ANDY Kingdon cracked a century to set Babbacombe on course for a 137-run win in the top-of-the-table clash with Ashburton.

Babbacombe wobbled at the start, losing openers Jake Hand and Mike Pugh as well as Steve Lewis getting to 31 for three.

Kingdon, who went in second wicket down, dominated the bowling for the next 35 overs on his way to an unbeaten 112.

Damon Calland (61) was Kingdon’s partner in a stand of 143 for the fourth wicket.

Dom Durman finally removed Calland, but that only exposed the Ashburton bowlers to Dean Peall.

The young Zimbabwean helped himself to 58 off 16 balls out of stand of 66 with Kingdon as Babbacombe closed on 289 for five.

Aussie Tristan Wakefield (2-58) was the only Ashes’ bowler to take more than one wicket.

Things could have been different though. Calland was dropped on nine at second slip. Kingdon offered two chances, and Peall a caught and bowled opportunity.

Keeping up with the asking rate wasn’t a problem for Ashes – keeping wickets intact was tougher.

Ashburton were 84 for five after 15 overs – Tom Durman (24) and Lloyd White (30) the main contributors.

Peall and Andy McVeigh had two wickets each with Tom Goodwin also getting in on the act as Ashes slid to 104 for eight.

Chris  Yeo (27) and Ash Harvey (22) kept Babbacombe in the field longer than they planned, but it was token resistance really as the game had gone.

Sam Powell (3-26) knocked Yeo then Harvey over to end the game.

Losing captain Ashley Berry knew instantly where it went wrong.

“Had we taken our catches, then it could have been closer,” he said.

“However, there are still plenty of positives to take where we controlled parts of the game.

“Credit to Babbacombe, they got back into the game and got back on top.

“We look forward to visiting Shaldon and getting back on track.”

Victory puts Babbacombe six points clear of Bridestowe at the top of the table going into Saturday’s meeting with Dartington & Totnes.

BRIDESTOWE moved into the top two with a resounding 126-run win over Stoke Gabriel.

The home side were in a bit of trouble at 80 for four after 16 overs. Wickets fell to Isaac Withington (2-57) and Dan Bullock (2-60).

Gary Sizmur (151) and Chris Lavis (76no) then put on 239 for the fifth wicket - a new league record.

Sizmur was caught off the last ball of the innings after an excellent knock, which took Bridestowe to 319 for five.

Stoke, who only had nine men after a travel mix up, were looking for batting points rather than the win.

They started solidly through Dan Bullock (28) and Dan Pandolfo (42) who put on 67 for the first wicket.

Dan Fogerty (1-48) and Matt Dennis (1-28) eventually removed the openers, but Stoke refused to roll over.

Wickets were shared around but spinner Alex Jopling (2-10) was easily the pick of the bowlers.

Jake Robinson thrashed a quick-fire 33 for Stoke, whose gallant nine were all out for 193 in the 39^th over.

SHALDON are on the up in the C Division West thanks to a 199-run win over Plymouth Civil Service & Roborough.

Opener Andy Lockyer was the only one of the to five to miss out as Shaldon racked up 315 all out in the 44^th of their 45 overs.

Opener Andy Espley made 68 and put on 114 for the second wicket with Steve Arkell (44).

A stand of 112 for the sixth wicket between Dan Woolnough (76) and Jamie Day (49) put more pressure on Civil.

Shaldon’s last five wickets went for 21 runs as James Sharp (3-48) and Darren Bartrop (2-4) cashed in on the swinging bat.

Simon Light had impressive figures of four for 30 mid-innings.

Civil were up against it after losing openers Ben Wilkinson and Adrian Vickery cheaply to Carl Woolnough (3-28).

Dan Winsor (23) and Sharp (26) put on 65, which was as good as it got for Civil.

Mark Couch (5-28) and Ross Abraham (2-18) ran through the middle and lower order as Civil were skittled for 116.

Victory hoists Shaldon ahead of Kingsbridge and out of the relegation places. They play Ashburton this Saturday.

CHAGFORD overcame a middle-order stumble to beat South Devon by three wickets.

South Devon’s total of 127 all out looked well within Chagford’s reach after they reached 78 or for one.

It was a different story at 82 for four and even 107 for five wasn’t out of the wood.

Callum Worth’s 17 not out was crucial in the context of a low-scoring game and earned him man of the match.

Cameron Fogden top scored with 24 going in at number nine for South Devon, which may earn a promotion against Stoke Gabriel this Saturday.

Dinesh Raheja (23) had the best of a modest set of scores before that.

Worth (3-18) was the pick of the bowers. J P Van Rensburg had two for 16 and Del Lammomnby’s two for 19 included dangerman Raheja.

Lammonby (37) and van Rensburg (26) got Chagford up and running, but James Allen (3-34) and fellow spinner Rob Stephens got South Devon back in the game.

Worth, aided and abetted by Jake Griffiths (12) and Duncan Manners-Chapman (12) saw Chagford home.

Chagford have a derby date with Bridestowe this Saturday which will see Chagford’s Steve Sizmur taking on son Gary in the Bridestowe side.

DARTINGTON & Totnes cruised to a five-wicket win over Kingsbridge in the basement battle at the Butts.

Openers James Westlake (75) and James Ford (29) didn’t have man problems with D&T’s bowling, unlike most of their team-mates.

Kingsbridge were 109 for one when Westlake went and lost Ford the Ash Treeby for two runs added.

Chris Cook – who lives just five minutes from the Kingsbridge ground – took four wickets and Harry Baxendale and Bertus Loots two each as the home side dipped to 171 for eight.