Devon Cricket Board - E Division - Upottery boost survival prospects

UPOTTERY'S bid to effect a great escape from the lower regions of the E Division were given a real boost as they beat hosts Whitchurch by six wickets to climb out of the bottom two.

Skipper Matt Frost won the toss and chose to field. His decision proved a good one as his bowlers did very well to restrict the hosts to 207-7.

Frost, Gary Kennard and Mark Joyce each bagged a brace of wickets whilst Shane Kennard sent down nine splendid overs without having any luck whatsoever.

Opener Matt Button-Stephens top scored with 56 and there would have been a second half century in the successful run chase, but for an unfortunate dismissal!

Number three bat Ryan Pullman was 49 not out when, at the non-strikers end he was run out after Button-Stephens drove the ball forward and the ball hit the bowler in his follow-through and onto the stumps with the unfortunate Pullman out of his ground!

The win was confirmed thanks to the pairing of Ollie Rice (31no) and Mark Joyce (27no).

Skipper Frost said: “It was a big win and gives us a great chance of beating the drop. We bowled very well and then chased the total down convincingly. Whitchurch don’t have the biggest of grounds so I was delighted to be chasing what we were, though I felt we let them get 20 or 30 more than they ought to have posted. However, it all ended well for us.”

The manner in which the villagers won the game suggests they can now go on and complete their escape bud.

They have three to play starting with Saturday’s home game against in-form Topsham St James after which they host Bridestowe and then end their campaign at Kentisbeare.

Rivals Bridestowe’s final three see them host Kentisbeare on Saturday before they travel to Upottery and the host promotion chasing Whimple on the final day.

Frost says: “Topsham will be tough, but we did win at their place earlier in the season. They are in-form, but we also know the game after with Bridestowe is the massive one. I think it’s a case of get what we can from the Tops’ and the get stuck into Bridestowe.”

Kilmington batsman Matt Wilmott joined the 99 club on Saturday.

The Kilmington batsmen was out one run short of a century in a two wicket defeat at Topsham St James.

Wilmott’s 99 was the key contribution to a Kilmington total of 227 which the home sided passed with eight wickets down.

On Saturday Kilmington entertain second in the table Whimple who sit two places and 34 points above them in the E Division table.

Whimple suffered a second successive blow to their E Division promotion hopes when beaten by just six runs at Kentisbeare.

However, just as the week before, Whimple’s setback was not as devastating as it might have been for Whitchurch also suffered a surprise defeat.

It all means that Whimple stay second and sit one point clear of Whitchurch in the table with three games and 66 points to play for.

Whimple’s last three see them visit Kilmington this Saturday and then host current leaders Babbacombe who sit 23 points clear at the top.

Whimple end their season at Bridestowe on the final Saturday of the month.

Henry Gordon-Lennox top scored with 90 in a Whimple run chase that fell just short. Mike Searle weighed in with 51 as the reply closed on 285-9 in reply to the Kentisbeare offering of 291-7.

Yarcombe looked certain to be playing their cricket next summer in the basement division after a 41-run defeat to Kenn.

Billy Reed was the Yarcombe star with bat and ball.

First up he took four wickets for 32 runs as the visitors were bowled out for 191.

Reed then top scored with 45, but there was no other major contributions as the home side were bowled out for 150.

Yarcombe sit 35 points fro safety with three games and 66 points still to play for.

On Saturday they host promotion chasing Whitchurch before their final away game, a visit to Topsham St James.

They complete their E Division season at home to Kilmington on the final Saturday of the month.

A SECOND successive promotion is in sight for Babbacombe after they opened up a 23-point lead at the top of the table by beating Bridestowe by 74 runs.

The Walls Hill (247pts) side have three game to go to stay ahead of Whimpe (224) and Whitchurch (223) and earn D Division cricket next term.

Andy Kingdon (30) and skipper Steve Broad (31) rescued Babbacombe from 14 for two as they scraped together 171 all out.

From 81 for four with Broad and Kingdon gone it was down to Marcus Thompson (23), Tom Ince (22) and Paul Sutherland (20) to post the rest of the total.

Dan Fogerty was pick of the bowlers with 4-35 backup by 2-38 from Callum Mallett and 2-29 from Mark Butler

Kingdon (3-11) ripped out early wickets taking the first three with only five runs on the board.

Broad (2-10), Thompson (2-29), Dave Williams ( 2-31) and Paul Bates (1-10) all contributed to dismissing Bridestowe for 97.

“We have won many games this season with special individual performances from one or two players, but this result was off the back of a solid team performance with good contributions from at least eight different players which was pleasing for me to see,” said Broad.

“We have built up some momentum again which for some reason we lost in the middle of the season and have now won the last three games we have been able to complete.

“We set our stall to win the last five so have two of them in the bag now.”

“If we continue to work as hard as we have and play with the intensity we have in the last three wins, then we will have a very good chance of achieving our goals.”