Devon Cricket Board - Premier 2nd XI

PREMIER DIVISION 2^nd XI – WEEK FIVE

EXETER remain hard on the heels of Plymouth at the top of the table following a 40-run win over lowly Hatherleigh.

Exeter had lots of chip-in scores in a total of 232 for eight. John Meredith (43), Sean Langford (42) and Mike Wilkinson (39) had the best of them. Wilkinson and Langford put on 57 for the first wicket.

Bowling honours for Hatherleigh were meagre with Jack Ashmore’s two for 39 as good as it got.

Jack Cherrington made 51 to get the Hatherleigh chase started and at 157 for five they were in with a shout.

Wickets tumbled to teenage spinner Theo Thompson (3-22) and Tschepo Legodi (4-23) as Hatherleigh crumbled to 192 all out when Ashmore (49no) ran out of people to bat with.

Exeter have the chance to wipe out the 12-point gap between themselves and Exeter when the two sides meet this Saturday.

Skipper Richard Nelsey said he won’t be taking a full-strength side, but that won’t stop Exeter giving Plymouth a game.

“John Meredith, who came to us from Plymouth, has something else on and we will miss him for an important game,” said Nelsey.

“There are a couple of others who won’t be there, but we won’t worry too much about that and will go out looking to win it with what we have.”

Sidmouth lost ground in their pursuit of Plymouth and Exeter at the top of the table as they could only draw with Cornwood.

Well-travelled former Devon all-rounder Dave Tall plundered 86 and put on 93 for the fifth wicket with Adam Goodliff in a Cornwood total of 238 all out.

Sidmouth’s Charlie Miles took four wickets for 24 runs and there was a tidy spell of three for 46 from Alistair Chilcott.

Sidmouth had one of those days when a succession of batters, Graham Munday (44) excepted, got in, got set and got out before they could get going.

At 117 for seven the game was only going one way. Then Declan Lines (50no) teamed up with Dominic Bess (33) and their stand of 91 for the eighth wicket took Sidmouth towards and eventual total of 208 for eight.

Sidmouth drop back from second to third as Exeter went past them by beating Hatherleigh.

LLOYD White hammered an unbeaten century as Budleigh Salterton whitewashed Paignton by 10 wickets.

Jason Woodcock made a top score of 40 for Paignton, putting on 74 for the fifth wicket with Ben Luck, as Paignton reached 189 all out.

Mike Meech (28) and Simon Mantell (25) had the next best totals.

Pick of the bowlers with three each for Budleigh were Ian Taylor (3-29) and Matt Plowman (3-32).

White and Elliot Rice then knocked off the runs without mishap!

White finished on 123 not out, which came off 119 deliveries. Rice was 50 not out.

Paignton’s bowlers came in for a bit of punishment with three overs from Chris Smith costing 34 runs and Meech going for 62 in eight.

Budleigh skipper James Leat said White batted superbly.

“Both openers were fantastic,” crooned Leat. “Lloyd had total command of the crease and Elliot backed him up superbly.”

Paignton skipper Tim Ward agreed White and Rice batted well, but added they were helped after a fashion.

“We were totally outplayed batting and bowling,” said Ward.

“We didn't bat as we should have on a 250 wicket but our big problem, which has plagued us this year, is our bowling.

“We are bowling too many bad balls and not enough wicket taking balls.

“White and Rice batted very well, but we made it easy for them.”

BOVEY Tracey went down by five wickets to North Devon by the massive distance of 13 overs to go.

Bovey totalled 202 for five in their 50 overs, led there by opener Theo Holland (49) and Andrew Longstreet (35). Having slowed to 146 for five against Tim Cook (2-37) and Sam Witheridge, Bovey skipper James Mason (44no) and Aren deYoung (27no) put on 59 unbroken at the end.

North Devon’s position didn’t look too promising when they were 58 for four in reply after an early going over from Mason (3-42) and de Young (2-42).

Ollie Hunt hit 90 not out to get North Devon back on track – his stand of 127 with Paul Heard (53) did the trick – and in came Witheridge at the end to help Hunt knock off the last few runs.

JAKE Luffman was the man of the moment for leaders Plymouth in their 190-run demolition job on near neighbours Plympton.

Luffman belted 18 fours and a six on his way to 122 not out in Plymouth’s hefty total of 328 for six.

Along the way there was a stand of 174 unbroken for the seventh wicket with Tom Hughes (60no). The Plympton bowlers all went the distance, although Matt Gregory (3-80) and Jamie Pfeiffer (2-88) had some wickets as compensation.

Plympton lost wickets steadily with Sean Smith (23) and Dan Vince (29) the only batters to hang around.

Dinuka Kuruppu (3-45) and Jack Hughes (2-21) were the leading Plymouth wicket takers as Plympton dipped from 98 for five on to 138 all out.