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ABBOTSKERSWELL got the season off to a winning start when they edged home against Torquay by 25 runs in the warm-up match at Two Mile Oak.

   Sean Green top scored for Abbots with 40 while former Torquay player Steve Short made 35 and S Harding chipped in with 30.

   Aussie new boy Matt Black was run out backing up when Ben Orr deflected a Mike Pugh drive on to the bowler's end stumps.

   Pugh, a former Torquay captain who has retuned to Abbots this season, was lbw for six, one of the few failures in a total of 199 for seven.

   Orr, a left-arm spinner who played for Yarcombe & Stockland in East Devon last season, was the best of the bunch bowling wise for Torquay with four for 26.

   Torquay were all out in the 39th over for 174, which wasn't a bad effort considering they only had one player aged over 30 in the team.

   Tim Western, the oldest by 14 years, hit 40 and youngster Joe Thompson made 41.

   Black (2-33) and Marcus Green (3-35) were Abbots' leading wicket takers.

   Abbotskerswell 199-7 (S Green 40, S Short 35, S Harding 30; B Orr 4-26), Torquay 174 (J Thompson 41, T Western 40, W Bentley 34; M Green 3-35).

 

JEFF Heath stroked his way to 58 as Ipplepen beat Stoke Gabriel by five wickets in a pre-league friendly.

   Stoke were all out for 154 in the 46-over game with newcomer Billy Alcock making an instant impression with a top score of 46.

   Wickets tumbled late in the innings with Richard Hayman (3-5) cashing in.

   The Pens were pointed in the right direction by a stand of 70 between Heath and Luke Tuckett (28). Hayman was unbeaten on 21 when Ipplepen passed the post with 14 overs to spare.

   Stoke Gabriel 154 (B Alcock 45, M Jackson 26; M Abbot 2-22, R Hayman 3-5), Ipplepen 155-5 (J Heath 58, L Tuckett 28, R Hayman 21no; D Corstorphin 2-44, M Jackson 2-34). Ipplepen bt Stoke Gabriel by 5 wkts.

 

BOVEY Tracey trounced Exmouth by 59 runs in their last warm-up game before the Devon League season gets under way this Saturday.

   Left-hander Lance Ames cracked 59 not out against one of his former clubs as Bovey recovered to make 182 for six in their 40 overs.

   Bovey were 95 for four when skipper Chris Bradley (35no) came out to join Ames and helped add 87 unbroken for the fifth wicket.

   Seamer James Burke (2-22) was the pick of the Exmouth bowlers.

   Burke (57) then top scored with the bat as Exmouth reached 105 for five in reply to leave the game interestingly poised.

   A two-wicket burst from Ryan Bougard, whose three for 13 included Mike Paine and Ed Yeo in successive balls, put Bovey in the driving seat.

   Peter Bradley knocked over the tail enders with two wickets for no runs in four balls as Exmouth were bundled out for 123.

   Bovey Tracey made it a double over Premier Division opposition over the weekend as they beat Paignton by one wicket in a thrilling finish at the Recreation Ground yesterday.

   Paignton, who paraded South African newcomer Jacobus Pienaar, hoisted 172 for six in their 40 overs.

   James Hudson to scored with 67 – he and Simon Edwards (11) put on 49 – and Pienaar chipped in with 27.

   Bougard followed his three wickets at Exmouth with two more.

   Andy Fairbairn (52) got the Bovey chase in business then Andy Kingdon hit 27 against his old club to keep things ticking over.

   Hudson (2-29), Liam Bryan (2-15) and Bhanu da Silva (3-60) bowled Paignton back into the game and the last over looked intriguing.

   Bovey's Pakistani new boy Imran Pasha Ali was still there and hit Pienaar for two, four and six to win the game with three balls to spare.

  Bovey Tracey 182-4 (L Ames 59no, C Bradley 35no, J Burke 2-22), Exmouth 123 (J Burke 57, P Holland 16, T Millington 2-39, C Bradley 2-5, P Bradley 2-0, R Bougard 3-13). Bovey bt Exmouth by 59 runs.

