Devon Cricket Board - B Division - Barton pulling away

B DIVISION

CHUDLEIGH go to Lewdown this Saturday back up to second in the table after a crushing 159-run win over crisis club Axminster.

The runs kept on coming for Chudleigh, who got off to a 50-run stand thanks to Matt Heather (37) and Ed Foreman (25) and never looked back.

Divan Marais, who top scored on 85, the shared in stands of 70 with Heather and 50 with Sean Day (29).

Matt Pyle took four for 50 for Axminster before Chudleigh declared on 251 for seven.

Axminster, bottom of the table resigned to the drop, were all out for 92. They lost their last five wickets for just five runs as Sean Day (5-26) and Rob Clarke (4-29) flushed them out.

Chudleigh are six points up on Hatherleigh (3^rd) and 16 up on Lewdown in fourth.

Skipper Jon Martin now has the promotion scent in his nostrils.

“That’s set us up for a interesting last five games,” said Martin.

“I am not complacent – we have been up and down the top four almost every week since the season started – but we are in a great position.”

DARTINGTON & Totnes need a win against fellow strugglers Alphington this Saturday after going down by 49 runs to Lewdown.

South African Rob Mutch went in at 77 for three and made 72 as the Moorlanders reached 192 all out.

Fellow countryman Gybertus Loots (4-63) and Ryan Stevenson (3-53) were the leading wicket-takers for D&T.

Darts were quickly reduced to 35 for four in reply and, but recovered to 88 for four thanks to Loots (27) and Joe Hockings (23).

It was a different story at 103 for eight and with Dave Ball taking four for 30, Mutch three for 30 and Mark Jordan two for 37 they were all out for 143 with two overs to go.

Skipper Kalon Veale said he knows where the problem is, curing it is another matter though.

“We have been getting into good positions to win games with strong bowling performances, but our batsmen have not been performing with enough consistency,” said Veale.

“People have been getting in but not going on to make the big scores that can win you a game.

“If we can start to perform in all areas for the rest of the season, I believe we are strong enough to win a few more games and make a real push to get out of relegation.

Alphington is a big game for us and I will be looking for runs from our top order to give us a real chance.”

BARTON welcome Tavistock to Cricketfield Road on Saturday 11 point clear at the top of the B Division table after a workmanlike six-wicket win over promotion rivals Hatherleigh.

Hatherleigh slumped from 72 for three to 79 for seven and on to 109 all out as Stuart Bowker (4-27) and Adam Parker (2-27) ripped into them – Rob Chapman (25) the exception.

Damon Calland (2-4) and Rashmi Jinan (2-26) picked off the rest.

Barton raced to 87 for the first wicket through Shaun Needham (48) and Harry Moores (35). Rob Cockwell (3-11) made it interesting for a while, but Parker and Jinan saw it through.

Barton skipper Adam Parker said his side were setting high standards, the secret to getting promote is maintaining them.

“We performed really well and dominated in all three aspects of the game,” said Parker.

“We have opened up a little gap at the top so now the challenge is to stay there and widen the gap.

“We can only do that if we carry on playing good cricket and picking up positive results.”

THORVERTON remain on course for a late promotion push in the B Division after taking the thick end of a draw off Alphington.

Andrew Codling stroked a top score of 66 – he and Harry Choules put on 70 for the fourth wicket – as Thors made 209 for nine, Skipper Paul Fielder (28) and James Hope (23) both chipped in.

There were three wickets each for Paul James, Tom Bath and Stuart Shaw.

Alphington slumped to 90 for eight in reply – Fielder (4-38) and Ben Slaverio (3-29) doing the damage – and a Thors’ win seemed assured.

Alvin Pollard (31) and Nick Ainscough (29) were out of the way and only the tail-enders remained.

The tail proved stubborn and Alphas held out at 141 for nine.

Thors took 15 points from the game, which leaves them 17 behind second-placed Chudleigh and still in with a shout according to skipper Fielder.

“With all the top three to play in the coming weeks, f we are do well in those games I feel will be in a great position for the last two games,

“I also have a full-strength squad to chose from for the next few weeks which is a bonus.

“It would of been nice to get all 20 points, which I felt we deserved, but there were plenty of positives to take from the game.”

TAVISTOCK went a long way towards banishing their relegation fears with a 52-run win over Barnstaple & Pilton.

Tavvy’s batters found Jack Popham (4-53) and Steve Moore (2-39) hard to get away, but managed to cobble together 183 all out. Aron Churchill (40) and Ian Grey (27) put on 52 at the top of the order then Shaun Cleeve chipped in with 21 lower down.

Cleeve (4-53), Jamie Stephens (3-22) and Shaun Daymond (2-22) then shot B&P out for 121.

Once Moore (28) and Popham (22) were dismissed, B&P lost their last four wickets for 25 runs.

“We didn't bat to our best by a long way and thought we hadn’t got enough,” said skipper Daymond.

“But our bowling and fielding was superb and that’s three wins on the bounce now.

“I am looking to carry on the form and finish as far up the table as we can.”