Devon Cricket Board - E Division - First defeat for Babbacombe

BABBACOMBE will be aiming to bounce back from their first defeat of the season when they host Kenn this Saturday.

The men from Walls Hill were five from five before visiting Bridestowe last Saturday and losing a close encounter by one wicket.

Paul Sutherland made 44 at the top of the order then Steve Broad weighed in with 63 towards an all-out total of 209.

Dan Fogarty took four for 51 for the home side.

“We lost the toss and had to bat first on a lively wicket and that was a competitive score,” said skipper Broad.

Bridestowe got off to a flier – 52 for one off seven and 92 for one in 18 – with Phil Hatton 49 and Tom Fogarty (24) doing the damage.

Broad turned to spin – himself and Paul Bates to slow the run rate and it worked.

Bates (2-16 in nine overs) and Broad (5-43) sent Bridestowe from 105 for two to 158 for eight.

A 27-run last-wicket partnership between Lee Jutson and Mark Fogarty saw them over the line.

“Dropped catches – again - and too many extras (27) were our downfall, as it has been for the last few weeks,” said Broad.

“This time it cost us a result and we have to put that right.”

KILMINGTON claimed their second win of the E Division season with a 29 run triumph at home to Topsham St James.

Tom Gooding (80), Adam Cully (51), Izzy Wickramaratne (41no) and Roland Stonex (39) all contributed to an excellent home total of 300-7.

Skipper Hal Cook then claimed 4-46 as the visitors reply closed on 271-9.

A delighted Cook said: “It was a cracking game played on a road of a wicket. We batted well and the unsupported our bowlers with some fine catching and ground fielding.

They (Topsham St James) had a real go at the chase and it was in the balance when we picked up some big wickets. It was an important win in terms of the bigger picture for us, Now we need to build some serious momentum for our season and look to push on.”

The pick of a number of click catches was the one held by Roland Stonex at deep mid-in off the bowling of his skipper.

In a very profitable day for Kilmington the seconds also won, bagging a five wicket win at Seaton II where Luke Baker’s unbeaten 52 led them to victory on 203-5 after Craig Seward had taken 4-15 in the Seaton offering of 202-9.

On Saturday Kilmington’s two sides take on teams from Whimple with the 21st XI fixture at Whimple and the 2nds meeting at Kilmington.

On his side’s trip to Whimple, Cook says: “It’s always a tough place to go and so I expect a difficult game. That said we need to build on the fine all-round performance against Topsham St James and to do that we need to go to Whimple, and win and we will be endeavouring to do just that.”

UPOTTERY were hit with a fifth defeat in six E Division games and they continue to prop up the others in the section after going down by six wickets at home to Whitchurch.

Stuart Drew led the home side’s effort with the bat with a splendid 60 and there was also a half century from Rob Pulman whilst Jack Kennard chipped in with 43.,

However the Upottery offering of 227-8 did not trouble the visitors who lost just four wickets in the run chase.

On Saturday Upottery entertain a Topsham St James side that sits third bottom just nine points better off. A victory and the villagers will feel much happier with life, but another defeat and Upottery will find themselves deeper in bother at the wrong end of the table!

Defeat also for Upottery II, beaten by eight wicket at Axminster II. Matt Broom top scored with 36 in a total of 139, passed for the loss of just two wickets by the hosts.

WHIMPLE missed a real chance to boost their E Division promotion hopes when, on the day that the only team to sit above them in the table, Babbacombe, were beaten, they lost too!

They went down by 113 runs at home to Kentisbeare.

The Mid Devon side batted first and were restricted to 213-9 with home skipper Ben Silk claiming a fivefer. Silk took his fifth wicket his final delivery to finish with figures of 5-42, but his batsmen could not match the bowling feat and were hustled out for just 110 with only Paul Gillard and Phil Hope making any impression with knocks of 24 and 23 respectively.

Silk said: “It turned out to be a day to forget! It’s all the more frustrating that we were unable to chase down what I felt was a very achievable target on our superb batting track. I thought they (Kentisbeare) were 30 runs short, but it turned out that had more than enough. Mind you, we were our won worst enemies, contributing to our fate with some poor batting.”

On Saturday Silk and his men entertain Kilmington. The skipper says: “We have to improve and we will. Kilmington will see this as their chance to make a statement and I am very keen for us to quickly forget our woes against Kentisbeare. It seems everyone is going to be beating everyone else this season in this section. We all need to sharpen our acts and stop relying on the next man to get runs if we fail with the bat or expect the next bowler to do the business if we are not on top of our own game with the ball.”

YARCOMBE fell to a 146-run defeat at Kenn. The home side batted first and scored an imposing 276-6.

The Yarcombe reply was all over with 130 on the board.

On Saturday Yarcombe, who sit second bottom, host above basement side Upottery in the E Division, travel to Whitchurch.