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NORTH DEVON LEAGUE - WEEK 21

JUST one game survived the weather in the top flight, that the game at Bradninch where Lynton & Lynmouth went down by four wickets.

   Ed Yeo continued his fine form with the bat, hitting his side's top score with 61. Phil Chappell (2-25) and Joel Murphy (2-40) both bagged braces of wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 162.

   Home skipper Gary Chappell then hit an unbeaten 51, hitting a boundary to both complete his half-century and seal the win. Adrian Ezquerro chipped in with 41 and the mid-Devon side claimed the victory that keeps them very much ‘in the hunt' for the top honour.

   Table topping North Devon were denied action by a sodden Filleigh pitch and so the Instow men are now left with just two to play, both away, and both against the other sides contesting the title, Sandford and Bradninch, and the equation is very straightforward. Win on their two trips to Mid Devon on September 7 and 13 and they will be crowned Champions for the first time since 2001 and the fifth time in the league's 24 years of existence.

 

IN the Second Division Heathcoat beat Ilfracombe in a low-scoring affair at Knightshayes where the visitors were shot out for 53 and the home side, who switched their regular batting order, lost half their side chasing down the total.

   Skipper Martyn Williams (3-8), Liam Lewis (3-12) and Ned Menheniott (2-14) took wickets and then Lewis (16no) and Joe Smith (18no), saw their side to victory.

   Two to play for Heathcoat, home to Filleigh this coming weekend and then away at Hatherleigh on September 13, and they will become the third Mid Devon side to grace the top flight next season.

   Skipper James Tythcott and James Ford combined to lead Westleigh to a crucial Division Two win, one that lifts the side out of the bottom two. Bruce Peterson took 4-12 as Filleigh II were bowled out for 102 with only Ross Denning able to make much impression with 30, Ford (37) and Tythcott (36no), then saw the hosts to a six wicket win. Two more to play for Westleigh, at home to Barnstaple & Pilton on Saturday and home to Braunton the week after, two wins and they will be assured of their 2 nd Division place next season.

   Bratton Fleming have slipped into the bottom two after their game with Barnstaple & Pilton was washed out and for them the stark reality is that even if they win their final game, at Barum on September 13 then if Westleigh win their last two games Bratton Fleming will be going down with Ilfracombe.

 

DIVISION Three leaders Morebath came a cropper at Instow where North Devon II beat them by 47 runs.

   Both sides needed to win the contest for very different reasons. The hosts needed the points to ease themselves away from the lingering threat of relegation whilst the mid- Devon side, beaten only twice before the game, were looking to strengthen their promotion bid. Tom Stanton top scored with 59 and Max Curtis chipped in with an unbeaten 32 as the home side totalled 178-7, James Faulkner taking 4-36 for Morebath who were then bowled out for 131. John Hawkins top scoring with 29, Jamie Overton took 3-18 from five overs whilst Matt Dart bagged a brace with 2-14.

    It is at home that Morebath will secure promotion for they have three of their last four on their own patch, two wins should be enough to guarantee them one of the top two berths.

   Pete Steer hit the day's top score with a magnificent unbeaten 125 for Sandford II but it proved to be in vain as his side went down by just eight runs in a thrilling encounter at Shobrooke Park. Mike Rawnsley (81), Rob Newall (71) and Chris Ford (36) were the principle run getters in a total of 236-6 and then, Steer did his best to engineer a successful run chase but he ran out of partners as the reply floundered on 228-8. Chris Ford was the most successful of the home bowlers with 2-24.

 

IN Division Four the Bishops Nympton game at home to Shebbear fell foul of a waterlogged pitch but they played at Victoria Park II where Kelseymen claimed the win.

   Mark Johnson (48) and Chris Brigden (44), combined to help the Braunton boys to 152. Steve Oliver, who the previous day had shipped four goals wearing the keepers gloves for Ilfracombe Town in a Western League Premier Division game, took a ‘fivefer', finishing with figures of 5-19 and there were two wicket hauls for Mike Harris and Mark Stevens.

