Devon Cricket Board - Sidmouth and Plymouth neck and neck at top

Sidmouth and Plymouth neck and neck at top

SMASH-and-grab artists Josh Bess and Liam Lewis did it again as Sidmouth hold on tight to top spot in the Premier Division.
Bess and Lewis took centuries off Cornwood seven days earlier – and smashed another one each as Sidmouth grabbed a 67-run win at Torquay.
Curiously, Bess and Lewis put on 222 for the first wicket against Cornwood – and made exactly the same total at Torquay’s expence.
Bess was first to go – he made 111 – with Lewis carrying on without him to reach his third hundred in eight days. Lewis got one for Devon against Dorset last Sunday.
And if Torquay’s bowlers hadn’t suffered enough, Peter Randerson blasted 27 off 13 balls in a quick stand of 40 with Lewis.
Torquay were all out for 201 in reply with Bess picking up three wickets to add to his ton.
Mitchell Pugh made 63 and Faisal Iqbal 35, but Torquay were behind the rate early and couldn’t catch up.
Plymouth remain five points behind Sidmouth at the top of the table following a 76-run win over visiting North Devon.
James Toms (58) and Ben Stein (40) put on exactly 100 for the first wicket in a Plymouth total of 256 for seven.
Gianne Koopman (29) and Harry Stephenson (35) kept the tins flicking over, then Steve Luffman (38) and Matt Hooper (23) got some more at the end.
Keeping the runs down was a problem for North Devon - especially South Australian new boy Jack Pudney, who was one for 68 from 10 overs.
North Devon needed a sold start, so being 71 for five after a wring over from Sam Stein (2-27) and Dave Burke (2-33) wasn’t ideal.
Tom Allin (27) and Jason Hayes (45no) improved the situation, but spinner Koopman (4-60) kept chipping away and North Devon were all out for 180 with more than 13 overs to go.
Former Devon captain Bob Dawson (pictured) made 153 not out to set Exmouth on course for a 37-run win at Sandford.
Dawson lashed 20 fours and six sixes – that’s 104 in boundaries alone – as Exmouth piled up the runs. It was his 11th Devon League ton - and is best score in the competition, beating the previous PB of 143 made against North Devon last season
Sandford had a decent go at chasing despite dipping to 96 for five in reply.
Adrian Small (61) and Laurence May (54) had Exmouth rattled with a stand of 101, but Sandford collapsed once May was out.
Heathcoat had a thrilling win at Cornwood, where they knocked off 236 to win with three balls to spare.
Jason Hall made 84 not out and Craig Harris 58 before Duncan Boase weighed in with a brisk 39 t the end in Cornwood’s 235 for seven.
Heathcoat were hardly sitting pretty at 76 for four after 12 overs, but a run-a-ball century from Qassim Adams (118no) and Ned Menheneott’s 31 in support got them there.
Exeter came up short on the chase at Bovey Tracey, whose 191 for nine was 26 too many to chase.
Matt Goldings 94 underpinned the Bovey offering with Nathan Roberts chipping in 46.
Joe Barrs had four for 26 against his former club.
Exeter’s problems began at 32 for four and were barely improved at 59 for five in reply – Nathan Roberts and Ryan Bougoud doing the damage.
Neal Prowse (53) and Bill Searle (330 against his dad’s old club made a game of it, only for Mark Gribble (3-30) to knock over the tail.

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