CULLOMPTON beat Clyst St George by eight wickets to stay seven points clear of Alphington in C East.
Clyst were limited to 105 for eight in their 34-over innings, which Cullompton knocked off with 20 overs to spare.
Opener and captain Chris Ferro made 33 for Clyst and put on 57 with Freddie Creer (21). Kevin Coe (14no) was the only other batter with a double-figure score.
Cully captain James Blackmore dominated the bowling return with five wickets for six runs in six overs.
Blackmore (38no) and Darren Paul (13) wiped off the first 18, then Trevor Gwandu (31no) joined his skipper to put on 71. Jason Parr was the other not-out batter.
Cully face improving Whimple this Saturday, which Blackmore views as a different challenge.
“To play against a team that has four under-15s and a couple of old boys can be quite difficult to remain motivated and focused,” said Blackmore.
“Credit to Chris Ferro for keeping his team going in difficult circumstances.
“We will need to be at our best in all departments against Whimple to gain another win and maintain our advantage at the top of the table.”
ALPHINGTON kept the pressure on Cullompton at the top of the table thanks to a four-wicket win over Clyst Hydon.
Hydon were 130 for six in the 32nd over when rain stopped play.
Rumesh Batagodage top scored for Hydon with 57, He put on 78 for the third wicket with Sinthuran Thevaraj (29). Sutton had opened up with 24.
Alphington’s bowling was all in three-to-four an over territory, apart from Stuart Shaw, who had two for 27 off five.
Luke Phillips (57) and Mark Halse (15) gave Alphington a 40-run start. Three wickets for Will Thornton – Halse, Matt Taylor and Mark Porter – got Clyst back in the game.
A stand of 33 between Phillips and Al Davey (13) set up Craig Grabham (21no) to finish things off.
“We never looked like losing,” said Alphington skipper Stuart Shaw.
Alphington are only seven points behind Cullompton and constantly nipping at their heels.
“With Whimple and Feniton both winning it's going to be an interesting run in,” said Shaw.
“We will take each game as it comes and hopefully will be in with a chance at the end.”
FENITON remain interested in the C Division East promotion race for after they won by seven wickets at Countess Wear.
There’s little room for error though as leaders Cullompton are 23 points ahead and time is running out to catch them.
As far as Countess Wear are concerned, staying up rather than going up is their aim.
The Wear are 14 points away from safety going into a basement battle with Clyst St George this Saturday.
Opener Kav Dias (29) and Par Singh (19) had the only scores of more than seven in Wear’s 29-over total of 87 for six.
Feniton opener Mark Salter batted through for 35 not out on the chase.
Charlie Selley made 20 in a stand of 53 with Salter that put the game beyond the Wear.
WHIMPLE won a nail-biting affair at Uplyme by chasing down 190 and getting there with their last pair at the crease.
Mark Batey (25) and Liam Gorfine (38) put in 50 for the third wicket in Uplyme’s total of 189 for eight.
Steve Batey (40) and Tyler Wellman (23) added 58 for the fifth wicket.
Whimple were glad of an anchorman’s knock of 98 by overseas player Leigh Lorenzen for their third win on the bounce.
Lorenzen went in at eight for one in the third over and batted through.
The key stand was one of 72 with Will Bardot that got the score up to 137 for six.
There was still some work o do – James Whetlor (3-38) and Charlie Warner (2-30) made sure of that – and last man Matt Richards had a role to play knocking of the last six.
Whimple are now up to fourth with leaders Cullompton on the agenda this Saturday.
BRAUNTON won for only the third time this season when they over came Kilmington by 64 runs,
The Kelsey side remain bottom of the table, but winning means the thought of staying up isn’t that far fetched.
Only 19 points separate Braunton from safety now. with 120 to play for they have a chance.
Opener Jon Baglow made 46 as Braunton reached 91 for three.; There was a wobble as three wickets went for 22 runs added – Baglow among them – and a collapse could have been on the cards at 113 for six.
Simon Murfet (22) and Mike Brown (38no) started the fightback by adding 34 for the seventh wicket.
Mark Mitchell (13) chipped in and a ninth-wicket stand of 37 between Brown and skipper Dan Brierley (25) took Braunton to 213 all out in the last of their 44 overs.
Kilmington seamer Dan Fuzzard (4-46) broke the stand at the end. There were two wickets each for Craig Seward, Brett Garner and Josh Short.
Ten-man Kilmington were all out for 149 in reply with exactly seven overs to go.
At 81 for one with Brett Garner (30) and Alex Rockett (37) well set, the chase seemed on.
Ninety-four for four was a different story after Baglow (4-26) got involved.
Fuzzard made 32 but only Adam Culley (12) and Matt Rockett (15) reached double figures as Kilmington subsided to 149 all out.
Brierley (2-11) and Brown (2-33) got in on the act as Kilmington’s last four wickets went for 24 runs.