Devon Cricket Board - C Division - Biddy back with a win

AXMINSTER had just about the perfect day on the first Saturday of August as they claimed a 20-point success over Kingsbridge then learned of defeats for the three teams sitting immediately below them in the leading berths in the C Division table.

Once again it was the all-round strength of the Cloakham Lawn side that came to the fore.

First up, the bowling attack did the business with Robbie Prior (3-25), Matt Pyle (3-27) and Joel Seward (2-10) combining to bowl fourth placed Kingsbridge out for 133.Gary Larcombe and Nick Taylor were the other wicket takers.

Ed Bradbury made 41 and James Fletcher 21, but there wasn’t a lot from the rest of the Kingsbridge batting.

Gary Larcombe led the run chase with the top contribution of 38 whilst skipper Tristan Wakeley (32no) and Joel Seward (29no) saw the side over the winning line.

Wakeley said: “It really was a very thorough all-round performance.

“I felt, having looked at their (Kingsbridge) past results, that they are a side who chase confidently so when I won the toss sticking them in was the obvious decision. It paid off and we did bowl very well. “I was confident, but not complacent, at tea, and that’s how I want us all to be in terms of our focus over the last four games. If we collectively do that then we will achieve our goal!”

The win, plus those defeats to third placed Ipplepen and fifth placed Ottery St Mary, leave Axminster requiring just 44 points from their remaining four matches to be sure of starting next season in the third tier of Francis Clark Devon league cricket.

Wakeley says: “We can now take on Bideford knowing that it’s only a must-win game in terms of any hopes we have of winning the title.

“We have that cushion at the moment, but also have Ipplepen to play in the last four, so there really cannot be any form of complacency.

“The bigger picture is planning to get this club into the B Division and then target further progress.”

BIDEFORD are back on course for the C Division title after beating Dartington & Totnes by four wickets in a high-scoring affair at Westward Ho!

Bertus Loots battered the Bideford bowling for 110 not out off just 66 balls – eight fours and the same number of sixes – as D&T amassed 258 for four in 45 overs.

Opener Angus Wilson made 64 and put on 94 with Loots for the fourth wicket.

Wickets were hard to come by, although Josh King (2-53) did manage a couple.

Bideford wiped off the first 105 needed through Dan Barratt (43) and skipper James Ford (73), who carried on to add another 80 with Jodi Gilmore (78).

Gilmore went at 221 for three, but the momentum was with Bideford now and bits and pieces from Al Savage and Fred King got them over the line with seven balls to spare.

Bideford needed a win to get over their run-rate defeat by Kingsbridge seven days earlier and to avoid their lead being eroded further.

Victory leaves Bideford 20 points clear at the top going into the game against second-placed Axminster this Saturday.

PLYMOUTH CS&R eased their relegation fears by creeping past fellow strugglers Yelverton by two wickets.

Steve Luffman made 40 and Richard West 29 in Yelverton’s total of 159 for nine – Chris Sanders taking three for 17.

Dan Windsor (30) made early runs but it was Dan Sanders (24no) and John Dent (26no) who got Civil safely over the line.

Civil now sit third from bottom with a 13-point cushion over Yelveton, who share bottom spot with Clyst St George.

CLYST St George showed they won’t be going down without a fight by surprising promotion hopefuls Ipplepen.

Pens were odd-on favourites to beat the table-proppers, but instead came away on the wrong end of a 39-run defeat.

Chris Ferro made 81 not out – he and Chris Cook (49) put on 77 for the fifth wicket – and with Steve Bourke making 33 a total of 252 for six was posted.

Pens then slumped to 127 for five with Rachit Lakhmani (40) and Dave Harris (33) out of the way with Jeremy Welland (3-63) and Mark Johnson (2-44) doing much of the damage.

Back came Pens with Seb Powell making 68 and only when he was seventh out at 208 was Bourke (4-19) able to get among the tail-enders.

Clyst are still bottom, but have drawn level with Yelverton and are only 13 points behind Plymouth CS&R and safety.

“Two more wins should do it,” said skipper John Meredith, who takes the team into a derby date with Ottery St Mary this Saturday.

CHAGFORD are safely back in mid-table thanks to a 98-run win over form side Ottery St Mary.

Ottery had won five on the trot before welcoming Chagford to Salston Field, but were always up against it after the visitors racked up 284 for nine.

Jon Wright belted 79 for Chagford, putting on 64 with Divan Marais (23) and 70 with Dave Penberthy (24).

Knocks of 33 not out from former Devon player Jeremy Christophers and 29 from Paul Penberthy, plus a generous helping of 57 extras helped Chagford reach 284 for nine.

James Faulkner took four for 63 and Will Harrison two for 36.

Ottery were all out for 186 in reply – Christophers capping a fine individual display with five wickets for 22 runs.

Steve Sizmur and Wright took a couple each.

There were runs for Sam Tennant (50), Alex Thurgate (42no) and Jack Pritchard (25).

Jody Clements, Ottery’s disappointed captain, said: “We didn’t play well.

“They made us work and we didn’t do the same to them.

“Also they had slow bowlers suited to the type of pitch it was. We didn’t help ourselves by bowling short – and when we did they hit it!”