Devon Cricket Board - D Division - Ashes look in good nick

SEATON slipped to a second successive defeat of the Francis Clark, Devon League D Division season when beaten by nine runs at home to table-topping Clyst Hydon.

The Mid Devon side batted first and Seaton can be pleased with their efforts with the ball as they restricted the powerful visitors to 224-7 with Ben Libby and Alex Hunt each claiming three wicket hauls whilst Phil Collins, who took the new ball with Libby, also bowled superbly.

Clyst Hydon were a troubled 55-4 at drinks and shortly after the resumption Ian Sutton was put down on 15. That proved costly as he went on to score a match-winning 71.

The Seaton reply was in tatters at 9-4 after ten overs. Skipper Ben Morgan and Mark Bray settled things down and put on 84 for the fifth wicket when Morgan was run out to a stunning single stump hit from a fielder! Bray continued to lead the revival and edge Seaton nearer the winning line until he was out for 64.

Phil Collins, batting at eight, hit a superb 46 and number nine Libby chipped in with 20, but the final wicket fell on 215 with Seaton a couple of lusty blows away from victory themselves.

Morgan said: “It was certainly a game that swung one way and then back the other. We showed we are close to a team that most seem to believe will go on and win the title. For our part we did not field particularly well, but in the dressing room post match all the players knew that and I am sure we’ll sharpen that part of our game up.”

On Saturday Seaton travel to the team that currently sit between them and Clyst Hydon at the summit, Ashburton.

John Waterhouse and possibly Richard Warner, neither of who played against Clyst Hydon should be back for the game.

Morgan said: “This is a big game now, we don’t want to lose a third match and we don’t want to slip any further off the pace.”

ASHBURTON’S batters look in good nick for the top-of-the-table tussle with Seaton after piling up the runs against Halberton & Sampford Peverell.

Ashley Berry led the way with 61 off 52 balls as Ashes made a hefty 271 for seven in 45 overs.

There were some serious stands of 86 between Chris Pascoe (52) and Kris Connabeer, 33 between Kris and brother Xander (23) and one of 57 between Berry and Ashley Harvey (26).

Only Chris Salter (4-51) had much success with the ball.

Halberton collapsed from the start to eight for four then 18 for five – Daman Singh (4-38) the destroyer in chief – and had no way back.

Surviving opener Andy Blake made a defiant 43, but only Richard Durrant (19) reached double figures as Harvey (2-16) and Marcus West finished them off for 97.

Shaldon will hope to keep pulling away from the wrong end of the table by beating Halberton in their meeting at Hazeldown.

The season took a turn for the better for the Optimists when they won by 19 runs at Uplyme.

There were handy runs from Karl Blackburn (50), Seamus McKenna (48) and Richard Boss (40) in a total of 218 all out.

That didn’t look enough when Uplyme’s Aussie Alexander Taylor was smashing 82 off 43 balls and putting on 70 with Steve Batey.

Chris Whitehead (3-45), McKenna (2-31) and Mark Couch (2-44) got the brake on just in time as Uplyme were removed for 199.

Feniton’s second successive victory lifts them into fifth spot in the D Division table.

Just a fortnight ago the Acland Park side were rock bottom, but back-to-back wins have seen Graham Tucker’s men fly up the table.

There was another fine knock from 15-year-old Josh Cann who hit 37 from the opening slot, though he did have to watch his father Brian depart without troubling the scorers for a very rare duck!

Skipper Tucker, from the number five slot, top scored with 47 and there was a valuable contribution of 26 from John Pyle in a Feniton total of 209-9.

Pyle then took centre stage after tea claiming a hat-trick on his way to a return of 4-22. He also picked up the priceless wicket of Prideaux at a time when the home batsman looked set to take his side to victory, his dismissal was down to a smart catch held by Tucker at long-on.

Stuart Bright bagged a brace and Filleigh were bowled out for 182 leaving Feniton 17-run winners.

Tucker said: “We were worthy winners. I felt that our score was about par. That said, with half the side out and 90 on the board we had to dig deep. Young Josh (Cann) batted splendidly again and we also put a good collective shift in with the ball. The two wins has changed our season and we can make further upwardly progress over the coming weeks.”

On Saturday Feniton travel to Uplyme and Lyme Regis.

Tucker says: “It’s never easy against them as it is of course another East Devon derby. Having got up a head of steam I’d like to see us look to motor on now.”

Honiton’s D Division season went from bad to worse as they lost a fourth game in five and now prop up the table, already a worrying 13 points from safety.

Their latest defeat summed up the season so far for the Mountbatten Park men in as much as they were always in the contest, eventually being edged out by a margin of just five runs!

Skipper Kev Kelly and Adam Holmes combined to take three wickets each as Countess Wear were bowled out for just 127.

However, that was sufficient to claim the victory as Honiton in turn were bundled out for 122 with Rob Ingram (26) and Ollie Cave (23) the only home batsmen to prosper.

On Saturday Honiton travel to table-topping Clyst Hydon who have won all five of their matches so far and go into the game sitting a whopping 59 points better off than Kelly’s men.

Upottery slumped to bottom spot in the E Division after a 105-run defeat at Kenn.

Skipper Matt Frost took 4-19 and Mark Joyce claimed 3-33 as Kenn closed on a commanding 239-8.

Dan Broom then hit an unbeaten 49 as wickets fell at the other end with Upottery closing on 134-9.