NORTH DEVON HOLIDAY HOMES LEAGUE - APRIL 25 & 26
DIVISION ONE
NORTH Devon's Stuart Rhodes has begun the season in superb form and he followed his day one unbeaten 152 with another century as last year's runners-up made it two wins from two with a 103 -run victory over Newton Tracy at Instow.
Rhodes (108), Martin Gear (73) and Dan Bowser (39) led the Instow men to an imposing 284-4. Pat Steward and Simon Gear both bagging braces.
Gear then top scored with 54 and Bill Sobey chipped in with 27 as the reply closed on 181-8. Matt Dart took 4-23 in nine excellent overs and Jack Ashmore picked up 2-29.
Bradninch, who were unbeaten for much of last season when they lost twice in the closing month, have now lost two in two after an 18 run defeat at Bideford for whom the in-form Matt Allin hit an unbeaten 94. Chris Luxton chipped in with 21 as Bideford closed on 157-5.
Ross Acton was the pick of the Mid-Devon side's bowlers with 3-29 but apart from Joel Murphy (36no) and Billy Wakeley (37), there was little resistance to prevent Bideford from claiming an 18 run win. John Weeks (3-22), Dave Snell (2-16) and Josh King (2-25) claimed wickets for the home side.
Lynton & Lynmouth got their campaign off to a winning start with a 34 run win over Heathcoat – last years Division Two champions losing a second successive top flight game.
Lloyd Alley (81) led the hosts to a respectable 202, their last wicket falling off the second ball of the final over.
Heathcoat skipper Pete Randerson led the run chase with 51 but wickets at regular intervals left the Mid Devon side all out for 168. Ian Hobbs (3-54), Mark Jones (2-14), Matt Ryan (2-19), and Ben Pitkin (2-24) claimed wickets.
Champions Sandford were forced to call off their game with Filleigh when overnight rain deemed the Creedy Park wicket too wet for play.
DIVISION TWO
BRAUNTON started the weekend with a perfect start of played three, won three but all that ended with a seven-wicket defeat at Shobrooke Park on Saturday where then home side bowled them out for 115, three wickets each for John Sweeney and Ben Trenaman and then John James hit 47 as his side lost just three wickets on their way to victory.
Twenty-four hours later Braunton returned to winning ways and, rather like their opening three games, they did it batting first. Tom Mitcham (74) and Andy Paddison (47no) were the supporting acts to Aussie Matt Harivel, who plundered his second successive ton with 135. Bratton Fleming made a decent fist of the reply closing on 213-4 led by Paddy Dartnoll (62).
Barnstaple & Pilton made it played three, won two, with a 36-run win over Shobrooke on Sunday. Rodney Bowden (44), Michael Paine (42) and Andrew Barton (40) helped Barum to 197-7, which was answered by the visitors with 161. Richard Pyle (54) and Mark Goodman (22) gave their side hope but Steve Moore and Danny Donovan each took four wickets to deliver a home victory.
Hatherleigh opened their account with a 90 run win at Filleigh II. Ryan Davies top scored with 61 for the visitor's whilst right arm spinner Colin Robins claimed 5-24 and when Filleigh replied they were bowled out for 104 despite a valiant 32 from skipper James Marsh and a 23 from his older brother Tom. Richard Tidball picked up three wickets for Hatherleigh.
DIVISION THREE
BARNSTAPLE & Pilton II were two-wicket winners at home to Bratton Fleming II. The visitors were bowled out for just 146 with left-arm spinner George Elnough taking 5-28 in nine overs. George McEndoo then struck a superb 76 from the opening lost to guide Barum home, Elnough completed a fine all-round game with 19, Pete Simmons took 3-30 for Bratton Fleming.
Stuart Rhodes struck 90 as North Devon II made 193-7 at Sandford II and then bowled the home side out for 121. Tim Cooke took 4-20 for the home side who also had young Jamie Overton starring behind the wicket with five catches.
Shebbear are the early leaders in this division after they claimed a second successive win in something of a rush. They restricted visitors Bude to 169-9, Andrew De Rosa top scoring with an unbeaten 74, two wickets for Mike Furber.
Then the in-form Martin Bray hit 66 and Furber and unbeaten 82 as Shebbear needed just 20 overs to cruise to a nine-wicket win.
Incorrigibles won by 107 runs at Westleigh where they scored 175 and then bundled the home side out for 68 with Weeks taking 4-7. Lee Merrick hit 20 for the home side. James Ford was next best with 18 to add to his 3-13 in the visitors' innings.
DIVISION FOUR
BIDEFORD II made it two wins from two outings with a 92-run win at home to Halberton. Andy Webbe (54) and Alan Withecombe (50) led the home side to 225-6, which was answered by a laboured 133-6, 31 of which came from the bat of Hugh Sheridan.
There was a superb spell of left arm seam from 13 year old Dan Crocombe of Kelseymen as Lynton & Lynmouth II were shot out for 109 despite a battling 35 from Peter Druce. Young Crocombe took 4-6 from 3.2 overs. Tom Rowbotham (35), Wayne Manning (34no) and Gary Brook (26no) saw Kelseymen to an eight-wicket win.
Cheriton Fitzpaine are determined to quickly regain their Division Three status and they started with a perfect ten-wicket win over visitors North Devon III.
Only Rob Anderson (35) could make any impression with the bat for the visiting side as the home bowlers took charge led by Cheriton president Magnus Bowles. Bowles was making his annual appearance for the side and marked it in some style with a return of 3-20 in nine overs.
