Devon Cricket Board - C Division - Bideford and Axminster joint top

C Division - Bideford and Axminster joint top

BIDEFORD charge on at the top of the C Division after beating Plymouth CS&R by 54 runs to preserve their unbeaten record.
Jordi Gilmore rifled a top score of 74 in a Bideford total of 204 for eight. He shared in stands of 93 with James Ford (36), 29 with Fergus Bradbeer and 30 with Josh King (36).
Pick of the Civil bowlers with five for 20 was Andy Hawker.
Civil were all out for 150 nearly seven overs early – Josh King (3-19) and Fred King (3-15) doing the damage at either end of the ininings.
Civil were 77 for six before a stand of 43 between Hawker (27) and Jack Dent (13) made the score respectable.
Bideford are at home to Kingsbridge this Saturday.
AXMINSTER sit joint top of the C Division with three wins from three after a 108-run win over Yelverton.
Brett Garner hit an unbeaten 67 and Johnny Hurford, an opening day double centurion, hit another 55 whilst Gary Larcombe chipped in with 49 in a total of 225-5.
Axminster skipper Tristan Wakeley then led from the front as he claimed a fivefer to see the visitors bundled out for 117.
The remarkable thing about the wicket haul for the skipper was that he is only a part-time bowler and had to call upon his own services with Robbie Prior and Joel Seward unavailable!
Wakeley finished with the outstanding figures of 5-23 whilst Gary Larcombe completed a fine all-round game with 2-31.
Wakeley said: “It’s great to keep our early season run going as winning becomes a good habit. In terms of my contribution it was the superb spell of swing bowling by Nick Taylor that encouraged me to turn my arm over as I didn’t think the spinners would have much joy and I came on as second change. When it all goes to plan it makes for a great day of cricket!”
On Saturday Axminster entertain Plymouth Civil Service and Roborough against whom they will be without the unavailable Brett Garner and Daniel Murnane, but they welcome back bowling duo Robbie Prior and Joel Seward.
CLYST St George find themselves propping up the C Division table going into their meeting with Yelverton on the Bohea Field.
Last time out Clyst were away to Dartington & Totnes, where they crashed to a 10-wicket defeat.
Matt Cook (57) and Kevin Coe (31) had the only scores worth reporting in Clyst’s total of 145 all out.
There were three wickets each for Dave Carter and Bertus Loots.
Loots 993no) and Brad Mitchell (44no) then knocked off the runs without mishap.
The next team up from Clyst are Ottery St Mary, who were 83-run losers at Kingsbridge.
Ottery are at home to fellow strugglers Chagford this Saturday so the pressure is on to get a result to avoid getting marooned in the bottom two.
In-form batters James Fletcher (72) and James Westlake (60) put on 110 for Kingsbridge’s first wicket and with Bhanu deSilva (40) chipping in they made 236 for nine.
Mark Woodman (2-31) and Zac Johns (2-35) were Ottery’s leading men with the ball.
Skipper Jody Clements tried shunting Woodman up the order to stablise the batting – and up to a point it worked as the former Devon player mad a top score of 21.
But Ottery needed more than one chip-in score from Lewis Townsend (29) to be competitive and were bowled out for 153.
Will Pike too the bowling honours with four for 33 and there were two each for Dan Hardy and deSilva.
CHAGFORD’S batsmen look in worrying form for opposition bowlers after their six-wicket demolition job on Ipplepen.
The Pens made a sizeable 255 for eight in their 45 overs with useful contributions from Dave Harris (47), Sam Wakeham (40), Adam Peters (38) and Steve Bowden with a chirpy 25 not out.
Chagford skipper Del Lammonby (3-40) will have been delighted to see youngster Luke Mortimore (2-30) sharing the bowling burden.
An unbeaten century by Divan Marais (119no) and Lammonby’s 59 not out saw Chagford to victory with four overs to go.
Lammonby and Marais put on 144 for the fifth wicket after coming together at 112 for four.
Chagford host Dartington & Totnes this Saturday.

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