Devon Cricket Board - B Division 2nd XI round up

B Division 2nd XI round up

ALPHINGTON administered a 109-run hiding to visiting Bideford.

   Matt Barnes helped himself to a century, and Tom Bath made 30, as the Alphas cruised to 227 for nine.

   Bideford were skittled out for 118 in reply with Darren Willcocks (33no) the only batsman to hang around.

   Nick Beasant had three for 10 for Alphington and there were two wickets each for James Knight and Steve Hathaway.

   Alphington are joint top of the early table with Abbotskerswell, who defeated Yelverton in their latest round of fixtures.

   Two points behind the joint leaders are Heathcoat, who overcame early difficulties to cruise to a five-wicket win over visiting Stoke Gabriel.

   Stoke’s 164 for nine – Doug Ansley (38), Paul Collings (27) – always looked a little on the low side. Lee Dixon (3-45) and former 1st XI captain Darron Drew (2-30) bowled well to keep Stoke in check.

   Ansley (3-60) had Heathcoat struggling at first, but unbeaten half centuries from Matt Parkes (56) and Sean Andrews (56) saw them over the hump.

   South Devon got back in business after losing heavily at Bideford with a five-wicket verdict over Shobrooke Park.

   Mark Tozeland, back with the club after a lengthy absence due to work commitments, had five Shobrooke wickets for 25 runs in a total of 162 all out. Matty Blackmore had two for 22 as the other end.

   Take out Alex Reddick’s 61 and James Bevan’s 31 and there was not a lot from the other Shobrooke batters.

   Blackmore then slammed an undefeated 87 as South Devon won at a canter. Dave Manning’s four for 12 came too late to change anything from Shobrooke’s standpoint.

WHAT a game! If every match was like the one between Kingsbridge 2nd XI and their Brixham counterparts there would be queues of spectators outside ground every Saturday afternoon!

   Kingsbridge recovered from a parlous 73 for six to make 298 all out – James Ellis belting a century and Mark Edmonds hitting 68 in a seventh-wicket stand of 157 that changed the match.

   Rhys Dallow (6-37) had dominated with the ball for Brixham. Once he had finished his allocation, Joe Hyde (2-80) was not so lucky.

   Brixham gave it everything they had on the chase and as long as Andy Pugh stayed in they had a chance.

   Pugh, the former Devon and England Board XI batsman, made 74 in support of the 86 fired by Ed Plackett as Brixham set off in hot pursuit.

   As the tension mounted Brixham last two players to run-outs, then at 214 for five Pugh was bowled by Clive Clarke (2-44).

   Shaun Taylor (3-52) and Dan Hardy (3-51) knocked over the rest a Brixham were bowled out for 260 and lost by 38 runs.

   Guy Harrison-Roberts was the man of the moment for Abbotskerswell in their eight-wicket win over Yelverton.

   Matt Tamsett with 82 was Yelverton’s top scorer in a total of 172 for eight.

   Sean Green had two early lbw decisions for Abbots and things got little better for Yelverton as they dipped to 68 for five.

   Dan Cooper (14) kept an end going while Tamsett got on with it at the other during a stand of 80.

   Green, Haydn Crocker and Dave Amery had two wickets each for Abbots.

   Alex Birt (46) and Harrison-Roberts gave Abbots a 111-run start, after which the outcome was never in doubt.

   Crocker went straight away for a duck, but Harrison-Roberts and Green (20no) knocked off the rest without mishap.

DCB Ltd, University of Exeter Sports Hall, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QN Company Registration Number: 7024773