Devon Cricket Board - C Division - Stoke up with Ivybridge second

C Division - Stoke up with Ivybridge second

C DIVISION

ASHBURTON were consigned to relegation by a 79-run defeat at Kingsbridge.

The Ashes could have stayed up had they won at the Butts and Clyst St George lost to Iyvbridge.

Clyst kept their side of the bargain – they were seven-wicket losers – but Ashburton could not keep theirs.

Skipper James Fletcher hit a 102 for Kingsbridge, which came off 119 balls and included 10 fours and a six, in a total of 240 for nine.

It was Fletcher’s fourth ton in the last six trips to the crease and kept him out in the middle until the 42^nd over, when he was ninth out at 199.

Last pair John Rosewarn (13no) and Neal Peach (24no) put on another 41.

There were three wickets for Ashes captain Ashley Harvey and to for Tom Durman.

Asbburton were quickly in the mire at 35 for four and despite the best efforts of Harvey to hold it together they meandered to 161 all out.

Harvey was stranded on 87 not out from 65 balls – one of only two double-figure score apart from 43 extras in the total.

Pick of the bowlers with three for 38 was Rick Carr. Ben Glover had three for 58 and there were two each for Peach and Rosewarne.

OTTERY St Mary were on the receiving end of 101-run hiding from promotion near-misses Bideford.

Bideford eased to 231 for nine in 46 overs with Mike Young (45) and Fergus Bradbeer (44) giving them a 63-run start, then Chris Luxton (42) marshalling the lower order after a slump from 156 for four to 175 for eight.

Will Harrison (3-61) and Lewis Townsend (4-56) were the most effective bowlers for Ottery, who were bowled out for 130 in reply.

Dan Flower made 38, George Biggs (23) and Sam Lynch finished with 20 not out for Ottery, who would lost it mid-innings as they went from 52 for one to 76 for five.

The bowling damage was inflicted by Josh King with six for 28. Alex Crisp (2-8) mopped up the tail.

Ottery finished seventh out of ten in the final table, 34 points clear of the relegation zone.

Bideford finished fourth, but had they not had five points deducted two weeks ago for fielding an unregistered player they would have been promoted as runners-up behind champs Stoke Gabriel.

CLYST St George were seven-wicket losers to Ivybridge, who were celebrating promotion thanks to their win.

Chris Ferro had the only score over 20 for Clyst with 29 in a disappointing total of 106 all out. Alan Walsh made 19.

Having been 83 for four, Clyst captain Steve Bourke would have been hoping for a few more.

The bowling damage was done by Sri Lankan Jeewan DeSilva, who took five for 26.

Mike Johnson (2-38) removed Ivybridgeg openers Andy Johnson (13) and Gareth Andrews (16), then Bourke nipped out Mike Hibberd as the home side dipped to 32 for three.

Kelvin Trent (15no) and DeSilva (49no) ensured there were no further slip ups on the way back to the B Division for Ivybridge, who were last there in 1987.

CHAGFORD beat Ipplepen by 21 runs to finish third in the final C Division standings.

Both teams were in with a chance of going up themselves, but needed results elsewhere to help them out.

Chagford finished for points light of promotion, but with eight games rained off lost more matches to bad weather than anyone else. A winning draw in any of those rain-offs would have sent them up.

Colin Mortimore top score with 54 and there was a 25 from Gary Sizmur in Chagford’s 145 all out. Keith Wakeham spun his way to three for 43 for the Pens.

Jack Lewis made a top score of 39 for Pens, who were bowled out for 123 by Del Lammonby (3-28), Billy Searle (3-24) and Will Lammonby (2-7).

RELEGATED Clyst Hydon were the gooseberries at the promotion party when they visited long-time leaders Stoke Gabriel.

For Clyst were on the wrong end of a 121-run hiding as they bowed out of the C Division with just one win to their name.

Aussie all-rounder Anthony Scott hit 56 for Stoke and sha4red in stand of 82 for the second wicket with Matty Taylor after Bill Alcock went cheaply to Kev Sercombe (3-36).

Nick Sandbrook belted 39 off 20 balls at the end as Stoke reached 216 for eight.

Scott has been quite an asset for Stoke this season – and showed why with five for 31 when Hydon batted.

Clyst went from 18 for one to 30 for six and on to 95 all out with Chris Jelley (22) offering the most resistance.

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