Devon Cricket Board - C Division - Tighter than ever at top of table

CHAGFORD’S promotion aspirations should be a little clearer after they play Ivybridge this Saturday.

After going down by seven wickets to Bideford last time out, Chagford are third in the table just three points behind joint leaders Stoke Gabriel and Ivybridge.

Stoke stuffed Kingsbridge by 105 runs to go to top, while Ivybridge beat Ipplepen by four wickets to go past them and Chagford into second place.

With only 12 points between the top four and 60 points to play for, anything can happen – especially as they are playing among themselves this weekend.

For while Chagford are down at Ivybridge, joint leaders Stoke are at home to Ipplepen.

“It’s the big one for us as if we win it we have a great chance of promotion,” said Stoke skipper Andy Lockyer.

Chagford weren’t at their best with the bat against Bideford, who bowled them out for 161 with nine overs to go.

Dale Chadwick (39) and Henry Gordon-Lennox (32) took the batting plaudits , such as they were. Bideford’s Jack Hockin took four for 23.

Bideford lost James Ford and Fergus Bradbeer in the 50s, but surviving opener Mike Young carried on to make 71 before Jerry Christophers (2-50) got him out.

Josh King (44no) and Peter Stevens (19no) saw it through from 132 for seven.

Stoke Gabriel showed why they have been near the top of the table all season with a comprehensive 105-run win over Kingsbridge to set themselves up nicely for Ipplepen.

Dave Bolland smashed two sixes and 12 fours on his way to 115 and Anthony Scott had 82 in Stoke’s impressive 297 for six.

Bolland and Scott put on 127 for the second wicket after Bolland and Billy Allcock hoisted 94 for openers..

Kingsbridge did have a go –Ricky Carr (36), James Fletcher (29) and Bhanu DaSilva (66) reaching 166 for two – but lost direction after DaSilva went lbw to Seb Ansley.

Scott (5-48) ripped into Kingsbridge, who slumped to 192 all out.

Clyst Hydon captain Ian Sutton hasn’t given up on dodging the drop from the C Division despite a six-wicket defeat in the basement battle with Clyst St George.

Hydon clipped along to 220 for five with Andy Feather top scoring on 62 not out.

There were half-century stands between Feather and George Pawley (37) and Feather and Graham Trude (27).

St George won at a canter with skipper Steve Bourke slamming 86 to get the chase up and running.

A stand of 104 for the second wicket with Chris Ferro (34) paved the way, then the father-and-son combo of Chris (37no) and Matt Cook (33no) put on 58 unbroken to seal it.

Clyst Hydon (118pts) remain rock bottom and have to get past Ashburton (124) and St George (134) to stay up, which Sutton believes can be done.

“We have got to win some matches and will be looking for the result from Clyst’s game with Ashburton with great interest,” said Sutton.

Bourke said it was a must-win game and his team-mates duly delivered.

“Paul Laverick and Chris Cook bowled well to keep them to 221,” said Bourke.

“Ferro and myself set the pace the Cooks finished it off.

“Now Ashburton is a must-win game to keep our season alive.”

Ashburton need a win in the basement battle with Clyst St George this Saturday after losing to Ottery St Mary and sliding deeper into trouble.

Left-armer Will Harrison did most of the damage with five for 41 as Ashburton dipped to 48 for four.

Will Coon held things together with a patient 59 not out off 107 balls and put on 76 with Tony Lacy for the sixth wicket.

Mark Woodman finished with two for 41 in Ashburton’s 163 for eight.

Ashes needed early wickets and got one after three balls when Tom Durman struck.

Ottery applied themselves and with George Biggs (32) and Jody Clements (44) taking it steady got past a hundred.

Marcus West (5-49) spread alarm in the Ottery camp, but Alex Clements (16) and Woodman (12no) saw off the threat.

Ashes are rock bottom, 33 points from safety, and will be going down if they don’t beat St George.

“It was a good win, although it'd be nice if we could win comfortably for once and help my nerves out,” said skipper Clements.

“Winning makes us pretty much safe, and we will target a top-five finish now.”

Ipplepen saw a promising start go begging as they went down by four wickets at Ivybridge.

Moriz Hartmann went in at 17 for two and got Pens up to 108 for five before it all went wrong.

Five wickets went for nine runs – Jeewan DeSilva (3-35) and Kelvin Trent (2-35) in the thick of the action – and despite Hartmann’s unbeaten 73 a total of 140 all out was never enough.

Paul Thomas (2-25) an dSteve Bowden (1-21) made the Bridge work for their runs and at 98 for six there was a game to be won by either side.

Pens hadn’t found a way of removing DeSilva though and he completed an unbeaten 64 to wrap up victory with 10 overs to play with.