Devon Cricket Board - A Division - Exeter need 13 points to go up

EXETER crushed ailing South Devon by a whopping 192 runs to put one foot in the Premier Division next season.
The unbeaten leaders raced along to 257 for five with Will Steward (58) and Miles Leyngon (55) leading the way,
Alex Bosomworth (46) and Tom Viljoen (39) offered solid support.
Opener Rob Holman missed out – he was caught behind by the first ball from Jonty Parsons – but that was as good as it got for South Devon’s bowlers.
Callum Still (6-19) and Adam Gribble (3-19) then shot South Devon out for a paltry 65 in reply.
Tom Carter made 24 – no one else got past 11. On a grim day for South Devon they lost their last seven wickets for six runs. Only a miracle can save Adrian Hewings men from an immediate return to the B Division.
Having lost by 200 and 192 runs to Exeter this season, South Devon won’t miss playing them next summer!
Anything less than a win at Shobrooke Park this Saturday will confirm the drop.
Exeter need 13 points from their final three games to be sure of going up and will be disappointed not to claim them off visiting Braunton this Saturday.
CORNWOOD are right back in the thick of the A Division promotion race after beating Braunton by 97 runs to regain second place from Paignton.
Cornwood’s total of 222 for three was built around a stand of 112 for the first wicket between Chris Parker (45) and Mark Horwell (58).
Mohammad Salman (58no) and Jason Hall (37) topped up the account with a further stand of 68.
Braunton struggled for wickets with Harry Booker taking two for 65.
Braunton collapsed in a heap to 69 for seven under pressure from Salman (4-25), aided and abetted by Mike Wood, Elliot Staddon and Adam Goodliffe with two each.
Mark Mitchell with 47 not out delayed the inevitable, but ran out of partners at 125.
Cornwood skipper Craig Harris said although the winning margin was a wide one, the game wasn’t a stroll in the park.
“It might have looked easy on paper, but it was a real challenge,” said Harris.
“We were confident of putting on a decent total after our recent performances if we got a steady start.
“You cannot ask for much more than a 100 opening stand. It gave us the platform to launch a total in the last 10-15 overs and top cameos from Jason Hall and Sal led us to a real competitive total.”
Harris said the hard work was shifting the bottom half of the Braunton batting.
“We put down a few chances and Braunton's plan shifted to playing through so trying to force wickets and opportunities was more of a test” said Harris.
“To come away with another 20 points was great and something we should be proud of.
“Three wins on the bounce has been a great achievement and we hope to continue it next week.”
Plymstock did Cornwood a favour by holding Paignton to a draw in a nail-chewer at Dean Cross.
Cornwood’s lead is only four points and with three games to go anything could still happen.

PLYMSTOCK skipper Dave Orchard feels his side are just about safe from relegation danger after fighting out a losing draw with Paignton.
Plymstock bowled well to keep Paignton to 184 for nine – although getting run machine Seb Benton out in the first over when he was stumped off a wide probably helped.
Plymstock got down to the final over from Stephen George (3-30) needing seven off the last over and six last ball.
Hallam Kerton dispatched it four to leave Plymstock two runs short of victory.
“I was caught on the boundary for 48 second ball, going for it and it was difficult for the new man coming in against a bowler Stephen George’s quality,” said Orchard.
“Dan Robotham and Matt Reynolds (49) got us into a good position and we couldn’t have got much closer.
“We showed some real character against one of the best sides in the division and proved we are in the right division.
“I think we are nearly 40 points clear of the bottom two and one more win will keep us here for another year.”
PLYMPTON skipper Andy Walter said it won’t be the end of the world if his side miss out on promotion this season.
Abbotskerswell were five-wicket losers with nearly 10 overs to go at Harewood House after posting a total of 228 for eight.
Plympton trail second-placed Cornwood by 27 points, which they could make up in the last three games.
Walter is not convinced that an immediate return to the Premier Division would be a good thing.
“Personally, I thing we are out of it and that’s not such a bad thing,” said Walter.
“We don’t look like a Premier side in waiting, although I think our younger players are only going to get better as they develop.
“Another season in the A Division probably won’t do us any harm.
“Exeter didn’t go straight back up last season – and look at the way they have run away with the A Division this year.”
Abbots started promisingly as half-centuries from Richard Lake and Alex Birt took the to 112 without loss.
Josh Mailing (3-59) and Dave Wrench (3-49) got the brake on, although there were runs for Dickie Acton (38).
Walter (58) anchored the early part of Plympton’s chase, putting on 44 with Mailling and 44 with Jeremy Williams (50).
Chris Bunny (37) and Richard Skinner (22no) took Plympton the rest of the way.
Marcus Green (2-56) was the only Abbots’ bowler with much to celebrate.
SHOBROOKE Park’s prospects took a turn for the worse in the A Division when they slumped to a 165-run defeat at Brixham.
Brixham hoisted 245 for seven in 50 overs – Craig Eaves top scoring on 55 before he was last man out to the final ball of the innings.
Eaves and Tim Robinson (35) put on 73 for the sixth wicket after Brixham had been 128 for five with Shobrooke skipper Justin Dollow (3-55) among the wickets. Andrew Lewin chipped in with 46.
Shobrooke’s innings was a catalogue of disaster with Matt Blakeney reaching 40 and no one making double figures in a miserable tally of 80 all out.
Matt Stringfellow (5-22) did the bulk of the damage with Mark Orchard (3-21) and Eaves (2-26) among the wickets.
Shobrooke have a must-win encounter with doomed South Devon this Saturday if they want to narrow the 14-point gap between them and safety.