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   Axminster v Exeter SJ

EXETER St James were left hanging on for a draw at Axminster after their chase went off the rails.

   Axminster totalled 213 for five in 42 rain-reduced overs with Steve Read making a top score of 47.

   Read shared in two stands worth 31, one with Rob Prior (27), the other with Steve Allsopp, and there was 60 unbroken at the end between Mark Richards (31no) and Joel Seward.

   Spinner Stuart Shaw (2-39) kept it tight at one end for St James while new boy Anthony Thekkaphalkkal (2-60) went for a few more at the other end.

   St James were well placed at 90 for two after skipper Ryan Keary (35) and Chris Horne (35) had given them a useful start.

   Wickets started to tumble to Richards (4-41) and Seward (2-35) and at 115 for five the chase was off.

   Dan Addey (33no) stoppered up one end and saw out the final over with Al Kiloh as St James slowed to 150 for eight at the close.

   The game between Clyst St George and Seaton was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

 

   Alphington v Plymouth CS

ALPHINGTON skipper Graham White was hugely frustrated by Plymouth Civil Services' tactics as the game at the Chronicles fizzled out into a bore draw.

   Alphington played their part by posting 253 for seven, but Civil had no interest in going for the runs and blocked it out to finish on 93 for eight.

   “Civil didn't see interested right from the start and there was no way they were going to go for the runs at 50 for four,” said White.

   Ian Ainscough (66) and Graham White (27) got the Alphas away to a 67-run start then Ian McDonald (46) and Fred Quirk added another 84 in stands with Ainscough as the scoreline mounted.

   Chris Newton (2-41) and Dave Bennett (2-50) slowed Alphington occasionally, but Paul James cracked a brisk 36 not out at the end to keep the Exeter side in the driving seat.

   Civl struggled to 50 for four after 21 overs and a draw was always the best they could hope for after that.

   Mahood Alam dug in for 36 and Mark Lockyer made 19, but with Steve Bowen (4-29) and Ian Haley (2-2) keeping the pressure in, Civil meandered to 93 for eight after 46 overs.

  

   Plymstock v Brixham

BRIXHAM'S bowling attack proved too strong for Plymstock as the B Division promotion favourites won by 20 runs at Deans Cross.

   Spinners Aqeel Ahmed and Gary Spencer had six wickets between them as Plymstock crashed from 100 for four to 145 all out.

   Brixham were restricted to 165 for nine in their 46 overs – and Plymstock were looking good to knock them off when their reply stood at 100 for three.

   But 123 for seven was an altogether different story. Despite the best efforts of Graham Jackson (16no) to marshall the tail, Plymstock were all out with more than three overs to go.

   Brixham's total was built around a top score of 62 from former Barton and Devon batsman Andy Pugh, who put on 68 with Tim Robinson for the third wicket.

   Seb Jordan (2-19) had a couple of early wickets, but Plymstock's bowlers didn't have any success until they broke the Pugh-Robinson partnership.

   Denzil Addicott had Robinson caught and went on to finish with four for 47 as wickets started to tumble.

   Veteran Mike Cherry picked off Pugh in his way to two for 41.

   Another old warhorse, opener Nick Langridge, anchored the Plymstock batting effort with 39 and it was his dismissal at 100 four to Mark Orchard that proved the turning point.

   With skipper Ian Whalley and Dave Orchard both absent, Plymstock were a little light in the batting line-up and went into a steady decline.

   Parkistani spinner Aqeel ran through the middle order on his way to four for 41 with Spencer (2-39) and Robinson mopping up the stragglers.

  

Bideford v Barnstaple

BARNSTAPLE & Pilton won a low-scoring North Devon derby at Bideford by three wickets.

Andy Webbe (33) and Mike Clements (21) were Bideford's main run getters in a total of 112 all out.

Bideford were bogged down from the start – the first eight overs only produced seven runs – and lost wickets to Ryan Horrell (5-46) when they tried to up the tempo.

Knocking off the runs wasn't a cakewalk for Barnstaple, but they got there in the end with Martin Collier making 25 and Andy Barton 22. Matt Bettis (2-27) was the most effective of the Bideford bowlers.

  Bideford skipper James Ford said, “ The toss was crucial and I felt we were 20 or so short of what would have been a formidable total given the conditions.

   If I have a gripe its in our fielding we put down some catches and that's criminal in such a low-scoring game. But credit where credit's due, Barnstaple bowled very well, Ryan (Horrell) was very hard to cope with.”

   Winning skipper Sean Cole said, “ I accept that the toss was a ‘big one but then I thought we showed the right approach. It's been a good start for us and this is certainly something to build on.”