Devon Cricket Board - Bowser steers North Devon to victory

NORTH DEVON LEAGUE - WEEK 13 | TABLES
Week 13 of the Stay In Devon North Devon league could prove pivotal in terms of the final placings for two of the last three remaining top flight records were ended to leave North Devon the clear leaders.
North Devon are now the only top flight side to sport an unbeaten record and with it a 20 point average for the campaign after a four wicket home win over Sandford. The Mid Devon side batted first and knocks of 56 from Luke Wright, and 36 from Russell Discombe helped them to 167. Raymond Clarke (3-33), Tim Cook (2-12) and Fergus O’Donnell (2-16) claimed the bulk of the wickets.
Dan Bowser led the run chase with an unbeaten 90 as the Instow men got home with four wickets and two overs to spare. Richard Clarke chipped in with 48 whilst Sean Hawkins claimed 3-33 for the visitors.
Hatherleigh suffered their first defeat of the season as they went down by 23 runs at Newton Tracey. Gary Chatham hit an unbeaten 49 to lead the home side to 192-6. The home total was helped along the way by 26 extras. Gareth Tidball claimed 2-23 for Hatherleigh who were then bowled out for 169. Rob Chapman (61) and Jack Cherrington (38) were the principle run providers for the visitors whilst the hosts once again leant on the Gears with Simon Gear (4-24) and Rob Gear (3-30) combining to end Hatherleigh’s perfect record.
James Ford dominated proceedings as Bideford battled to 199-8 in their home game with Filleigh before bowling out the previously unbeaten visitors for 102.
Ford opened and went on to strike 95 in a 157 minute stay at the wicket. He was eventually caught by Charlie Popplewell off the bowling of Martin Brice, the penultimate home wicket to fall.
Such was Ford’s dominance that only two other Bideford batsmen recorded double figure scores. Jack Hockin hit a run-a-ball 28 and Josh King chipped in with 35. The other seven batsmen to feature had single figures to their names in the score book.
Filleigh had a trio of bowlers bagging two wickets each with Martin Brice (2-7), Tom Marsh (2-31) and James Marsh (2-56) returning the best figures. Josh King made the breakthrough in the Filleigh reply when he had Jaz Kalsi caught by Matt Allin and King was the fielder responsible for the run-out that saw Popplewell depart without a run to his name as Filleigh slipped from 20 without loss to 35-3. Thereafter wickets fell at regular intervals with only young McCauley Harrison-Hooton striking a defiant 25 and Tom Marsh offering up late resistance with 24 as Paul Shepherd (2-10), Dan Barrett (2-11) and Martin Stewart (2-32) claimed the bulk of the wickets sending Filleigh to their first defeat of the season.
North Molton were the big movers in Division Four after they knocked leaders Ilfracombe off top spot, dishing out a 105 run defeat to the visitors. Dominic Ford hit an unbeaten 112 and Harrison Biggs weighed in with a knock of 111, the pair adding 226 for their third wicket, as North Molton closed on 265-5. Ilfracombe’s Mark Cavanagh bowled well in light of the heavy hitting, he finished with 2-31 from nine overs. Jamie Matthews was the top scorer in the reply with 54 as Peter Davies (3-18) and Will Boyles (2-28) combined to bundle them out for 160.
In the day’s only other Division Four game Milly Squire was the star of the Filleigh II bowling as she claimed 4-30 to help bowl hosts Westleigh out for 156 after Filleigh had posted 199-8. Baljit Kalsi (41) and John Harrison (35) led Filleigh to their respectable total. Home skipper James Corry took 3-25 and Tom Anderson claimed 2-17. James Tythcott hit 77 in the reply, but only Mark Cann (28) stayed with him as Squire and Baljit Kalsi (2-15), led Filleigh to a victory that sees them climb above Westleigh in the table. Home skipper Corry lamented: “Once again we did not bat well enough and got out of the game what we deserved. All credit to them though. Filleigh played a good game and deserved their success.”
The only game scheduled in the basement division survived the weather and it saw leaders Bishops Nympton strengthen their grip on a promotion berth with a 15 run home win over Barnstaple and Pilton III. Jamie Giffard (39), Richard Simmons (17) and Toby Lockhead (13) were the principle run scorers in a total of 108. Matt Clarke (3-11) and Dan McCreadie (3-27) were the main wicket takers. The Barum reply was laboured as not one single batsman was able to dominate to provide a potential match wining knock. The best two offerings were the 18 from Matthew Newton and 16 from Simon Pim as the Lockhead’s paired up to bag a finally six-fold of wickets. Dad, Neil Lockhead claimed 3-23 from his seven overs whilst son Toby capped a fine all-round contribution with 3-21 from eight overs.
The weather struck again to wipe out half of the week 13 fixture list.
That takes the total cancellation count this soggy season to 72 of the matches with Division Two the hardest hit where 51 per cent of the matches have not been played this season so far owing to the rains.
It’s a similar tale of weather woe in Division Five where 50 per cent of the matches have been wiped out and even in the top flight it’s a 42 per cent loss in terms of matches not played this term because of the weather.
Division One
Bideford 199-8 (J Ford 95, J King 35, J Hockin 28; M Brice 2-7, T Marsh 2-31, J Marsh 2-56), Filleigh 102 (McCauley Harrison-Hooton 25, T Marsh 24; P Shepherd 2-10, D Barratt 2-11, M Stewart 2-32). Bideford (20pts) bt Filleigh (2) by 97 runs.
Sandford 167 (L Wright 56, R Discombe 36; Raymond Clarke 3-33, T Cook 2-12, F O’Donnell 2-16), North Devon 170-6 (D Bowser 90no, Richard Clarke 48; S Hawkins 3-33). North Devon (20pts) bt Sandford (6) by 4 wkts.
Newton Tracey 192-6 (G Chatham 49 no, extras 26; G Tidball 2-23), Hatherleigh 169 (R Chapman 61, J Cherrington 38; S Gear 4-24, R Gear 3-30). Newton Tracey (20pts) bt Hatherleigh (8) b y 23 runs.
Division Two
Heathcoat v Weare Giffard. No play, rain.
Incorrigibles v Victoria Park. No play, rain
Division Three
Belstone v Bideford II. No play, rain.
Bratton Fleming v Newton Tracey II. No play, rain.
Holsworthy v Shobrooke Park. No play, rain.
Division Four
Filleigh II 199-8 (B Kalsi 41, J Harrison 35; J Corry 3-25, T Anderson 2-17), Westleigh 156 (J Tythcott 77, M Cann 28; M Squire 4-30, B Kalsi 2-15). Filleigh (20pts) bt Westleigh (6) by 43 runs.
North Molton 265-5 (D Ford 112no, H Biggs 111; J Cavanagh 2-31), Ilfracombe 160 (J Matthews 54; P Davies 3-18, W Boyles 2-28). North Molton (20pts) bt Ilfracombe (4) by 105 runs.
Kelseymen v Heathcoat II. No play rain.
Division Five
Bishops Nympton 108 (J Giffard 39, R Simmons 17, T Lockhead 13; J Rowe 3-8, N Clarke 3-11, D McCreedy 3-27), Barnstaple and Pilton III 93 (M Newton 18, S Pym 16; T Lockhead 3-21, N Lockhead 3-23). Bishops Nympton (20pts) bt Barnstaple and Pilton III (8) by 15 runs.