WEEK Two of the North Devon Cricket League saw the record books rewritten in an afternoon of mayhem at Creedy Park, Sandford where the home side struck a club record score with their 470-4 against Ilfracombe. The visitors took to the field with just 10 men and were made to chase leather for the 45 overs that the home side batted in.
Sixteen-year old Shane Evenden plundered a double century. His 204, scored in 40 overs at the crease, included thirty fours and two sixes. It was the youngster's highest ever score, and he and number-three bat Nigel Ashplant added a club record stand of 241 for the second wicket.
Ashplant hit 102 with thirteen fours and then Asa Wright came in at number four and blasted 96, an innings that included nine fours and four sixes.
At the close of the innings the Sandford score stood on 470-4 a new highest score for the North Devon Leagues top Division - beating the previous best, also scored by Sandford in 2003 when they hit 385-6 against Westleigh.
Ilfracombe were then bowled out for 67 with right-arm seamer Mike Canning taking 3-23 and 17 year old Simon Ashplant, son of centurion Nigel, taking 3-13 in his nine overs of off-spin.
Sandford's Paul Smith said, " It really was an awesome display of batting by the top of the order and to win the game by 403 runs is an exceptional margin, one I doubt I'll see again".
North Devon began the defence of their First Division title with a five-wicket win over Barnstaple & Pilton at Instow. Barum were bowled out for 167, Steve Moore top scoring with 36 whilst Matt Dart took 5-22 and Russ Burbidge 3-16.
Stuart Rhodes hit an unbeaten 42, Matt Westaway 31 and Dan Pickard 27 as the Home side completed a regulation victory for the loss of five wickets.
DIVISION TWO
BRAUNTON have made a swift recovery from their opening day loss to Division Two new boys Bradninch by winning their next three games, indeed after two weekends of Cricket Braunton have already completed 25 per cent of their fixtures!
On Saturday they scored 316-6 then dismissed Barnstaple & Pilton II for 187. Andy Paddison was the star of the show, first he hit 126 putting on 113 with Mark Lathwell (78no) for the fifth wicket and then Paddison bagged 3-23, Lathwell chipped in with 3-16 and Barum ended well beaten.
The following day Braunton won a low-scoring contest against visiting Westleigh. The Home side batted first and struggled to a close of 166-9 with 13-year-old Barney Huxtable top scoring with 26 and Stuart Jenkins chipped in with an unbeaten 22.
Young Huxtable then displayed his talents with the ball, he took 3-14 whilst Gary Osbourne and Tom Johnson both bagged a couple of wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 146, giving Braunton their third win in four starts.
Bradninch have taken to life in the Second Division like "ducks to the water" and chalked up a second successive victory. After the previous week's win at Braunton they travelled to Barnstaple & Pilton II and came back with a 11-run win.
Tim Piper struck a magnificent 140, Gary Chappell hit 88 and the veteran Simon Bailey chipped in with 50 in a Bradninch total of 306-3. Then Les Kent, Rob Acton and Billy Wakeley each took two wickets as the hosts were restricted to 195-8, Eric Beer top scoring with 32.
Lynton & Lynmouth got their Division Two campaign off to the best possible start with a seven-wicket win over visiting Shobrooke Park.
The Mid Devon side batted first and posted a very healthy 279-9, Pete Turner hit 90 as he and Jamie Catala (36) added 137 for the first wicket. John Sweeney then hit an unbeaten 38 with Graham Fitt and Ian Hobbs both taking three wickets and Mark Jones bagging a brace.
In the home reply Gary Jones with 70 and opening partner Sam Shaikh, who hit a glorious unbeaten 125, added 194 for the opening wicket, Graham Fitt hit 32 to help his side to a close of 283-3.
DIVISION THREE
BUDE were beaten for the first time in Division Three, going down by four wickets at Sandford II where the home side hit 240-6 in reply to the Bude offering of 239-4.
Sean Parrish hit 90 and Andrew De Rosa an unbeaten 45 for Bude, both successful bats then took two wickets each with the ball but it wasn't sufficient to stop the home side's victory charge.
North Devon II lost to Filleigh II by 7 wickets. The Instow side batted first and closed on 214-7 thanks in the main to James Starkey's 63, Tom Dart chipped in with 30 but Martin Collier's splendid 72 guided his side to a seven-wicket win with one over to spare.
Hatherleigh began their Division Three campaign with defeat when they were beaten by four wickets by visiting Incorrigibles. The Witheridge-based side chased down the Hatherleigh offering of 238 all out in which Sean Forrester hit 90, by scoring 242-6, Simon Gillespie picked up a couple of wickets for the losing side.
Sandford II, who lost their opening Division Three game the previous week, bounced back in style beating visiting Bude by four wickets. Batting first Bude scored a competitive 239-4 with Sean Parrish top scoring with 90 and Andrew De Rosa hitting an unbeaten 45. Sandford Skipper Brian Leach led from the front, taking 2-52 then scored the match-winning runs in his cameo unbeaten 15, this after opener Richard Tucker had top scored with 94 and Mark Tregenven had chipped in with 51 as the Creedy Park men closed on 240-6.
