Devon Cricket Board - A Division - third ton for Benton

PAIGNTON skipper Andy Kingdon said opener Seb Benton looked in a class of his own as he hammered an unbeaten century in the nine-wicket win over Braunton.
Braunton were all out for 190 a Queens Park, which looked like a defendable total.
Jas Kalsi (41) and Tom Mitcham (12) had given the Kelseymen a 52-run start and a further stand of 50 between Kalsi and Ian Roberts (26) for the third wicket helped the score along.
Benton got his off-breaks out to have a bowl and picked up four for 63 as Braunton faded in the second half. Stephen George did his bit from the other end, taking four for 40.
Paignton won at a canter with opener Benton batting through for an undefeated 112. It was his third league ton of the season – containing 10 fours and seven sixes - and does not bode well for South Devon’s bowlers when the two sides tangle at Marsh Road this Saturday.
Benton and Connor Bryan (19) put on 55 for the first wicket. After Alex Hodges (1-24) removed Bryan, South African Brady Barends (41no) joined Benton to knock off the rest in an unbroken stand of 134.
Victory was wrapped up with more than 16 overs to go.
Said Kingdon: “Seb is in a different class to any other batsman in this division and looks like scoring runs every time he bats.
“He has had back trouble for a while, but has started bowling again recently and backed up Stephen George superbly.
“Selection for the South Devon game is going to be interesting as we have a number of new players to consider – Chris Kelmere, Phil Allen, Richard Ashworth and Rob Shergold – and George Yates is back.
“We still have some catching up to do, but I feel very confident about the second half of the season.”
ABBOTSKERSWELL put a turbulent week behind them to beat Brixham by two wickets in a tense affair at Two Mile Oak.
Kiwi Matt Stringfellow batted through for an undefeated 116 as Brixham made 216 for five.
There was support along the way from Andrew Lewin (36).
Abbots, who lost five players to other clubs in the week before the transfer deadline, got home in the last over thanks to a fine 81 from Dickie Acton.
Skipper Richard Lake (53) and Acton got the score up to 128 for three, then it started to get interesting as Stringfellow (3-46) and Mark Orchard (3-740 whittled away at the wickets.
Acton went with 11 needed, which left Aaron Hearne and Paul Acton to close the game out.
Orchard bowled the last over defending a lead of four, which wasn’t enough.
“It had been a difficult week at the club, but it make you proud to see blokes stand up and be counted,” said Abbots’ former captain Josh Dowling.
PLYMSTOCK captain Dave Orchard was delighted with the way his team dispatched Shobrooke Park in the basement battle at Dean Cross.
Shobrooke were hustled out for 113 by Morgan Parkinson (5-21) and Orchard (3-30) with Jon James (44) and veteran Richard Pyle (18) going well for a while.
Shobrooke started to slide after losing James to a run-out at 102 for five, their next five wickets going for eight runs.
Matt Reynolds (45no) lost Rory Coultham (22) at 91 for two with the job almost done. Dan Robotham (16no) was there at the end with Reynolds
Plymstock are now 24 points ahead clear of the second drop spot, currently occupied by Shobrooke.
Skipper Orchard said it was a game Plymstock expected to win, but delivery has been an issue at times this season.
“Definitely one of our better performances,” said Orchard.
“All the parts of our game came together when we needed it. Our batting hasn’t always fired this year, so this result made me very happy.”
CORNWOOD were put in their place by Exeter, who won the top-of-the-table clash at Oak Park by eight wickets.
Leaders Exeter were only four points clear of second-placed Cornwood going into the latest round of fixtures, so a close game was anticipated.
It turned out to be something of a one-sided affair as the Corns were held to 125 for nine, which Exeter knocked off without too much difficulty either side of break for rain.
Exeter have shot 21 points clear of Cornwood, who remain second but now have arch rivals Plympton breathing down their necks after they thrashed ailing South Devon by a similar eight-wicket margin.
Cornwood only had two scores of note against Exeter – Mohammad Salman (45) and Matt Butterworth (17) – as they struggled from 37 for three to 72 for five and on to 125 for nine.
The conditions were tailor made for Exeter skipper Jon Tipper’s seamers – he took three for 17 – and the pressure was maintained by spinners Callum Still (3-38) and Adam Gribble (2-36).
Exeter were 52 for none after 10 overs – Rob Holman (43) and Miles Lenygon doing the damage – and with Alex Bosomworth (31) and extras (33) chipping in the chase was a formality.
Elliot Staddon and Mike Wood took a wicket each to earn Cornwood a consolation bowling point.
Cornwood skipper Craig Harris said it was a bad toss to lose as his side had to bat first on a damp track.
Harris felt Cornwood could have done better, but added there is plenty of time to make up for one bad result.
When we got to 125 for we were quite confident it was a competitive total,” said Harris.
“Sadly, we didn’t bowl well, didn’t have the intensity and weren’t really in contention.
“I think we needed an early wicket to set ourselves off. It seemed like we were waiting for something to happen, and against good teams, you have to put the hard work in to get the results.”
Looking to the rest of the season, Harris added: “There are nine game to go and plenty of cricket to go.
“Being second at half way is good. However, being such a tight division every single game that comes up now will be as important as the ones gone by.”
Skipper Andy Walter led from the front with an unbeaten 60 as Plympton beat South Devon in a thoroughly workmanlike way.
South Devon were bowled out for 112 with Amir Hayat (4-38) and Josh Mailling (4-21) doing the bulk of the damage.
Adrian Hewings made 38 at one end while South Devon were slumping to 56 for six at the other, then Ali Wright (11) and James Hart (16) hoisted 42 for the seventh wicket before the collapse resumed.
Jeremy Williams (15) and David Wrench (13) supported Walter as the run were knocked off with the minimum of inconvenience.
Victory lifts Plympton past Brixham into third place going into the second half of the season.
Cornwood are now squarely in Plympton’s sights in what looks increasingly like a scramble for the second promotion place behind leaders Exeter.
Walter said the next month with games against Shobrooke (9^th), Plymstock (8^th) and Braunton (7^th) is going to be decisive.
“When you are playing against the lower teams you have to go out and beat them,’ said Walter.
‘I was worried South Devon might trip us up and as they showed with that late stand there is plenty of fight in them.
‘All the sides at the bottom start to scrap hard in the second half of the season. The important thing is we repeat the way we played against South Devon and continue getting results.”
Although South Devon’s position is starting to look hopeless, skipper Hewings is still looking for ways out of trouble.
“There is still lots to play for,” said Hewings.
“We know if we can set a target we can make a game, but we need to learn to tough it out if we are stuck in on a wet one.
“Our bowling attack is getting better with each match, but we need to piece together all aspects of games. “