Ben Coe, playing his first game after missing the entire campaign last year with a knee injury, took 1-15 from his nine whilst the other wickets fell to Robbie Keight (2-30), Phil Cutler (2-10) and Jeremy Tricks (1-18).
Home openers Mike Foan and skipper Charles Sheldrake made short work of the run chase, knocking them off in half the overs, Foan hitting 55 and Sheldrake 33. Sheldrake had words of comfort for the young North Devon wicket keeper: “He had a real battle out there. Then ball was doing all sorts of things and I was very impressed with him, it most certainly was not easy out there.”
DIVISION FIVE
THERE was just the one game in the basement Division but it certainly drew all the post match talk as it ended in a tie, and both sides left the pitch thinking that Filleigh III had narrowly beaten visiting Barnstaple & Pilton III.
The home side batted first and scored 223-5 led by Ross Denning (88) and Joe Witheridge (29). Robert Wilkins (46) and Martin Ashe (71) thought their effort to win the game for their side had fallen just short but when the sides trooped off the scorebooks were consulted and the outcome of the game deemed to be a tie!
RESULTS
DIVISION ONE
Bideford 157-5 (M Allin 94no, C Luxton 29; R Acton 3-29), Bradninch 139 (B Wakeley 37, J Murphy 36no; J Weeks 3-22, D Snell 2-16, J King 2-25). Bideford (20pts) bt Bradninch (8) by 18 runs.
Lynton & Lynmouth 202 (L Alley 81; S Wadham 3-16), Heathcoat 168 (P Randerson 51, N Hague 20; I Hobbs 3-54, M Jones 2-14, M Ryan 2-14, B Pitkin 2-24). Lynton & Lynmouth (20pts) bt Heathcoat 168 by 24 runs.
North Devon 284-4 (S Rhodes 108, S Gear 73, D Bowser 39; S Gear 2-33, P Steward 2-42), Newton Tracey 181-8 (S Gear 54, B Sobey 27; M Dart 4-23, J Ashmore 2-29). North Devon (20pts) bt Newton Tracey (4) by 103 runs.
Sandford versus Filleigh. Match cancelled, waterlogged pitch.
DIVISION TWO
Braunton 115, Shobrooke Park 116-3 (J James 44). Shobrooke Park (20pts) bt Braunton (3) by 7 wkts.
Barnstaple & Pilton 197-7 (R Bowden 44, M Paine 42, A Barton 40; J Steer 2-31), Shobrooke Park 161 (R Pyle 54, M Goodman 22; D Donovan 4-30, S Moore 4-32). Barnstaple & Pilton (20pts) bt Shobrooke Park (8) by 36 runs.
Braunton 294-6 (M Harivel 135, T Mitcham 74, A Paddison 47no), Bratton Fleming 213-4 (P Dartnoll 62, T Cummings 47, J Tapp 43). Braunton (20pts) bt Bratton Fleming (6) by 81 runs.
Hatherleigh 194 (R Davies 61; C Robbins 5-24), Filleigh II 104 (J Marsh 32, T Marsh 23; R Tidball 3-26). Hatherleigh (20pts) bt Filleigh II (2) by 90 runs.
DIVISION THREE
Bratton Fleming II 146 (R Hunt 35; G Elnough 5-28), Barnstaple & Pilton 147-8 (G McEndoo 76; P Simmons 3-30). Barnstaple & Pilton (20) bt Bratton Fleming II (8) by 2 wkts.
North Devon 193-7 (S Rhodes 91; T Mostert 3-38), Sandford II 121 (R Discombe 19; T Cooke 4-20). North Devon II (20pts) bt Sandford II (4) by 72 runs.
Bude 169-9 (A De Rosa 74no; M Furber 2-22), Shebbear 170-1 (M Furber 82no, M Bray 66). Shebbear (20pts) bt Bude (1) by 9 wkts.
Incorrigibles 175 (L Weeks 34; J Ford 3-13), Westleigh 68 (L Merrick 20, J Ford 18; M Weeks 4-7). Incorrigibles (20pts) bt Westleigh (0) by 107 runs.
DIVISION FOUR
Bideford II 225-6 (A Webbe 54, A Withecombe 50, M Barrett 39; N Roud 2-6, P Venn 2-25), Halberton 133-6 ( H Sheridan 31). Bideford II (20pts) bt Halberton (4) by 92 runs.
Lynton & Lynmouth 109 (P Druce 35; D Crocombe 4-6), Kelseymen 111-2 (T Rowbotham 35, W Manning 34no, G Brook 26no; W Iqbal 2-20). Kelseymen (20pts) bt Lynton & Lynmouth (2) by 8 wkts.
North Devon III 96 (R Anderson 35; M Bowles 3-20, P Cutler 2-10, R Keight 2-30), Cheriton Fitzpaine 97-0 (M Foan 55no, C Sheldrake 33no). Cheriton Fitzpaine (20pts) bt North Devon III (0) by 10 wkts.
DIVISION FIVE
Filleigh III 223-5 (R Denning 88, J Witheridge 29; C Newton 2-39), Barnstaple & Pilton 223-7 (M Ashe 71, R Wilkins 46; J Witheridge 2-36). Filleigh III (15pts) tied with Barnstaple & Pilton III (15 pts).
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
Email your North Devon Holiday Homes League team photos to the news editor - conradcopy@btinternet.com