Devon Cricket Board - C Divison in detail - Gaylard lashes 54-ball ton

IPPLEPEN’S Caleb Gaylard is quickly making a name for himself after another match-winning performance for his new club – just ask Ottery St Mary!

The Kiwi all-rounder followed his nine for 12 debut performance with the ball against Shaldon with a whirlwind century against Ottery St Mary.

Pens amassed 292 for five against visiting Ottery with Gaylard smashing an unbeaten 104 from just 54 – that’s right 54 – balls!

Gaylard smote 11 fours and five sixes, sharing a stand of 120 for the fifth wicket with Matt Nicholls (89) and 70 for the sixth with Matt Quartley (24no).

Mickey Wilkinson (4-38) was lucky enough to bowl before Gaylard came in at 98 for four. Joe Birch (9-0-76-0) and Rob Crabb (6-0-54-0) didn’t fare so well.

Ottery had a go – Wilkinson (50) and Sam Tennant (51) too the score to 137 for three – but Gaylard hadn’t finished with them just yet.

While Steve Bowden (5-55) was softening them up at one end, Gaylard took four for 19 at the other to dismiss Ottery for 202.

Lewis Townsend, the Ottery captain, said his side could have done better but didn’t play that badly despite the 90-run margin of defeat.

“We played well for big periods of the game but a key times weren't quite good enough,” said Townsend.

Our bowling at the end of their inning wasn't good enough – their guys struck the ball very cleanly - but we did not hit our areas as we'd like.

That was probably the difference between them getting 230, which I would have backed us to have chased, and 290 which was just a bit far out of reach.

“Mickey and Sam batted really well and set us up in a position to have a go at getting there, but when your chasing that sort of score you're always going to give chances and we lost too many wickets in the process.”

Ottery face Dartington & Totnes this weekend.

CHAGFORD are tucked in behind the leading group of clubs after winning by five wickets at Kingsbridge.

Veteran Tony Treeby top scored with 41 for Kingsbridge, who slumped from 105 for four to 125 for eight before creeping to 168 all out.

Del Lammonby (3-36) headed the bowling honours ahead of Duncan Manners-Chapman, Neil Rowlands and Luke Mortimore with two wickets each.

Chagford were in disarray at 91 for five having slipped up against Neil Peach (3-32).

Jon Wright (66no) and Paul Penberthy (63no) knocked off the rest without further mishap.

Chagford (4^th) play Shaldon (6^th) this Saturday.

ALPHINGTON can gain more ground on the leaders if they beat bottom side Kingsbridge at the Chronicles.

The Alphas are up to third behind South Devon and Ipplepen following their nine-run win at Dartington & Totnes last time out.

Half-centuries from Paul James (53) and Dave Haysom (50) had Alphington well placed at 105 for four – Jono Colgate (4-14) among the wickets.

Ben Hartridge (3-19) struck three times in the same over to slow Alphas, but they managed to reach 158 all out.

Darts were 100 for four in reply – Colgate (33) getting on with it – then ran into trouble against Stuart Shaw (4-11).

Ryan Stevenson (31) kept going and was last man out on 149, caught on the boundary off Shaw.

SOUTH Devon will be looking for a fourth straight win at the top of the table when they visit Clyst Hydon for the first time.

The two sides entered the C Division from different directions this season having never previously met before.

Plymouth CS&R were on the receiving end of a 60-run defeat by South Devon last time out, falling well short of the 222 needed to win at Marsh Road.

Mike Smith’s comeback from retirement continued with 71 not out in South Devon’s total of 221 for five.

Neil Hancock (57) and Sean Day (22) put on 84 for the second wicket, then, Smith and Paul Hooper (28) notched 74 for the fifth.

“Plymouth CSR bowled and fielded very well and we had to work hard for our runs,” said South Devon captain Ali Wright.

Civil were competitive at 109 for three, then faded to 133 for seven and were finally all out for 161.

Day (4-30) did the early damage, Smith (2-24) did some more, then rising U15 players James Allen and Joe Kitto wrapped things up with two wickets each, showing the future looks bright for South Devon.

“The pitch got flatter and flatter as they chased and we had to work equally hard for their wickets,” said Wright.

“We stuck to our plans again and bowled in partnerships, daisy getting a few in two really good spells.

“ We're all completely focused on keeping this little run going for as long as possible.”

CLYST Hydon’s belated first game of the season was a real roller-coaster affair that ended in a 36-run defeat by Shaldon.

Hydon’s first two games of the season were rained off, which meant they went to Hazeldown short of time in the middle.

Shaldon were all out for 235 – Seamus McKenna (55) and Mark Couch (61) both making half-centuires.

Couch went in at 82 for two and departed at 228 for a job well done.

Hydon skipper Ian Sutton got the best out of Sri Lankan seamer Dhanuja Haturusingha, giving him three spells to work in with the powerplays.

Haturusingha claimed seven for 11 and there were two wickets for Will Thornton as well.

Sutton was dropped first ball after team and went on to make 35 in a stand of 68 with Graham Trude.

Then Hydon collapsed spectacularly – losing five wickets for ten runs as James McKenna performed a hat-trick. Trude, Clinton Lewis and Ricky Martin were all bowled by McKenna, who went on to finish with figures of five for 43.

Couch (3-48) was among the wickets too as Hydon dipped to 78 for five.

Sutton and Haturusingha (51) put on 82 for the sixth wicket, but before Shaldon started worrying Clyst fell away to 199 all out.

“As it was the first game of the season for most of us, we were very rusty,” said skipper Sutton.

“We were poor in the field and before we knew it they were 220 for four with 10 overs left.

“We came back very well and Dhanuja bowled brilliantly in the powerplay to restrict them to 235.

“Then we started well with the bat, getting to about 67 for none off 11, but the middle order was cleared up in an over!

“Another partnership then put us back in it until an unfortunate run-out – and even then we had a chance with around 70 needed but could not see it through.”