 

SIDMOUTH opener Anthony Griffiths picked up where he left off at the end of last season with a century in the pre-season game against Bideford on the Fortfield.

   Griffiths, whose batting exploits won him the Devon League's player of the year award in 2007, took Bideford's attack for 102.

   With Neil Hancock (28), Will Murray (21) and Trent Ovens (21) all chipping in, Sidmouth reached 240 for six before their overs ran out.

   Matt Bettis (3-49) wheeled away well for Bideford, as did new leg-spin bowler Mickey Warne.

   Aussie Warne, the nephew of Test legend Shane Warne,   had tidy figures of two for 26 off nine overs – the two being Matt Cooke and Ovens.

   Bideford were all out for 79 in reply, which condemned them to a hefty 161-run defeat.

   Jack Hockin (25) and Alex Hodges (20) made respectable scores, but Hancock (4-27) and Murray (3-13) did the damage.

   Sidmouth had a first look at new Aussie spinner Louis Talay, who showed off a neat trick of being able to bowl just as well with his left or right arms.

   Talay is regarded as a left-arm spinner, but bowled right-arm stuff against Bideford and picked up three for 27.

   “When Louis was 11 or 12 he broke his left arm and the only way to carry on playing at the time was to learn to bowl right arm,” said Sidmouth skipper Murray.

   “He has kept it up ever since and uses it as an extra took in his armoury. If a batsman looks like he might get out to right-arm spin, he changes.

   “Louis   decided to bowl right-armers againt Bideford because his back was a bit sore and it didn't hurt as much!”

Sidmouth 240-6 (A Griffiths 102, N Hancock 28, T Ovens 21, W Murray 21; M Bettis 3-49, M Warne 2-26), Bideford 79 (J Hockin 25; N Hancock 4-27, W Murray 3-13, L Talay 3-24). Sidmouth bt Bideford by 161 runs.

 

DAVE Knowles and Matt Blackmore both hit half-centuries as South Devon inflicted a 56-run defeat on visiting Plymouth Civil Service.

   Knowles (55) and Blackmore (52) put on 79 for the second wicket in an eventual total of 192 for six. Aron Owen (24) and Paul Hooper (23no) both weighed in.

   Knowles (3-25) then starred with the ball as Civil were held to 136 for nine in reply. Dave Amery and new 1 st XI captain Henry Burningham (2-19) had two wickets each for South Devon.

   South Devon 192-6 (M Blackmore 52, D Knowles 55, A Owen 24, P Hooper 23no; D Winsor 3-28), Plymouth CS 136-9 (J Williams 34, D Bayliss 16; H Burningham 2-19, D Amery 2-10, D Knowles 3-25). South Devon bt Plymouth CS by 56 runs.

 

THORVERTON completed their pre-season preparations with two good victories over the weekend.

   On Saturday the team took on a Bradninch side containing several first

   team players in a 12-a-side contest.

   Thorverton   restricted Bradninch to 168-7 in 45 overs, Kobi Griggs and Nick Barton taking a couple of wickets each. Thors lost early wickets to be 76-6, before Phil Taverner (30) and

   Barton (40) put on 70 to get within touching distance.

   It needed the number 12 (skipper James May) to come in and hit the winning runs

   with four overs to spare.

   On Sunday the 2 nd XI beat Exeter 3 rd XI by 37 runs to leave both sides full

   of confidence ahead of the opening league fixtures this weekend.

 

CHUDLEIGH got their first win of the season at the weekend when they defeated Banwell & Chruchill by 139 runs.

   Chudleigh batted first and new Australian overseas signing Pat Bolster made the perfect start by scoring 104 before retiring. His innings included some hefty blows -18 fours and two sixes.

   Bolster was well supported by Neil Argyle who made 64 not out. Chudleigh finished on 237 for 4.

   The visitors never looked like chasing it down - S Wood top scored with 42 before becoming Bolster's 1 st victim. He managed great figures – 3-2, including two wickets in two balls.

   Five other bowlers also picked up a wicket. B&C's innings finished 139 runs short. Chudleigh now need to keep the momentum going and hope the Australians success can continue into the start of the league season this weekend.