Devon Cricket Board - B Division - Barton closing in on title

B Division - Barton closing in on title

BARNSTAPLE moved into the top half of the B Division table thanks to a nine-wicket win at Axminster.

Doomed Axminster – 61 points adrift at the bottom with 80 to play for – were kept to 154 for seven by miserly spin bowling from Steve Moore (3-28) and Henry McEndoo (2-42).

Dan Murnane top scored for Axminster with 47 while new skipper Tris Wakeley (23) and Ben Libby (23) both chipped in.

Barnstaple opener Andy Barton had a life on five when he was dropped and made Axminster pay in a big way.

Barton went on to make 90 not out and shared in stands if 76 fir the first wicket with George McEndoo and 82 unbroken with Brady Saunders (23no).

Barton forged 20 points clear at the top of the shop courtesy of a 140-run win over Tavistock.

A minute’s silence was observed by the teams before the match as a mark of respect to former Tavistock captain Mike Crocker, who died last week.

Shaun Needham lashed 12 fours and five sixes on his way to a 105-ball knock of 106 as Barton posted 225 all out.

Needham and Sean Adderley put on 99 for Barton’s second wicket, of which Adderley made 12.

After Needham was fourth out at 150, Rashmi Jinan rattled up a brisk 46.

Jonty Newton and Shaun Daymond had three wickets each for Tavistock, whose chase was over almost before it had begun.

Pressure from Jinan (3-16) and Tom Porter (2-28) saw Tavvy dip to 28 for four.

Spinners Stuart Bowker (2-23) and Adam Parker (3-15) gave Tavvy no respite as they slewed from 65 for seven to 85 all out.

Barton are at home to Thorverton this Saturday.

THORVERTON’S promotion hopes suffered what could prove a terminal set back when they lost by one wicket to Hatherleigh.

Paul Fielder made a top score of 69 and Ben Lyne chipped in with 26 as Thorveton were all out for 145 in their 43^rd over,

Pick of the bowlers with three each were Rob Cockwill (3-28) and Mark Lake (3-30).

Thors’ skipper Fielder must have felt the hard work was done as Hatherleigh slumped to 69 for five then 98 for nine in reply with Will Denford (2-24), Nick Barton (3-42) and Ben Slaverio (3-43) doing the damage.

Thoverton celebrations were cut short as Ryan Davies (27) and Rob Fishleigh (15no) put on 39 for the ninth wicket, cutting the target to eight to win.

Last man Sean Letheran kept his end up until the target was five, at which point Thors gave the game away by bowling five wides.

Victory lifts Hatherleigh back into second place behind leaders Barton, ahead of Chudleigh who lost at Lewdown.

Thorverton slip back to sixth and have 23 points to make up if they are going to snatch second place.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Thors as they face Barton this Saturday.

BEN Morris hit an unbeaten century as Alphington eased their relegation worries significantly when they beat fellow strugglers Dartington & Totnes by six wickets

Darts needed a win to get past Alphington and out of the bottom two, but now find themselves 34 points in arrears.

The Stevensons – dad Harold (42) and lad Ryan (48) put on 79 for Dart’s third wicket after they had been four for two.

Bertus Loots (34) and Ian Bransdon (26) kept the board ticking round until Alvin Pollard (4-34) and Stuart Shaw (3-47) slowed D&T to 210 for nine.

Morris made knocking off the runs look a doddle as Alphington were home and dry with five overs to go.

Along the way to 115 not out Mills shared stands of 69 with Nathan Bright (21), 60 with Pollard (23) and 61 unbroken with Lee Rowe (26no).

Wickets were hard to come by – as Darts' former Alphington seamer Nathan Caton-Robetson (1-64) could testify.

CHUDLEIGH’s roller-coaster form continued with a 12-run defeat at Lewdown which cost them second place in the rankings.

Lewdown got to 74 for three thanks to Dave Ball (34) and Harry Geering (27), only to collapse from 88 for four to 113 all out as Jon Martin (3-26), Ben Holmes (2-32) and Sean Day (4-16) ripped into them.

Lewdown came out fighting and had Chudleigh rocking at 32 for five then 52 for six after Day (19) went.

Home skipper Charlie Hughes took four for 30 having come on midway through an over when Phil Yeo (2-30) fell injured – and took a wicket straight away.

Martin (24) and Rob Clarke got the score up to 82 for six, then Rob Mutch was brought back and he took two for 10 as Chudleigh were removed for 101.

Chudleigh sit five points behind Hathereigh in the latest table and need a win over Tavistock this Saturday to avoid falling too far behind.

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