Devon Cricket Board - E Division round-up: Whimple off the top

TOPSHAM made it five wins in six starts when they overturned table-topping Whimple by four wickets.

Tops’ Skipper Ross Treleaven won a decisive toss and elected to have first use with the ball.

Treleaven took the new ball and ripped the heart out of the Whimple batting line up; his use of both in and away swing, movement off the seam and pin-point accuracy allowed him to remove the top four.

The Whimple batsman attempted to hit the leather off the ball throughout - a very suspect way to go about batting on a very slow seamer friendly pitch.

It was this ill-conceived plan that led to Whimple being 50-8 before Joe Burden and Steve Hathaway at 9 and 10 made 27 and 29, which enabled Whimple to battle to 108 all out.

A great bowling and fielding display from the Saints with Treleaven taking 4-23.

He was backed up by a very fast and fiery spell from Nick Horne 3-20, debutant Ed Kirby 2-23 and veteran Charlie Penn 1-18.

The innings was sparked into life with Nick Crew’s one-handed catch-of-the-season running backwards off the skipper’s bowling.

Topsham knew that this low total was still going to be a challenge as batting had not become any easier.

Someone had to dig in and bat sensibly, learning from Whimple’s mistakes.

Topsham got off to the worse possible start as they soon found themselves 23-3.

This brought Ed Baxter and Nick Crew to the crease and the pair got their heads down and started to rebuild patiently.

The pair put on 43 for the 4th wicket and taken the team to within 40 runs of victory before Baxter was bowled for 26.

Nick Crew (25) then fell shortly after with 32 runs still to get.

The Saints found scoring tricky against a top quality E Division attack, Steve Palfry and Ben Silk bowling exceptionally tight, taking two wickets apiece.

The pressure was mounting but Jim Shepherd (19 no) and Al-Amin Kassam (12 no) put on 35 for the seventh wicket to see the Saints home for a four-wicket and 18 point victory.

Whimple’s defeat was softened with news promotion rivals Whitchurch had suffered defeat at the hands of Kilmington to leave the sides joint second behind new leaders Babbacombe with all three sides having four games to play.

Whimple travel to Kentisbeare on Saturday, then visit Kilmington before what looks the crunch game, an August 24 home meeting with Babbacombe before they end the season at Bridestowe.

New leaders Babbacombe are home to Bridestowe on Saturday then visit Kenn before that game at Whimple after which they conclude their season at home to Topsham St James.

Whitchurch entertain Upottery on Saturday then go to Yarcombe and Stockland before a home game with Kentisbeare and they end their campaign with a trip to Kenn.

YARCOMBE and Stockland were again hit by the weather.

The villagers were a troubled 13-4 when the rain washed out play at Bridestowe.

With four games to play Yarcombe are 33 points from safety and it seems inevitable that they will line up next summer in the basement division of the Francis Clark Devon League.

On Saturday Yarcombe entertain Kenn.

The final three games for Yarcombe see them host promotion chasing Whitchurch (Aug 17), travel to Topsham St James (August 24) and they end the season on the final Saturday of the month at home to Kilmington.

WHITRCHURCH failed to respond to their lucky escape at Whimple last week and put in another below par performance at home to Kilmington, resulting in a three-wicket defeat.

Batting first, conditions were against them, with a few early showers enlivening the pitch and slowing the outfield. Nonetheless, most batsmen got themselves in, looked set and then got out.

Whitchurch’s run rate was high from the start. Powell made 14, Bone 39 and Billy Barriball a quickfire 32. Ben Noble dismissing all three, bowling his nine overs straight through and taking 3 for 44.

Meadows then played his best knock of the season, dealing mainly in boundaries on his way to 54 to help Whitchurch post 188 all out. Gooding with 3 for 41 and Matt Rockett 2 for 7, clearing things up for the visitors.

Despite being short of a good score, the target should have been challenging, but once again Whitchurch’s bowling lacked discipline. A proliferation of wides and boundary balls, helped Kilmington get a good start. Rob Meakings made 45 and Wilmott 22, as Kilmington passed 100 with ease.

Tom Gooding hit some lusty blows on his way to 64 not out, although Kilmington did suffer a late collapse with Charlie Barriball taking 3 for 35 and also combining with Meadows for a run out.

However, Whitchurch’s rally was too little too late – Kilmington getting home with more than seven overs in hand.

Kilmington skipper Hal Cook said: “It was a comprehensive show from first ball to last in terms of our performance.

We did have them 90-5 and so for them to get to 188 is probably a black mark on our part. That said we chased the total down in a degree of comfort with Rob (Meakings) and Tom (Gooding) making batting look easy.”

The side’s seventh win of the season leaves them 35 points short of the second promotion place.

Cook says: “A top two finish is probably beyond us. The loss to Babbacombe a couple of weeks before was the killer.

“However, all we can do is look to win our last four and put pressure on Whimple and Whitchurch and see where that takes us. A top-three finish is the target now.”

UPOTTERY secured a precious victory and also kept Kenn within catching distance in the lower regions of the E Division, beating the visitors by 26 runs.

Ryan Pullman top scored for the home side with 52 whilst Mark Joyce (45) and Matthew Button-Stephens (30) made important contributions to a home total of 233-9.

Father and son Gary (3-42) and Shane Kennard (3-44) then worked in tandem to bowl Kenn out for 207.

Skipper Matt Frost bagged a brace of wickets whilst Adam Pullman held three catches in the outfield!

Frost said: “We needed to win this one and there was a real positive attitude throughout. We batted well, got a good solid start and that provided the platform from which the bowlers could go to work to seal success.”

Upottery remain in the bottom two, but they are now just nine points behind third bottom Bridestowe and 20 adrift of fourth bottom Kenn with four games to play.

Frost said: “It was a huge win for us and gives us real hope, especially as we still have to meet Bridestowe. That match on August 24 clearly is a massive game for us. We still have a chance with four more to play, but do need to apply ourselves with bat and ball as we did in this game.”

Next up it is promotion chasing Whitchurch away. Frost says: “It’s a long way to travel, but that’s the County League for you and the miles have to be done at times.

“Now we need to make sure it’s not a long journey for nothing and make sure we bring good points home with us.”