Devon Cricket Board - C Division latest: Ottery & Clyst in must-win territory already

BIDEFORD are set up nicely for the top-of-the table clash against Axminster in the C Division following a thrilling seven wicket win over Dartington & Totnes.
It was nail-biting stuff down in the South Hams as D&T needed 14 to win off the last over, but couldn’t quite get there.

Jodi Gilmore went in a two for one in the third over after a rare failure by Matt Allin and hit 117 to anchor a Bideford total of 227 for nine declared.

Along the way Gilmore put on 53 with James Ford (19) and 80 with Reece Stanbury (37).

Pick of the bowlers for D&T wit three for 27 was Josh Thomas. Dave Carter and Mark Andrews had two each.

Darts reached 66 without loss the saw Brad Mitchell (21) and Bertus Loots (40) fall in the space off three balls.

Jamie Palmer (33) and Andrews (60) kept the chase going in stand of 95, which left 61 to win in the last 11 overs.

Martin Stewart (3-50) slowed the pursuit by removing Andrews, Palmer and next man in Jonno Colgate.

Scott Colegate (18) and Angus Wilson (19) had a go, but the asking rate was a little too high.

YELVERTON got back to winning ways with a 15-run derby victory over Plymouth Civil Service & Roborough.

PCS & R won the toss and asked the home side to bat first on a good looking wicket at Langton Park.

The PCS & R opening attack of Jack Dent & Cieron Ellard found some swing with the new ball and made life difficult for Yelevrton openers Tom Watkins & Mark Symes.

Ellard bowled Watkins for a single and Symes followed shortly afterwards fin similar fashion for 9 to leave Yelverton on 24-2.

Steve Luffman & Ian Loze added 41 for the 3rd wicket before Luffman chipped a return catch back to Rob Walker when he'd made 27.

Dave Scott joined Loze in the middle and the pair had put on 57 for the 4th wicket when Loze was caught at midwicket for a well compiled 42.

Skipper Richard Goldsby-West was in a belligerent mood and added 30 with Scott (26) for the 5th wicket and a further 48 with Chris Vinson (21) for the 6th wicket.

With the score on 199 West top edged a pull shot and was caught by Dent off the bowling of Jason Williams for 45.

The lower order put bat to ball and got the score up to a competitive 241-9 when the overs ran out.

In reply, PCS & R lost Williams early on off the bowling of James Harrison thanks to a sharp catch at 1st slip by Chris Vinson.

The opening attack of Harrison (9-1-37-2) & Chris Pearson (9-1-27-0) kept a tight rein on the scoring rate and with Harrison removing Brian Gaylard for 25 adjudged LBW, the PCS & R reply had reached 84-2 after 22 overs.

The mid innings drinks break proved to be decisive with wickets falling either side of the break.

Geoff Brain bowled Chris Sanders for 32 the over before the break and Ian Loze removed Dan Windsor for 1 straight afterwards.

The loss of these 2 quick wickets slowed the scoring rate, and when Rob Walker was caught by Pearson for 23 off the bowling of Ian Loze this left PCS&R on 101-5.

This soon became 101-6 as Pat Hobbs trapped Ben Wilkinson LBW for 4.

Skipper Greg Bridgett (36) and Andy Hawker tried to repair the damage with a bright & breezy 7th wicket partnership of 65, but with the required run rate rising, Bridgett was caught behind by Steve Luffman off the bowling of Dave Scott.

Andy Hawker (63no) & Dan Sanders (16no) added a further 60 for the 8th wicket as the Bohemians held their nerve and ran out winners by 15 runs.
CLYST St George entertain Ottery St Mary this Saturday in a C Division basement clash neither can afford to lose
Ottery haven’t won a game all season – their latest setback was a two-wicket defeat at Chagford – and Clyst aren’t faring much better.

Clyst’s 120-run reversal at Ipplepen last time out was their fourth defeat in five starts and leaves them second from bottom with only Ottery below them.

A 15-point gap already exists between Clyst and safety – and Ottery are a further six points adrift.

Clyst captain John Meredith said Saturday’s game with Ottery is a ‘must-win’ game, although that will be hard unless his team improve substantially on their showing against Ipplepen.

‘Our fielding let us down, and we dropped several straightforward catches,” said Meredith.

“Then our middle order, of which I was part, collapsed quicker than the walls of Jericho!”

Dave Harris came in at 56 for two for Ipplepen and went on to make 90 in a tally of 247 for nine.

Also chipping in where Seb Powell (24) and Matt Nichols (43). Bowling highlights were few and far between, although Mike Johnson did have two for 25.

Clyst were hustled out for 117 in reply with Chris Ferro (42) making the only significant score.

Clyst were 110 for three with 15 overs to go, then simply fell apart.

The wicket-taking was shared around with two each for Rachit Lakhamani, Tom Dyer, Nichols and Keith Wakeham.

Ottery’s Lewis Townsend hit a ton and still ended up on the losing side at Chagford.

With Townsend making 110 and former Devon all-rounder John Tierney cracking 88 in a stand of 194 for the second wicket, Ottery posted an impressive 279 for nine.

Duncan Manners-Chapman took the bowling plaudits with five for 29 and there were three more for skipper Derek Lammonby.

Chagford raced away in hot pursuit despite the best efforts of Mark Woodman (3-52), Will Harrison (3-57) and Townsend (2-40) to rein them in.

Divan Marais (88) shared a key stand of 84 with Lammonby, who kept on going to reach 97 not out.

With four needed to win and Lammonby on strike the ball scuttled through for four leg byes, denying the Chagford captain a deserved century.

It is Plymouth CS&R next for Chagford, who are third in the table behind Axminster and Bideford, who play each other.

Axminster look in good shape for the game after winning by eight wickets at Kingsbridge, although Bideford did well to hang on at Dartington in a close-run thing.

Joel Seward (3-10) and Nick Taylor (3-11) were the top two wicket takers and there were a brace each for Robbie Prior and Gary Larcombe as the South Hams side were bowled out for 164 after opting to bat.

The in-form Johnny Hurford stroked a run-a-ball 69 before being one of two wickets to fall in the successful run chase.

Joel Seward completed a fine all-round shift with an unbeaten 40 and the other not out batsman at the close was Brett Garner with 18.

Bideford is a big game, but Axminster captain Tristan Wakekey denies suggestions it will be crucial.

“It’s too early to talk of decisive matches in the campaign.

“However, the result could go a long way to determining who goes on to lift the top honour.

“Bideford have a strong-looking side with a class overseas act plus the likes of Ford and Allin so need to be given due respect.

“We travel there in great shape and, as long we play to the top of our game I am sure we’ll play our part in what ought to be a classic contest.”