”
The home side replied with 189-9 led by Ashley Hocking (43) and that man Taylor (35). The best bowling figures went to young Clare with 3-33 from nine overs.
Ben Mogford was a teenage centurion as Filleigh III made it three wins from three outings with an eight-wicket win at home to Bishop Nympton.
Ron Simmons (63) led the visitors to 153-8 with Simon Prosser the pick of the bowlers with 2- in nine. Filleigh, with seven under-19s in the XI cruised to victory led by Mogford with an unbeaten 101 and James Popplewell was still there at the end with 26.
North Molton began their campaign with a 39-run win over visiting Barnstaple & Pilton III. James Green (91) and Joe Noble (34) were the principle run getters for the home side in a total of 189-9, Neil Rowe took 2-16 and then James Rowe with 48 led the Barum reply that floundered on 150-6, Charlie Down the pick of the bowlers with 3-23.
The two new boys met at Petrockstowe where Belstone were 28-run winners. The visitors batted first and led by a fine 97 from Richard Drake, posted a tidy 177-9. Nigel Cockwill claimed 6-38 with his right-arm spin for the home side, who were then bowled out for 149.
Lee Cockwill, the son of the six-wicket man in the first innings, top scored with 39, Jonathan Parsons took 2-9 with his right-arm seam for Belstone who have joined the ranks of those clubs who have enjoyed victory in their first ever North Devon League game.
RESULTS
Division One
Bradninch versus Newton Tracey – Newton Tracey (20pts) bt Bradninch (0) w/o Bradninch could not raise a side.
Bideford 184-8 (I Hayter 50, C Luxton 47; N Bettis 4-17), Victoria Park 185-1 (M Bettis 116no, J Glass 35). Victoria Park (20pts) bt Bideford (1) by 9 wkts.
North Devon 235 (S Rhodes 107, D Bowser 62; Q Adams 3-28, L Lewis 3-44, S Wadham 2-10), Heathcoat 236-6 (Q Adams 75, P Randerson 66, Lewis 41no). Heathcoat (20pts) bt North Devon (6) by 4 wkts.
Division Two
Shobrooke Park 83 (A Reddick 22, D Manning 16), Bratton Fleming 84-3 (M Goodman 2-7). Bratton Fleming (20pts) bt Shobrooke Park (3) by 7 wkts.
Filleigh II 188-8 (M Collier 68, J Kalsi 32, T Marsh 30; A James 2-39), Beaford 128-8 (G Lake 26; T Fryer 3-27, M Prideaux 2-19). Filleigh II (20pts) bt Beaford (4) by 58 runs.
Division Three
Barnstaple & Pilton II 156-8 (D Beer 52, M Clark 22no; B Purcell 2-28), Bude 157-3 (A Hingston 45no; M Clarke 2-49). Bude (20pts) bt Barnstaple & Pilton II (3) by 7 wkts.
Ilfracombe 100 (J Sutton 41), Incorrigibles 101-6. Incorrigibles (20pts) bt Ilfracombe (6) by 4 wkts.
Sandford II 251-3 (S Ashplant 118no, B Eames 40), North Devon II 118-6 (T Stanton 34, B Heaman 21). Sandford II (20pts) bt North Devon II (0) by 133 runs.
Division Four
Cheriton Fitzpaine 152 (P Blight 26, extras 40), North Devon III 133. Cheriton Fitzpaine (20pts) bt North Devon III (8) by 19 runs.
Bideford II 208-5 (A Withecombe 116no, D Hart 52; J Letherbridge 2-20, M Lewis 2-33), Kelseymen 115 (M Lewis 31, T Mitcham 27; D Hart 3-10). Bideford II (20pts) bt Kelseymen (2) by 93 runs.
Division Five
Nomansland 276-4 (G Say 85, J Clare 73, D Gooding 44), Bude 189-9 (A Hocking 43, M Taylor 35; J Clare 3-33, D Piper 2-37). Nomansland (20pts) bt Bude (4) by 87 runs.
Bishops Nympton 153-8 (R Simmons 63; S Prosser 2-9), Filleigh III 154-2 (B Mogford 101no, J Popplewell 26no). Filleigh III (20pts) bt Bishops Nympton (2) by 8 wkts.
North Molton 189-9 (J Geen 91, J Noble 34; N Rowe 2-16), Barnstaple & Pilton III 1150-6 (J Rowe 48; C Down 3-23). North Molton (20pts) bt Barnstaple & Pilton III (6) by 39 runs.
Belstone 177-9 (R Drake 97; N Cockwill 6-38), Petrockstowe 149 (L Cockwill 39; J Parsons 2-9). Belstone (20pts) bt Petrockstowe (8) by 28 runs.
North Devon League Week by Week
Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four | Week Five | Week Six | Week Seven
Week Eight | Week Nine | Week Ten | Week Eleven | Week Twelve | Week Thirteen | Week Fourteen
Week Fifteen | Week Sixteen | Week Seventeen | Week Eighteen | Week Nineteen | Week Twenty |
Week Twenty-One | Week Twenty-Two | Week Twenty-Three | Week Twenty-Four
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