Devon Cricket Board - Higgins cashes in on dropped catch

Higgins cashes in on dropped catch

B DIVISION 2nd XI - WEEK FIVE

DAVE Higgins hit a match-winning 71 as Stoke Gabriel cruised to a six-wicket win over Yelverton and moved within touching distance of a promotion place in the B Division.

Yelverton skipper Chris Pearson must have doubted his decision to bat first after the side dipped to 39 for four under pressure from Neil Robinson (3-25).

Tom Noble (38no) and James Worrell (22) put on 40 for the sixth wicket with Worrell the main aggressor before he became Stoke keeper Alex Bertram’s fourth catch of the innings.

Chris Cottrell (33no) and Noble added a further 66 runs for the seventh wicket before the overs ran out with the score on 159 for six.

Dom Rushton bowled Stoke dangerman Steve Tolly, then Robinson fell lbw to Tony Carter for 16.

Higgins should have been dismissed soon after when he was on 20 but the catch went down at cover and this proved to be decisive.

Higgins, Jack Tolley (16) and Bertram (19no) steadily accumulated runs despite the best efforts of Carter (1-30 off 13).

Despite losing Higgins for 71, stumped by Ghul Khan off Taylor (2-24), Stoke had no further alarms as they reached their target with four overs to spare.

Stoke are just two points behind second-placed Abbotskerswell, who lost for the first time this season in the B Division when Bideford turned them over by 87 runs at Two Mile Oak.

Alex Crisp (59) and John Weeks (38) were the batting stars for Bideford in their tally of 218 for nine.

Up-and-coming medium pacer Mike Rendle took five for 28 for Abbots, who were skittled out for 131 in reply.

Sean Green made 43 and Alex Birt 36, which does not leave much from the others.

Dave Staddon and Pete Shepherd took four wickets each for Bideford.

Alphington had South Devon on the ropes but could not finish them off and had to settle for a winning draw.

Tom Weeks (68) and 38 extras helped the Alphas towards a useful total of 212 for eight.

Jonty Parsons (3-47) was South Devon’s most effective bowler – and their leading run scorer with 43 in a reply of 132 for nine.

Steve Hathaway (2-38), Matt Barnes (2-28) and Lee Rowe (2-31) had South Devon wobbling, but last pair Mark Toseland and Tom Carne survived 11 balls at the end to scrape a draw.

Steve Harding sent another reminder to 1st XI skipper Liam Lewis that he wants a place back as leaders Heathcoat trounced Kingsbridge by 134 runs.

Harding followed his 99 against Abbotskerswell with 122 off the Kingsbridge attack. With James Davis (71) and Matt Parks (69no) getting on with it, Heathcoat reached 329 for two. Kingsbridge bowler Shaun Taylor hasn’t had figures of two for 90 before that often in his long career.

Kingsbridge were dismissed for 195 in reply – bowled out by Ned Menheneott (3-37), Lee Dixon (3-21) and Darron Drew (2-33).

Mark Edmonds (47) and Will Pike (42) had the best of the runs for Kingsbridge.

Shobrooke Park missed the chance to move away from the basement when they went down by six wickets at Brixham.

Nick James made 24, which was as good as it got for Shobrooke in an all-out total of 141. Rhys Dallow (3-35) and Tim Robinson (3-27) did most of the damage.

Ed Plackett (28) and Sam Thomas (35) were Brixham’s prime movers when it came to knocking off the runs. Mark Wheeler took three for 26 for Shobrooke.

Defeat leaves Shobrooke 20 points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table.

Brixham are still in one of the drop spots, but closed within two points of Yelverton, who were turned over by six wickets at Stoke Gabriel.

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