Devon Cricket Board - B Division round-up: Alphington skip impressed by Tavvy

ALPHINGTON skipper Stuart Shaw is already concentrating on the derby date with Chudleigh this Saturday, rather than dwelling on the two-wicket defeat by promotion chasing Tavistock.

Alphington made 176 for nine in their 45 overs – Tom Bath top scoring on 38 – which Tavistock knocked off after a real struggle.

Defeats are never easy to take, but Shaw just about coped with that one.

“Sometimes you just have to take your hat off to the opposition as they were the better side,” said Shaw.

“Tavistock are easily the strongest outfit we have played this season – and we gave them a real scare.

“I am happy there wasn’t much more we could have done to beat them, other than score another 20 or so, which would have made it interesting…

“If we can do that well against a top side we can do it again against Chudleigh, and maybe go a bit better?”

Devon Lion Rhys Davis was the man of the moment for Tavistock with a match-winning 64. Tim Pope made 32 and the vocal Travis Muller 25 not out.

The brake was put on by Shaw (3-19) and Paul James, who got dangerman Davis out on 123 for four.

“We had them 157 for eight with Davis gone and thought we were in with a chance, but couldn’t get Muller out,” said Shaw.

Chudleigh were unbeaten before last Saturday when they lost a thriller against Lewdown by one-wicket.

It may have been a thrilling finish to watch, but Chudleigh skipper Jon Martin denied it was a great game to play in.

“They didn’t bowl that well, our batting wasn’t great and if you ask me we lost a poor game we were capable of winning.

“I felt we were always 20-30 short of a winning total batting first, although getting 218 for six was a good effort after we had been 95 for six.

“I have said it before and will say it again: our frontline batsmen have to start getting runs on a regular basis and not enough of them are.

“The good thing is we haven’t dropped back to much. Only six points cover the top four by my reckoning and that is nothing at any stage of the season, never mind after five games.”

Harry Geering, Martin’s opposite number, saw the game differently.

“It was a very close and very good game,” said Geering.

“Had we taken our chances they would not have got 218 after we had them 95 for six, but they batted the last 15 overs very well.”

Only Matt Heather (33) made much headway in the Chudleigh top six as Phil Yeo (2-31) and Gary Sizmur (2-40) pinned down the batters.

Chudleigh were saved from total collapse by Rob Clarke (51no) and Shaun Newland (57no), who put on 123 unbroken.

Lewdown made a 57-run start through Sizmur (29) and Dave Ball (26), dipped to 87 for three then got going again thanks to Marco Marias;s brisk 84 off 59 balls.

Ed Foreman (3-53) got among the middle order and with Ben Holmes (2-39) weighing in the visitors stumbled from 188 for six to 205 for nine.

Last pair Matt Witcher and Charlie Hughes got Lewdown home with one ball to go.

South Devon welcome Lewdown to marsh Road looking for their first win of the season after Ivybridge sent them tumbling to a seven-wicket defeat.

South Devon’s decision to bat first against Ivybridge didn’t work out well as they were bowled out for 89 in the 39th over.

Adrian Hewings made a top scoe of 24, Dave Amery had 14 and no one else reached double figures.

The last five wickets went for 20 runs with three batters not getting a run between them.

Jeewan deSilva (5-15) ran through the middle order with Paul Veale (2-13) doing damage as well.

Jake Zimmerman (20) and former South Devon player Gareth Andrews (25) made a 49-run hole in the target, which Kev Jacobs (18no) and Kelvin Trent (12no) filed in.

Richard Beamont’s two for 35 was as good as it got for South Devon.

TEN-man Shobrooke Park grafted out a 7-run win at Barnstaple & Pilton to make it three wins on the trot in the B Division.

In-form Phil Anning belted 67 not out as Shobrooke reached 224 for eight in 45 overs. His runs came of just 32 balls and included 24 in one over from Jamie Russell.

Jon James and Justin Dollow – captains past and present – made 30 each.

George McEndoo took two for 24 while Jack Popham again impressed with four for 38.

Barnstaple went off in pursuit as Brady Saunders (44) and newcomer Jamie Tapp from North Molton (55) put on 92 for the third wicket.

Lee Cole (450 and Mark Metters (24no) kept the runs coming as B&P got down to the last over needing 10 to win.

Shobrooke’s Chris Simpson kept B&P to just three runs and took the game by a whisker.

“It was an exciting game and a good one to win with only 10 players,” said Shobrooke captain Justin Dollow.

“Cliff Dare retired hurt while batting and could not field, but we hung on with some good individual performances along the way.”

It is the big one this Saturday as Shobrooke entertain Thorverton in the Mid-Devon derby.

And on current form Thorverton will be the underdogs having only won once in their last three outings.

Thoverton’s latest setback came away to previously winless Stoke Gabriel, who turned them over by 60 runs.

Stoke made 228 for seven – Dave Bolland top scoring on 48 – then Thors were bowled out for 168 in reply.

Bolland was involved in 50-plus stands with Josh Dowling (38) and Andy Locker (35) as Thors laboured for their wickets.

Seb Ansley (34) and Ian Coulton (24) both kept the board ticking over.

Former Budleigh, Sidmouth and Devon pacer Matt Webb (2-43) bowled off a short run-up, but Stoke came away glad he was finding his feet again after three years out of the game.

“Once he works up some pace again he will be a real handful in this division,” said Stoke skipper Dowling.

Thorverton made a decent dent in the target thanks to James Hope (23) and Harry Choules (44) and at 145 for five were right in the running with Will Denford going well.

Denford’s demise for 51 sparked a collapse that saw five wickets fall for 23 runs as Thors dipped to 168 all out.

“Once again we failed to chase down a score,” said skipper Hope.

“Our batsmen need to prize their wicket a lot more and back up our bowling attack.”