Devon Cricket Board - Stoke spun out by DeSilva

Stoke spun out by DeSilva

C DIVISION

SEATON began their C Division campaign with a four-wicket defeat at Lewdown, but skipper Ben Morgan was up beat after the match.

“We were hamstrung with a couple still being involved with football and then had spinner Joe Berry fall ill during the game so we were up against it.

“However, I cannot find fault with the attitude and commitment of any of my players and feel that we’ll be okay this season if the first game performance is anything to go by.”

Alex Hunt (25) and Steve Pritchard (31) played supporting roles to Charlie Clode (70) in a Seaton total of 186 for eight.

Cload and Pritchard put on 78 for the fourth wicket.

Boisterous South African Rob Murch took seven of the eight wickets to fall.

Lewdown claimed victory despite a three-wicket haul for Ben Libby (3-55) and two for skipper Morgan (2-24).

Kris Harris (42) made early runs for Lewdown then Phil Yeo (27) and Jack Skuse (39no) saw them through with five overs to spare.

CLYST Hydon scraped home by one wicket with an over to spare against Hatherleigh.

Dhanuja Haturusingha took five for 31 and Will Gregg four for 49 as Hatherleigh were bowled out for 156.

Sea Forrester (33) and Hugh Romans (41) put on 71 for the second wicket, but only Ryan Davies (40) made a significant score after that.

Clyst found the runs just as hard to come by and were eight short of victory with one wicket intact.

Ian Sutton (23), Chris Jelley (24) and George Pawley (22) all chipped in but failed to hang around.

Martin Dudley kept it together at the end to seal victory.

STOKE Gabriel were spun to a turn at Kingsbridge, where they ran into Bhanuka DeSilva and came off second best.

Kingsbridge found runs in short supply as they laboured to 138 all out. Most of them were scored by Oliver Etoe (34) and DeSilva (23) in a stand of 41 for the sixth wicket.

Matt Smyth (4-37), Simon Phillips (3-41) and Nick Sandbrook (2-12) posed the problems with the ball.

Stoke slumped from 25 for one to 28 for four and were all out for 58 with Phillips the top scorer on 14.

DeSilva took six wickets at a run each while Neil Peach (4-29) mopped up the stragglers.

COCKINGTON blew it at Ivbybridge where they were 94 for four chasing 130 to win, but managed to lose by eight runs.

Chris Greenhouse (30) and Kelvin Trent (27) were the main run-getters for the Bridge as they reached 129 for nine in 40 overs of a rain affected game.

James Howrihane had three for 32 for Cockington and there were two wickets each for Scott Colgate and Jack Allen.

The Cockington run chase was going along nicely with Andy Hele (45) and James Nicholls (22) in full cry.

The turning point came when Hele was fifth out to Seekku DeSilva, who then ran through the side with Peter Boast aiding and abetting him.

DeSilva had four for 37 and Boast four for 44 as Cockington were bowled out for 121.

ASHBURTON made a losing start on their return to the C Division when Bideford beat them by five wickets on Varwell Field.

The Ashes looked composed while Kevin Nicholls (42) and Ashley Berry (39) were putting on 80 for the third wicket, but ran into trouble when Bideford wheeled out the spinners.

James Ford scooped six for 21 with his off-breaks and Dave Smale’s left armers garnered two for 28 as Ashburton were bowled out for 136, their last five wickets going for a mere nine runs.

Bideford have recruited Aussie Mike Young this season and his unbeaten 56 meant there were no slip ups on the chase.

Ford hit 27 and there was little Harvey (2-28) or Gordon Colwill (2-35) could do to delay the inevitable Bideford win.

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