Abbotskerswell v Plymouth
JAMES Nicholls belted a maiden 1 st XI ton as Plymouth crushed Abbotskerswell by 155 runs to go joint top of the A Division two games into the season.
Nicholls didn't stop at a hundred as he carried on to make 141 off just 137 balls in Plymouth's massive total of 261 for three declared in 42 of the 50 overs available to them.
There were 10 fours and the same number of sixes in Nicholls knock, during which he gave some of the Abbotskerswell bowlers a real hammering.
Richard Acton was pummelled for 18 in one over and 16 in the next while Jamie Lock bowled one over for 17 runs – 16 scored by Nicholls – and didn't come back.
Chris Barr and Nicholls posted 243 for the first wicket, which wasn't a league record but wasn't far off it. The only opening stands to produce more runs are South Devon pair Gareth Andrews and Mark Andrews (275 v Hatherleigh, 1998) and Budleigh Salterton due Mike Ready and Neil Murrin (246 v Exeter St James, 1994).
Barr didn't hang about as his end either as he swatted 14 fours on his way to 93 off 114 balls.
Only when Abbotskerswell took the pace off the ball did the make much headway with spinner Carl Mitchell claiming all three Plymouth wickets to fall.
Abbots cause wasn't helped by a bizarre over in which they used three bowlers, two of whom couldn't bowl again in the match.
Paceman Steve Scarr was ordered off by the umpires for bowling three head-high full tosses in quick succession, so Aussie Brad Wright was asked to finish the over. Wright bowled a no-ball that was hit for four, a second delivery that also went for four then asked to be taken off due to a shoulder injury. Skipper Marcus Green finished the over in question.
Abbots soon slumped to 12 for three in reply as Hansantha Fernando (2-22) and skipper Dave Burke (4-26) softened them up.
Steve Short (26) batted on gamely in a lost cause as wickets fell regularly at the other end. Scarr (21) got back in credit for the day by helping Short put on 29 for the eight wicket but it was only delaying the inevitable.
Short went at 90 for eight, Scarr one run later and last man Gary Day at 106 as Abbot were dismissed with more than 14 overs to come.
Barr (2-8) and Terry Stevens (2-23) were Plymouth's other wicket takers.
Victory puts Plymouth joint top with Sidmouth on 40 points from two games. Bradninch are a point behind in third place.
Sidmouth v Shobrooke Park
SIDMOUTH are joint top of the table in the A Division following a workmanlike six-wicket win over visiting Shobrooke Park.
Mark Jasper and Will Murray took six for 10 and four for 57 respectively as Shobrooke were bundled out for 120 in the 47 th of their 50 overs.
Shobrooke started disastrously – they were 23 for three - and without Richard Pyle's 46 and Andy Codling's 27 would have got nowhere near three figures.
A stand of 41 saved some face for Shobrooke, but it all went wrong again at the end as the last four wickets fell for just 24 runs.
Sidmouth reached 36 without loss thanks to Anthony Griffiths and Josh Bess (25), were 36 for two soon after and could have been 36 for three as Neil Hancock was dropped before getting off the mark.
Devon batting star Hancock made the best of his life to slam a brisk 54 that put Sidmouth in touching distance of victory.
By the time Ben Trenaman had Hancock caught by Pyle close to the wicket the target was just eight to win and the game long over as meaningful contest.
Braunton v Bradninch
Sidmouth share joint top spot with Plymouth. Both sides have 40 points while Bradninch are just one point behind following their six-wicket victory over Braunton, who have now lost two in a row.
Opening bowler Paul Nott soon put the skids under Braunton as he took four for 36 to put them on the back foot from the start.
Joel Murphy picked up three for 27 and youngster Billy Wakely had former Somerset and England batsman Mark Lathwell in his two fvor 26.
Lathwell, who played in for 12, was one of only three double-figure scores in a Bruanton total of 128 for nine. Andy Paddison (36) and Barney Huxtable (15) had the others.
Bradninch had 60 overs to knock off the runs and were home and dry with more than 20 to go.
Ross Acton made 46 at the top of the order, then Gary Chapple (33no) and Eliot Acton (17no) kicked on to victory.
South Devon v Tavstock
SOUTH Devon let victory slip though their fingers after they bowled Tavistock for a measly 108 – and were all out for 100 in reply!
The Newton Abbot side soon had Tavistock on the rack at 26 for three, Mike Smith (3-21) doing the early damage, but the Moorlanders staged a mini-recovery through Dave Manning (21) and Steve Luffman (41).
When Mannning went Luffman took the fight to South Devon with some big blows – ex-Devon spinner Danny Johnson went for two sixes in one over – and pushed the score along to a healthier 104 for four.
Luffman's demise was the signal for it to all go wrong again as Tavvy lost their last five wickets for just four runs as Johnson (3-28) and Phil Blackmore (2-16) spun out the tail.
South Devon fared little better when they batted as wickets fell at regular intervals to Brynlee Barros (3-43) and Lee Baker (3-28).
After Matt Blackmore went for 29, South Devon tumbled from 68 for four to 73 for seven and appeared to be heading for defeat.
Dave Stubbs (15) and Dave Knowles (6) appeared to be salvaging the situation as they worked the ball around to add 21.
When Stubbs got out the target was 15 to win with two wickets in hand, both of which Gauler took to cap a dramatic turnaround by Tavistock.
THE game between Cornwood and Bovey Tracey at Oak Park was called off due to a waterlogged pitch, although there is dispute brewing between the clubs and the league over whether the game should have taken place.
The issue is almost certain to come up at a meeting of the league's management committee tonight (Monday).