IPPLEPEN power on at the top of the B Division table after winning by 53 runs at Filleigh.
Pens were all out for 197 with eight balls to come, which cost them a batting bonus point.
Filleigh seemed out of it at 53 for six – Will Gornall (4-35) and Paul Thomas (3-29) – doing most of the damage – but fought back while Justin Saker and Connor Nash put on 52.
Once veteran spinner Keith Wakeham (3-26) broke the stand it was downhill all the way to 144 all out for Filleigh.
Opener Jack Lewis was Ipplepen’s anchorman with a steady 47 that saw them over early problems at 39 for three.
A stand of 78 with captain Sam Wakeham (63) was the backbone of the Ipplepen total.
Lewis was sixth out at 171, having added a further 37 with Matt Quartley (29) to get there.
Filleigh’s Ryan Bowden kept it tight for nine overs that only costr 25 runs. James Marsh opened his account by having Lewis caught behind and went on to finish with five for 44.
Without Saker’s application, he went in a two for one in the second over, Filleigh would have been all out sooner.
Saker’s stand of 52 with Nash (34) kept the game alive after Thomas and Gornall had done the damage.
That’s three wins on the spin for Pens, who are two points clear of Shobrooke Park at the top of the table.
Filleigh are winless since being promoted into the division and currently in the third relegation spot.
Simon Prideaux, the Filleigh captain, is confident once the team gets both elements of the game sorted results will improve.
“Our bowlers are performing well and containing teams to what we feel are below-par scores,” said Prideaux.
“Our batting is just not firing. All the batsman are searching for form and leaving much too much for the lower order to do.”
The return of Jon Hickman this Saturday for the trek to Seaton will further strengthen the bowling department.
Prideuax is also pleased to see Macauley Harrison-Hooton is home from university.
“He has been playing up there and hopefully can some of his form with him,” said Prideaux.
These are happy times for Ipplepen, who have won more games in the first three weeks of this season than they won in 18 weeks last summer.
Winning skipper Sam Wakeham said despite making five changes and bringing in ‘Dad’s Army’ to help out, Pens remained strong enough to win.
“Even with all the changes, we played some very good cricket to win the game,” said Wakeham.
“Our batting was always going to be the deciding factor to winning or losing the game.
“Having bever played Filleigh before, I was unsure of what they had to offer in the batting department.
“Paul Thomas and Will Gornall struck early and after dealing with Nash and Saker there was only going to be one winner.”
