Devon Cricket Board - B Division

B Division - Bowker blasts B&P

B DIVISION

STUART Bowker took his wicket tally to 17 in the last four games with four more in Barton’s win over Barnstaple & Pilton.

Bowker has been ‘turned’ into a left-arm spinner this season having previously operated as a seamer. He took four for 63 as BP were limited to 184 for nine.

The transformation has worked wonders for Barton, who are now up to second in the B Division rankings after beating Barum by five wickets.

Barton’s stated aim at the start of the season was to get back into the A Division at the first attempt.

For skipper Adam Parker it’s a case of so-far, so-good.

“We are in a really good position half way through the season, but need to keep churning out the good performances if we are going to stay in the running,” said Parker.

Andy Barton (43) and Brady Saunders (42) put on 77 for B&P’s second wicket then Ed Yeo clattered 43 not out at the end.

It wasn’t just Bowker who was among the wickets as Damon Calland took four for 58.

Barton went off like a pistol shot with Shaun Needham reaching 50 off 50 balls as they raced to 79 for one.

Harry Moores (64) and Calland (16) knocked up another 52, Parker made 21 and by the time Moores got out the target was 13, which Tom Drake and Greg Shelton took care of.

Jack Popham (3-58) and Steve Moore (2-38) took the wickets.

Said Parker: “We had to work hard in the field and with ball to restrict them to 184. Then we batted positively to knock the runs off.”

THORVERTON are stuck fast in the B Division mid-table after a surprise seven-wicket defeat by lowly Tavistock.

Thors, who have been harder hit than anyone by rain-offs in this wettest of wet seasons, were hoping to make up lost ground at he expense of the struggling Moorlanders.

It didn’t work out that way though as they were bowled out for 175 and lost by a distance.

Paul Fielder (35), David Baldock (35) and James Janion (30) all got in, set and out without making the big score Thors needed.

Pick of the bowlers for Tavvy with four for 38 was skipper Shaun Daymond,. Shaun Cleave had three for 38.

Tavvy’s run chase was led by Aaron Churchill (31), aided and abetted by Josh Stephens (30) and Dave Manning (22no).

It’s Lewdown away this Saturday for Thorverton.

CHUDLEIGH froze on the big occasion and paid a heavy price!

The top-of-the-table clash at Hatherleigh seemed to be going Chudleigh’s way after Ben Holmes (4-39) and Rob Clarke (3-22) had removed the home side for 142.

After Simon Gillespie (230 and Andy Collier (37 had dipped into the run pool, Hatherleigh lost their last five wickets for 26 runs.

Chudleigh, with Divan Marais (51) going along nicely, were 83 for two and seemingly in the driving seat.

Then it all started to go wrong. Mark Lake (3-25), Steve Leatheran (2-26), a run-out and two cheap wickets for Gillespie saw Chudleigh bowled out for 119.

Not only had Chudleigh surrender top spot to Hatherleigh, they drop down to third as Barton went past them.

DARTINGTON & Totnes put some distance between themselves at the foot of the table when they trounced visiting Axminster by 113 runs.

After skipper Kalon Veale (27) and James Palmer (17) got D&T up to 57 for three, Ryan Stevenson came in and batted to the close for 51 not out in a total of 167 for eight.

Rob Prior (4-34) took the bowling honours for Axminster.

Axminster’s batters had an afternoon to forget in a hurry as their innings fell apart.

The visitors nosedived from 41 for three to 54 all out with Veale (3-4), Bertus Loots (3-5) and Jonno Colgate (2-7) doing the damage.

Dartington & Totnes remain in the bottom two and still have to make up 16 points from somewhere to get past Tavistock.

The chance to do that comes this Saturday when D&T are away to the Moorlanders.

ALPHINGTON came a cropper against Lewdown’s South African pacer Rob Mutch as they slumped to a 63-run defeat at the Chronicles.

Harry Geering (78) and Mark Jordan (43) put on 105 for Lewdown’s second wicket towards an eventual total of 175 for seven. Alvin Pollard took three wickets on his return to the club from Exeter and there were two each for Stuart Shaw and Paul James.

Alphington fond Mutch hard to get away from the start and at 73 for six were struggling to stay in the game.

Ben Morris battled away for 35 in an effort to salvage a draw, but when he was ninth out at 111 the end was only one run away.

Mutch finished with six for 18 and Charlie Hughes had two for 19.

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