Incorrigibles got their season off to the best possible start with a four-wicket win at Hatherleigh. James Hope with 97, and an unbeaten 49 from Ed Pinkum, helped the Witheridge side to 242-6 which was better than the home total of 238 all out, in which Sean Forrester hit a solid 90, Selwyn Elston bagged four wickets for just 10 runs for the winners.
DIVISION SIX
BRADNINCH II played their first ever League game as they opened their Division Six campaign with a six-wicket win over Ilfracombe II at Keynsham Park. Lalden Bhatti and the evergreen Les Kent each bagged a pair of wickets, but the bowling honours went to father-and-son pair Simon and Mark Bailey.
Dad Simon bagged 3-13 and schoolboy son Mark took 1-17 as the visitors were restricted to 152, a total Bradninch passed for the loss of just four wickets thanks to 69 from Alex Dunlavey, who got great support from Ollie Cottrell and club chairman Derrick Foan, who both scored 20.
Filleigh III played their first egame in the new Division Six and they were given a harsh welcome to League Cricket as visitors Halberton chalked up 316-5, Dave Gollop leading the way with 103, Tom Sambrook hit 69 and skipper Dan Coles was unbeaten on 33 at the close.
Will Karsten and Sean O'Livey then took a couple of wickets each as Filleigh were bowled out for 144.
NORTH DEVON LEAGUE RESULTS
Week Two (April 21 & 22)
DIVISION ONE
North Devon 168-5 (S Rhodes 42no, M Westaway 33, D Pickard 27), Barnstaple & Pilton 167 (S Moore 36, R Bowden 22; M Dart 5-22, R Burbidge 3-16). North Devon (20pts) bt Barnstaple & Pilton (5) by 5 wkts.
Sandford 470-4 (S Evenden 204, N Ashplant 102, A Wright 96), Ilfracombe 67 (S Ashplant 16, M Canning 3-23). Sandford (20pts) bt Ilfracombe (0) by 403 runs.
DIVISION TWO
Braunton 316-6 (A Paddison 126, M Lathwell 78no; J Bendall 2-51), Barnstaple & Pilton II 187 (R Holme 56; A Paddison 3-23, M Lathwell 3-16). Braunton (20pts) bt Barnstaple & Pilton II (2) by 129 runs.
Bradninch 306-3 (T Piper 140, G Chappell 88, S Bailey 50), Barnstaple & Pilton II 195-8 (E Beer 32; R Acton 2-25, L Kent 2-32, B Wakeley 2-32). Bradninch (20pts) bt Barnstaple & Pilton II (4) by 111 runs.
Braunton 166-9 (B Huxtable 26, S Jenkins 22no), Westleigh 146 (J Ford 70; B Huxtable 3-14). Braunton (20pts) bt Westleigh (10) by 20 runs.
Shobrooke Park 279-9 (E Turner 99, J Sweeney 38no: I Hobbs 3-29, G Fitt 3-20, M Jones 2-43), Lynton & Lynmouth 283-3 (S Shaikh 125no, G Jones 70). Lynton & Lynmouth (20pts) bt Shobrooke Park (3) by 7 wkts.
DIVISION THREE
Bude 239-4 (S Parrish 90, A De Rosa 45no; B Leach 2-52), Sandford II 240-6 (R Tucker 94, M Tregenven 51, B Leach 15no; A De Rosa 2-50, S Parrish 2-56). Sandford II (20pts) bt Bude (6) by 4 wkts.
North Devon II 214-7 (J Starkey 63, T Dart 30; M Bale 3-27), Filleigh II 215-3 (M Collier 72). Filleigh II (20pts) bt North Devon II (3) by 7 wkts.
Hatherleigh 238 (S Forrester 90; S Elston 4-10), Incorrigibles 242-6 (J Hope 97, E Pinkham 49no; S Gillespie 2-23). Incorrigibles (20pts) bt Hatherleigh (6) by 4 wkts.
DIVISION FIVE
Bideford II 257-6 (M Bettis 57, M Clarke 40; T Lockhead 3-47), Bishops Nympton 126 (M Gregory 15, B Border 15; M Clarke 3-28). Bideford II (20pts) bt Bishops Nympton (0) by 131 runs.
DIVISION SIX
Ilfracombe 152 (A Pink 31; S Bailey3-13), Bradninch II 153-4 (A Dunleavey 69, O Cottrell 20, D Foan 20). Bradninch II (20pts) bt Ilfracombe II (4) by 6 wkts.
Halberton & Samford Peverell 316-5 (D Gollop 103, T Sambrook 69, D Coles 33no), Filleigh III 144 (W Karsten 2-30), S O'Livey 2-32). Halberton & Samford Peverell (20pts) bt Filleigh III (0) by 172 runs.