ALPHINGTON won at a canter against Bridestowe to keep the pressure on leaders Abbotskerswell.
The gap is still three points between the two title rivals as Abbots also took the maximum from their win over relegation worriers Plymouth CS&R.
Alphington were all out for 203 with eight balls to go – Mark Halse hitting nine fours and three sixes in a top score of 82.
Halse opened up with Dave Haysom and was fourth out at 155 to Tom Fogerty.
Along the way there were stands of 52 with Mark Porter (15) and 63 with Al Davey (12),
Best of the bits and pieces after Halse went was 19 by Anthony Shepherd.
Briddy captain Gary Sizmur with five for 25 was the pick of the home bowlers. Fogerty took two for 30.
Bridestowe were all out for 110 in reply, only occupying 31 of their 45 overs.
Sizmur (20) and Phil Hatton (37) got the score to 76 for one, but a devastating spell by Ashley Green stopped the chase in its tracks.
Seven wickets went for seven runs added as Briddy slewed to 83 for eight.
Green went on to finish with eight for 15 from nine overs as the Moorlanders caved in.
ALEX Birt slammed an undefeated century to put Abbotskerswell on course for a 135-run win over ailing Plymouth CS&R.
Birt made 111 not out as Abbots amassed 305 for six.
Civil were bowled out for 170 in reply – Noah Tobias taking three wickets Connor Adams and Ben Williams two each.
Victory keeps Abbots a mere three points behind leaders Alphington with hit-and-miss Bridestowe to play this Saturday.
“We haven't played Bridestowe this year so we don't know what to expect, but if we play the way we have been I'm sure we can come out on top,” said Abbots’ skipper Charlie Hill.
Abbots needed a win after slipping off the top at Babbacombe and Hill was pleased by the manner of the way it came.
“It was a good performance from the guys in a comfortable win.
Charlie Mitchell (34) and Brett Williams (41) started strongly by putting on 75.
“Alex Birt steadied the ship after a couple quick wickets had gone.
“With late runs from Connor Adams and Paul mitchell we were pretty happy with 305.”
Wickets were hard to come by at first as Civil started well through Rob Walker (37) and Ben Wilkinson (26), but once Abbots brokethrough the rest followed at regular intervals.
“Noah Tobias (3-24) was pick of the bowlers but everyone chipped in and did a solid job containing or taking wickets,” said Hill.
“It was nice to win again after a setback last week.
“Hopefully we can get a winning streak going and keep putting pressure on Alphington at the top.
STOKE Gabriel remain third in the C Division West table following a convincing 101-run win over Chelston & Kingskerswell at Torre Valley North.
Nathan Hicks blazed away for 134 in Stoke’s total of 305 all out. It was Hicks’ third league ton of the season for Stoke and took him to 633 runs for the campaign.
With skipper Jack Tolley and vice-captain Mark Newman both missing Stoke had to call for reinforcements.
Veteran batsman Doug Ansley was one of them and he opened up with 49 in a stand of 162 with Hicks.
Hicks was third out at 227, having added a further 59 with Seb Ansley (64),
Ansley and Jim Attwood (27) had the last meaningful stand before wickets fell in the dash for runs in the last few overs.
Pick of the bowlers for Stoke with six of the best was Pat Duke (6-35).
Chelston & Kingskerswell, bottom of the table with only one win so far, made a credible 205 for four in reply to add all five batting bonus points to the bowling full-house.
After openers Chris Harrison and Steve Waters went cheaply to Seb Ansley (2-27), Lachlan Wilson dug in to make 106 as C&K revived.
Stand of the innings was one of 123 between Wilson and Nick Guest (35).
Stand-in skipper Hicks tried seven bowlers, none more effective than Ansley and young spinner Dan Bullock, whose nine overs only went for 20 runs.
Stoke go to Babbacombe this Saturday, Chelston are away to Kingsbridge.
BABBACOMBE’S season is in danger of fizzling out after they dropped 50 points off the pace following a 36-run defeat at Whitchurch in a high-scoring affair.
Billy Barriball was the master-blaster for Whitchurch with 147 in their total of 318 for nine.
After Rob Bone was caught behind off Iraq Thomas (3-46) in the first over, Barriball and Ewen Smith (42) posted 116 for the second wicket.
Getting Smith out didn’t do much good as Charlie Barriiball came in to join his brother and scored 48 in a stand 114.
Billy Barriball kept going until the score reached 271 for four when Tim Goodwin (2-51) sent him back.
Ben Powell (30no) steered Whitchurch past 300.
Babbacombe started inauspiciously when Jack Brothwell got out to Charlie Barriball (4-36) in the first over and their situation wasn’t helped by losing Mike Pugh almost immediately.
Matt Inch, moved up the order after making runs against Abbotskerswell last time out, then took the bowling on.
A stand of 121 between Inch and Seb Loram ended when the former was dismissed for 97 of the 125 on the board.
Opener Loram kept going and a stand of 71 with Billy Allcock (39) kept the chase alive after Bone (3-48) had startled the middle order.
One Allcock fell to David Northey (2-33) the tail went quickly as the last four wickets went for just 18 runs.
KINGSBRIDGE lost ground in the C Division West promotion race when they lost by two wickets to Chagford.
It was a second defeat on the spin for the South Hams side, who are now 40 points behind second-placed Alphington.
A win over Chelston & Kingskerswell this Saturday is a must to avoid falling any further behind.
Kingsbridge’s batting was solid rather than spectacular with Ashley Treeby going in at eight top scoring with 44.
The Fords – James (29) and Freddie (24) made 44 for the second wicket, Matt Gross (17) and Elliot Bradbury (38) put up 35 for the fifth and Treeby joined Bradbury to make 67 for the seventh.
Last man Neal Peach swished 19 not out at the end.
South African off-spinner Kenton Vos (3-24) took the bowling laurels for Chagford.
Chagford won with five overs to spare, which sounds comfortable but was anything but.
The Moorlanders made a positive start with James Fulner (39) and Vos (84no) taking them to 103 for three.
Bradbury (3-33) got among the wickets, James Westlake (0-18) heaped he pressure on and Chagford found themselves 103 for six then 145 for seven and 153 for eight when skipper Derek Lammonby went out.
Lmmomby showed why he was a club pro at Exeter and also Clacton in his younger days with a patient 32 not out at number ten as he and Vos put on 55 unbroken to win the game.
