Devon Cricket Board - D Division: Feniton pay for dropped catch

D Division: Feniton pay for dropped catch

D DIVISION

IPPLEPEN march on at the top of the D Division after sidestepping a banana skin at Feniton.

Chasing 137 to win Ipplepen were 49 for five when home skipper Mark Kingdon dropped what proved to be the crucial catch.

Matt Quartley went on to hit a match-winning 43 and the leaders triumphed by five wickets.

Earlier Norman Bedford had top scored with 52 and opener Martin Swannell hit 27 as the Acland Park side became the latest side to fall foul of the spin of Kiwi Andrew Mason (6-42) in a total of 136 all out.

In the run chase, the top half of the visitors line-up were sent back to the pavilion by the combination of Bedford (3-51) and Russell Witton (2-44) before that spilled catch and the eventual successful chase.

The Pens are 17 points ahead of second-placed Ottery, who banked 19-points from a seven-wicket win at Bridestowe.

An up-beat Kingdon said: “It was a bad catch to drop. The ball was hit hard but straight at me and the fact that I got it into my hands should have been sufficient.

“There’s no disgrace in being beaten by a side that is beating everybody else in the section and are seemingly on their way up.”

Ottery St Mary remain hard on the leaders heels as they banked 19-points with a seven-wicket win at Bridestowe.

Ottery restricted the home side to 143-8 with Joe Birch claiming four for 38 from 11 overs. Phil Woods (66) and Sam Ewings (20no) were the principle run getters for the home side

Sam Tennent (41) and Jack Pritchard (35no) then led the successful run chase.

Tom Foggerty claimed all three of the Otters wickets to fall and finished with 3-48.

Whimple were well beaten by visiting Plymouth Civil Service and Roborough, who bowled them out for just 111 and then strolled to victory losing just two wickets.

James Sharpe (4-27) and Jack Dent (3-34) combined to reduced the hosts to 50 for seven but they then rallied, led by Trevor Griffin (42) and 30 extras to a close of 111

The visitors had no problem with the run chase, losing just two wickets on the way with skipper Jono Burden and Chris Palfrey the wicket takers. Jason Williams made 60 for the winners

Upbeat home skipper Burden said: “I chose to bat and I cannot fault the players for their application but we were always up against it from 50-7 and, in hindsight, I’d have probably stuck them in!”

Peter Darke (60), Mark Davey (50) and Phil Irish (42) combined to help Countess Wear to 233-9 at Whitchurch with Josh Meadows claiming 4-73 for the home side. Joel Heatley then guided his side to a draw at 159-9 with a splendid unbeaten 56 from the number six slot and there was an important 26 from Doug Vernon in the home resistance battle.

Kav Diaz sent down 13 overs, ten of which were maidens and finished with figures of 3-7!

Yelverton remain the best of the rest behind the runaway top two after they were five-wicket home winners over Halberton.

Batting first, the mid Devon side were restricted to 142-9 with only Tom Sambrook making any real headway with 39 as Joel Avery claimed 3-24. Recardo McDowell (50) and David Scott (43) led the successful run chase. Jeremy Turner claimed 4-30 for the well beaten visitors.

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