   The home side were always struggling, Tim Lane top scored with 24 and Mike Harris hit an unbeaten 17 but the bowlers were always on top. Matt Lewis and Chris Brigden amongst four of the visitors to bag braces.

   They played too at Bude where the home side beat North Devon III in high-scoring affair. Sam Hockin hit 95, Andrew De Rosa 52 and Ashley Hockin 40 as Bude knocked up 294.

   Young Tom Ansell was the most successful of the visiting bowlers with 3-35 and he then hit 23 from the opening slot in the reply. Mark Ansell, Father of the successful bowler, provided the top score of the reply with 31 but that was just about that as Ashley Hockin (3-18), Sam Hockin (2-24) and Jovi Wolfenden-Brown (2-16), combined to bowl them out for 164.

 

THE Division Five game at Black Torrington was not played, the game with North Molton II was washed out of business owing to a waterlogged pitch.

   The basement Division have had a torrid time in terms of getting scheduled matches played.

   There are just five matches of the 2008 programme left and to date the Division has seen 24 matches played and yet 28 not played. It's not just the weather to blame, a large number of the games in this section have been called off owing to teams being unable to field a side, but there's little doubt that it is far from satisfactory to have less than 50 per cent of the matches actually played.

 

Division One

   Lynton & Lynmouth 162 (E Yeo 61; P Chappell 2-25, J Murphy 2-40), Bradninch 163-6 (G Chappell 51no, A Ezquerro 41). Bradninch (20pts) bt Lynton & :ynmouth (6) by 4 wkts.

   Filleigh versus North Devon – pitch waterlogged, match postponed.

 

Division Two

   Bratton Fleming versus Barnstaple & Pilton- pitch waterlogged, match postponed.

   Ilfracombe 52 (M Lewis 3-8, L Lewis 3-12, N Menheniott 2-16), Heathcoat 53-5 (J Smith 18no, L Lewis 16no). Heathcoat (20pts) bt Ilfracombe (5) by 5 wkts.

   Filleigh II 102 (R Denning 30; B Peterson 4-12), Westleigh 103-4 (J Ford 37, J Tythcott 36no). Westleigh (20pts) bt Filleigh II (4) by 6 wkts.

 

Division Three:

   North Devon II 178-7 (T Stanton 59, M Curtis 32no; J Faulkner 4-36), Morebath 131 (J Hawkins 29: J Overton 3-18, M Dart 214). North Devon (20pts) bt Morebath (6) by 47 runs.

   Shobrooke Park 236-6 (M Rawnsley 81, R Newall 71, C Ford 36; M Blakeney 2-30), Sandford II 228-8 (P Steer 125; C Ford 2-24). Shobrooke Park (20pts) bt Sandford II (10) by 8 runs.

 

Division Four

   Bishops Nympton versus Shebbear – pitch waterlogged, match postponed.

   Kelseymen 152 (M Johnson 48, C Brigden 44; S Oliver 5-19, M Harris 2-15, M Stevens 2-12), Victoria Park II 110-9 (T Lane 24, M Harris 17no; M Lewis 2-11, D Croakham 2-18, C Brigden 2-20, T Rowbotham 2-13). Kelseymen (20pts) bt Victoria Park II (6) by 42 runs.

   Bude 294 (S Hockin 95, A De Rosa 52, A Hockin 40; T Ansell 3-35), North Devon III 164 (M Ansell 31, M Tyers 30; A Hockin 3-18, S Hockin 2-24, J Woofenden-Brown 2-16). Bude (20pts) bt North Devon III (2) by 130 runs.

 

Division Five

   Black Torrington versus North Molton II – pitch waterlogged, match postponed.

Tables

Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four | Week Five | B H Mon | Week Six | Week Seven

Week Eight | Week Nine | Week Ten | Week Eleven | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16

Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Aug BH Monday | Week 22 |