Devon Cricket Board - F Division - Kerswall undefeated

F Division - Kerswall undefeated

KINGSKERSWELL march on at the top of the F Division after completing an emphatic seven-wicket victory in the derby against Chelston.

As well as being a derby this was also the top game in the Division with first playing third and both sides keen to maintain their push for promotion.

Chelston had the opportunity to post a score and moved comfortably to 30 for 0 before a dramatic Pieter Douglas run-out brought an end to Russell Bennett’s innings.

Douglas then backed that up when he dismissed Chris Harrison in his next over for 0 and suddenly Chelston were struggling.

Things didn’t get any better when Mark Faulkner was also dismissed by Douglas for just nine and by the half way point in their innings Chelston were struggling at 80 for four.

However Wojciech Szymanski held things together with a fine 98 not out to ensure Chelston were able to post a competitive score of 170 for 7 in difficult conditions.

Outstanding performance in the field for Kerswell was Pieter Douglas who completed a second run out late on from near the mid-wicket boundary and his figures of 2 for 26 were the best returned by a Kerswell bowler.

In response the Kerswell innings were stumbling at 10 for 2 before two of the Season’s leading run scorers - Steve Waters and Erik Gregersen - came together.

They added 123 with Gregersen making 71 and Waters 62 no.

In the end victory was completed with seven of their ten wickets still intact and seven overs still to be bowled.

The victory means that Kerswell have now further extended their lead at the top of the F Division to 34 points and with a visit to bottom club Buckland this Saturday they will hope to get to the halfway stage with a 100 per cent record.

CHARDSTOCK skipper Rob Hutchings was one run shy of a fourth successive Francis Clark League century when stumps were drawn with his side seven wicket winners at hoe to Cullompton on Saturday.

Hutchings was 98 not out when he edged what proved to be the final ball of the contest to the gully area with just a single coming from the shot to leave him high and dry on 99, but his team winners of a fourth successive match.

Hutchings said: “I guess in years to come I’ll look back and possibly rue the fact I didn’t get more on the ball to get it to the boundary and register a fourth ton on the trot.

“However, for me the team result is far greater than any personal achievement and I was delighted at stumps that we’d won another game and, more significantly, beaten a team who had started the day above us in the F Division.

“What is so pleasing that all the team seem to be really enjoying their cricket at the moment. Of course wining helps, but there really is a positive feel-good factor sweeping through the club and long may that continue.”

Cullompton batted first and were restricted to 207-8 with Hutchings the most successful bowler with three wickets.

The key wicket however, was the one taken by Paul Reynolds thanks to a catch at long-off held by Nathan Copp to see the end of Cully’s Shane Evenden who was racing towards his second successive century!

The win lifts Chardstock to fifth spot in the table with and they are now just 18 points behind second placed Exeter Civil Service.

On Saturday they travel to Woodbury.

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