HEATHCOAT II remain out in front at the top of the D East table after beating Clyst St George by 103 runs
That’s six of the best now for Jake Stoneman’s side, who are the only unbeaten team left in the division. They are 14 points ahead of second-placed Exmouth and 24 clear of Chardstock in third.
Heathcoat amassed 278 for five against Clyst with all the top five making runs.
Openers Stoneman (33) and Mat Parkes (29) put on 73, James Onley-Gregson (37) and Simon Sobcjak (32) added 49 then Sobcjak was involved in a stand of 51 with Will Thompson (43). Lee Dixon (44no) and Sam Venn (17no) topped the score up with 69 unbroken at the end.
Lowly Clyst made an encouraging start – they were 81 for two thanks to Dan Kendall (23), Freddie Creer (31) and Chris Ferro (20) – then collapsed in a heap as Finn Stoneman (4-29) got into the middle order.
Clyst skipper Harry Attwater batting at 10 resisted for 37 not out but the damage was long done by then. Clyst were all out for 175.
EXMOUTH 2ndXI skipper Mark Davies was pleased to see Sean Day back at the club a couple of weeks into the season – and it isn’t hard to see why.
The Aussie all-rounder may be over 40 these days, but can still do it with bat and ball despite having had a couple of years out of the game.
It was wickets Day delivered in the win over Uplyme & Lyme Regis – five of the beauts for just 14 runs to help dismiss the visitors for 1160.
Alex Craib (2-9) did some damage up top, so did Day and Oliver Pugsley, but it was hardly one-sided as Tyler Wellman (34), Charlie Moss (26) and Ian Thomas (22) got Uplyme up to 154 for six.
Day came back for a second spell to knock over the last four as Uplyme faded to 160 all out.
Exmouth devoured the target in bite-sized chunks, James Horler (29) and Louis Morison (49) knocking off the first 90 between them.
George Greenway (33no) and Luke Davies (19) took Exmouth to the brink of victory.
In a likely sign of things to come, Davies senior sat this one out and invited Day to skipper the side.
SHAUN Hawkins and Simon Saunders combined to earn Sandford II an eight-run win over Countess Wear.
Sandford made 171 all out in the last of their 45 overs, which might not have looked enough when the Wear were 99 for five in reply.
Enter Hawkins and Saunders, who worked their way through the bottom half of the order to earn Sandford a third league win of the season.
Saunders (3-32) started the slide then Hawkins (4-27) ensured it gathered pace.
Mark Davey, fifth out for 31, and David Jarvis, last out for 30, were the Wear’s main run-getters.
Earlier, opener Chris Blake (46) top scored for Sandford, batting on and on until he was sixth man out at 108. Alex Stevens clubbed a next best of 23 in the dash for runs at the end.
Davey (4-20) and Inder Singh (3-30) were Wear’s most successful bowlers. Kav Diaz (1-17 off 9) was the cheapest.
CHARDSTOCK won by eight wickets at Upottery to shoot up to third in the table.
After Matt Broom (48) and Jack Larcombe (36) gave Upottery an 83-run start, James Mitcham (34) and Mike Arscott (24) contributed to the total of 174 all out.
Rot Hutchings picked up five Upottery wickets for 11 runs and Gary Larcombe took four more.
A second-wicket stand of 148 between Steve Allsopp (60) and Hutchings (80no) made the chase a formality.
Upottery skipper Mark Joyce was understandably disappointed that his team’s long unbeaten record at Glebe Park had been ended.
He said: “We have only ourselves t blame as we did not bat to anything like our potential. “That said, sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition and I must say that the way “Rob [Chardstock skipper Rob Hutchings] bowled was as good as I have seen him bowl for a long time.”
He continued: “I knew 174 was 80 light and they breezed home to deservedly win the game. “As for the end of the unbeaten run, it was a long one and the key for us now is to get straight back on the horse and return to winning ways and see if we cannot go in a similar run at home from the next game onwards.”
BARNSTAPLE & Pilton held on to beat North Devon II by six runs in a derby thriller at Instow.
Brady Saunders hit a top score of 51 for B&P in their 45-over total of 203 for nine.
After Saunders and George McEndoo posted 74 for the first wicket, Jack Moore (38) and Sam Bithell (21no) kept the board ticking over.
Jack Hockin (3-34) shaded the North Devon bowling battle with Matt Dart (2-29).
North Devon new boy Ben Howe, signed last week from Bridgend Town, then hit a debut 55 to anchor the early part of the chase.
At 124 for four when Howe departed, it was game on. Chips in from Rob Ayre (27) and Dart (19) got North Devon to 197 for eight when their overs ran out.
Braunton bowlers Saunders (2-25), Steve Moore (2-30) and Jack Moore (0-33) proved hard to get away.
