Devon Cricket Board - A Division round-up: Heathcoat crash + Sandford slump

BARTON made light work of beating bottom side Braunton in a one-sided affair at Kelsey.

Skipper Ian Roberts top scored for Braunton with 26 and Dom Bratcher made 20, but that was as good as it got for Braunton, who lost their last five wickets for 25 runs.

Destroyer in chief for Barton was left-arm spinner Stuart Bowker with five for 26. Adam Parker picked up three for 13 and Hasan Badat had two for 20.

Barton blazed to victory in less than 21 overs – led there by an opening stand of 46 between Shaun Needham (240 and Badat (45no).

Although Needham was caught at fine-leg top-edging Jon Baglow, Chris Penna (38no) finished the job.

Victory keeps Barton fourth in the table, although they have gained some ground on Paignton, whose only got six points from a cancelled game at Plympton.

Abbotskerswell got back on track after a patchy run of results with an unexpected four-wicket win over former leaders Heathcoat.

Heathcoat have only lost once this season and would have backed themselves to beat Abbots after posting 242 for seven.

Then home batting was solid all the way down with Barney Goss (46no) just edging Jason Williams (45) for top scorer. Toby Lochead (40) and Mitch Baker (28) chipped in – Lochead’s stand of 80 with Williams being key after Heathcoat slowed up at 87 for four.

Abbots looked down an almost out at 85 for five in reply, but two factors changed the game.

Two rain breaks meant the target to win came down from 243 in 46 overs to 227 in 42 then 196 in 37.

Abbots helped themselves no end thanks to a stand of 108 between Ryan Williams and Marcus Green, which took the game away from Heathcoat.

Williams and Green came together at 85 for five when Heathcoat appeared to be on top thanks to Paul Elliot (3-32) and Ned Menheneott (2-55) tying them down.

Green likes to play his shots – he made 46 – but it was Williams who was the man of the moment with 99 not out off 66 balls.

Heathcoat got Green out with four to left to win, which Mawgan Penrice took in one hit.

Brixham turned the tables on visiting Sandford to make a mockery of their sluggish start to the season.

Having finished third last season Brixham were being tipped to feature at the top of the table this term, But it hasn’t been like that.

Until they won at Plymstock seven days earlier, Brixham had been in the bottom two.

Sandford, third in the table going into the match, were bowled out for 102 by Simon Caunter (4-14), Craig Eaves (3-24) and Kyle Schroeder (2-17).

Linton Terblanche made 22 and Richard Tucker 19, There wasn’t much from the rest.

George Northcott (50no) and Joe Hyde (30) ensured a thoroughly miserable day for Sandford.

PLYMSTOCK are now in real trouble in the A Division after a 28-run defeat by Hatherleigh in a rain-affected game.

The A Division has switched to win-lose cricket this season – even when it rains.

As the league don't use the Duckworth-Lewis method of calculating rain-affected targets, old-fashioned run rate has to do instead.

A degree in practical maths would have come in handy for the umpires as the players scuttled off to avoid the rain numerous times during the afternoon.

Hatherleigh started off with 50 overs, which was reduced to 45 and then 39.

After Rob Chapman (22) and Andy Collier (42) had put on 73 for the first wicket, Hatherleigh slowed to 109 for six as Morgan Parkinson (5-23) and James Nicholls (3-18) got into them.

An eighth-wicket partnership of 42 between Charlie Nielson and Rob Cockwill took Hatherleigh from 115 for seven to 157 for eight and towards a final total of 168 all out.

On and off went the Plymstock batsmen,until the rain relented long enough for the calculators to come out.

Plymstock’s revised target was 141 to win in 32 overs – and they were all out for 112 after losing their way on the chase.

Scott Mansfield made 18, but the best of the rest was a pair of 16s from Hal Kerton and Ollie Mulberry.

At 88 for six having been under pressure from Mark Lake (3-27), Plymstock were barely hanging on.

Nick Rogers (5-20) killed Plymstock off as their last four wickets went for just six runs as they collapsed from 106 for seven to 112 all out.

Having lost to fellow strugglers Brixham last Saturday and now Hatherleigh who were hovering just above the drop zone, Plymstock are second from bottom 24 points adrift of safety.

Vice-captain James Nicholls said if any of the team had doubts about Plymstock’s position beforehand, there can be no doubts now.

“With Brixham winning again it leaves us in a bit of a predicament,” said Nicholls.

“Things have to improve dramatically and quickly if we are going to get out of trouble.

“We were always behind the run rate against Hatherleigh – and the constant interruptions did not help at all.

“At the end we lost wickets to Nick Rogers trying to catch up.”

Plymstock’s 1st XI skipper Seb Jordan was a notable absentee against Hatherleigh as he dropped himself to the 2nd XI on form grounds.

Jordan spun his way to figures of three for 26 in the seven wicket win away to Hatherleigh 2nd XI and should return for the meeting with Sandford at Creedy Park this Saturday.