Devon Cricket Board - F Division: Tight at the top

F Division: Tight at the top

F DIVISION

The top of the F Division is rapidly turning into the most exciting summit battle in any of the Francis Clark League tables with just a single point now separating leaders Topsham St James from Shaldon.

If third-placed Kingskerswell claim maximum points from their game in hand on the two leaders. then there would be three teams with as many points between them battling for top spot.

Topsham St James made short work of visiting Chelston, bundling them out for 102 with Alex Sparkes taking 3-14 and Nick Horn bagging 3-19.

Mark Coombes was the only visiting batsman to make any sort of progress with 26. An unbeaten half century from Sam Skinner saw the Bonfire Field outfit to victory whilst the best of the supporting acts came from Lee Solway with 26. Rob Bennett bagged a brace of wickets for beaten

Chelston who are now just half a dozen points off the bottom spot whilst the Saints are involved in the sections Match of the Day on Saturday hoisting Kingskerswell.

Shaldon closed to within a point of Topsham St James at the top of the F Division with a six-wicket home win over 10-man Yarcombe.

The East Devon side were put in and bowled out for just 82 with David Patch top scoring with 31. Mark Couch (3-12), Whitehead (3-23) and Charles Woolnough (2-17) were the principle wicket takers.

Todd Ballman then hit an unbeaten 31 and Handford chipped in with 21 as the home side sailed home form the loss of four wickets.

Kingskerswell powered their way into the title race with an emphatic 235-run win over visiting Hemyock. The highlight of the home side’s innings was a 154 run partnership for the unbroken fourth wicket between Mark Andrews (158no) and Eric Greggersen (49no).

Kingskerswell closed on 285-3 and then shot the Mid Devon side out for 80.

Only John Hurley, who hit a defiant unbeaten 37, stuck around in the middle for long as 16 year old Chris Robson-Close claimed 4-27 and Steve Lacey baggeda hat-trick, finishing with figures of 5-42.

Cullompton are giving youngsters their chance this term and three more produced the goods in a winning draw at Newton St Cyres.

With half the side back in the pavilion for the meagre sum of 26 runs it needed something special to get Cully back into the game.

That’s just what 15 year old colts, Jack Grandfield and Darren Paul delivered with a superb 97 run partnership for the sixth wicket. Grandfield struck 67 and Paul topped that with 75.

Further late-order runs arrived with another Colt, Max Bristow, chipping in with 17 as Cully closed on a very respectable 214. Tom Dowle claimed 5-42 and Paul McCutcheon took 3-52.

McCutcheon then hit 40 and Mike Parfitt top scored with 48 in the reply which closed on 189-9.

Malcolm Paiva topped the bowling for Cully with 5-23 and there was a fine spell from young Bristow that saw him finish with 3-54.

Cully skipper Craig Hawkins said: “The youngsters are regularly given their chance at this club and how they respond!

“Jack (Grandfield) and Darren (Paul) batted really well and provided us with a platform from which we could target a win.

Sadly we could not get the perfect ending as they (Newton St Cyres) dug in to deny us. But these youngsters really are showing genuine promise week on week.”

EXETER Civil Service shot four places up the table after a quickfire 10-wicket win over Cheriton Fitzpaine.

Kris Calderhead (3-19) and Mike Skidmore (4-14) hustled the Cherries out for 39.

Jonny Reid belted 30 not out - including a six to win it – as Civil knocked off the runs without mishap. Tim Courteney (12no) was the other batsman in at the early end.

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