BABBACOMBE and Ashburton remain neck and neck at the top of the C Division West after wins over Kingsbridge and Bridestowe respectively.
Kingsbridge were put into bat at Walls Hill and reached 135 for nine in their 45 overs.
Opener and captain James Westlake made 23 and held the early order together to reach 57 for three.
Ashley Treeby, already in by the time Westlake got out, top scored with 40 before he was seventh out at 98.
Thirty extras – 20 of them wides – helped the Kingsbridge score along.
Veteran spinner Paul Bates had three for 25, Steve Broad (2-23) struck in the middle and Damon Calland (2-16) returned at the end to polish off some tail-enders.
Babbacombe found Neal Peach a handful with the new ball and were 31 for two with Jacob Hand and Rob Redding goners.
Former Premier Division duo Andy Kingdon (70) and Mike Pugh (24) put on 81 for the third wicket to kill the game dead.
“Andy Kingdon was in a different class, hitting six sixes and five fours in the match-winning partnership with Mike Pugh,” said skipper Broad.
Dean Peall was 16 not out when the winning post was passed.
Broad is happy with the way things are going, but recognises where improvements need to be made to maintain a promotion push.
“I don't think we bowled the right line late on,” said Broad.
“We did not attack the stumps enough and gave too many extras away, so lots too work on still.
“I'm pleased our wickets were shared around for third game. All our bowlers are contributing.”
TOM Durman took a century off Bridestowe as Ashburton racked up a 93-run win over the Moorlanders.
Although Martin Causey and Lloyd White went cheaply, Durman was happy to play the leading role compiling a total of 189 for eight.
By the time Durman fell to Gary Sizmur (2-36) he had put on 36 with Causey, 30 more with Tristan Wakefield (12) and 73 with Dan Coles, whose contribution was (18).
Wickets in hand tumbled in the last five overs when seamer Tom Fogerty (2-35) returned.
Bridestowe had a bad day at the office when they batted as their middle order was cut down by Dom Durman and veteran Marcus West.
Dom Durman had five for 18 from eight overs and West three for 22.
Fogerty, who went in at 18 for two, was 45 not out in the final tally of 96. Sizmur made 18, no one else made more than three and six batters failed to score a run at all.
Skippper Ashley Berry said he expected the Durman brothers to steal the headlines, which was a little unkind on the rest of the team.
“This was a well-executed team performance,” said Berry.
“We batted extremely well in partnerships, which meant the lower half of the order had licence to attack at the end of the innings.
“While it didn’t quite come off, we got ourselves to a respectable score.
“With the ball, we bowled tight areas and took every catch possible, which is just what you need to do in those kind of games and conditions.”
SOUTH Devon are off the mark and out of the bottom three in the C Division West thanks to a 146-run win over Shaldon Optimists.
Opener James Allen set the tone for South Devon with a patient 65 that underpinned a total of 235 for six.
By the time Allen was third out at 140 he had put on 106 with Dinesh Raheja, who went on to make 52.
The runs kept coming from Ali Wright (21) then Richard Beaumont (36) and Ian Shepherd (21) who chipped and harried 49 more for the fifth wicket.
Charlie Woolnough (1-37) and Tshepo Legodi (2-31) kept the runs down. Will Moore picked up two wickets – including Raheja’s.
Shaldon were all out for 89 in the 32nd over, losing their way once the spinners came on.
Allen capped a man-of-the-match performance with four wickets for 16 runs – three of them bowled.
Stephens (2-6) and Joe Kitto (2-8) nipped out the stragglers.
After Carl Woolnough (34) was fourth out at 55, only skipper Mark Couch (15) made a double-figure score.
SOUTH African all-rounder J P van Rensburg made an instant impact for Chagford in their seven-wicket win over Stoke Gabriel.
His first act was to take five wickets for 15 runs as Stoke were bowled out for 170.
Issac Withington (68) and Dan Pandolfo (43) gave Stoke a start, but van Rensburg and Derek Lammonby (4-20) ran through the rest.
Skipper Lammonby made 33 at the top of the Chagford order, leaving van Rensburg to conclude the chase with an unbeaten 66.
Andy Ball took three for 43 for Stoke, who face a tough derby clash with Ashburton this Saturday.
Chagford have brought van Rensburg over from the same Krugersdorp club as Divan Marais, who had spells with Chudleigh, Chagford and South Devon. He was their young player of the year in 2016/
Next up for Chagford are Dartington & Totnes, who romped to a seven-wicket win over visiting Plymouth CS&R.
Harry Baxendale had Civil in a spin, taking four for 16 as they crashed to 83 all out. Bertus Loots (3-21) and Ian Bransdon (2-18) were also involved.
James Howrihane clattered 35 as D&T knocked off the runs.
