Callum French - found his form for Exmouth after being dropped from the 1st XI

HEATHCOAT II remain top of the table in the D Division East despite surrendering their unbeaten league record to North Devon.

North Devon posted 223 for four in 40 overs, built around an unbeaten century by Ben Howe. He hit 13 fours in 107 scored off 102 balls.

James Tyson made 31 and there were identical scores of 32 from Rob Ayre and Jay Rothery that added 85 for the third wicket and 44 for the fourth respectively.

Heathcoat had it all to do at 98 for five in reply with Toby Lochead (25), Henry Frankpitt (22) and Simon Sobczak (20) all in and out.

Lee Dixon (21) and Matt Hague (31) go the total up to 191 for eight, but once they went the rest proved too much for the tail as Heathcoat were bowled out for 210.

Wickets were spread round with three each for David Hartley and Matt Dart and twos for Simon Wright and Rikki Kelly.

Heathcoat’s lead over Exmouth at the top has been cut to a point going into Saturday’s derby with Sandford at Creedy Park.

SANDFORD were on the receiving end of the heaviest defeat of the round in the D Division East when Exmouth II walloped them by 200 runs.

Callum French (73), dropped from the 1st XI, and Lawrence Greenway (88) tucked into the Sandford bowling as Exmouth totted up 306 for seven.

French and James Horler (39) put on 119 for the second wicket. 

Greenway and Luke Davies (34) went one better with 120 for the fourth.

Brian Leach – nine overs for 21 runs and the wicket of Harrison Folland – was the only Sandford bowler to keep the runs down for long.

Sandford were all out for 106 in reply with Freddie Filor the only batsman to offer much resistance.

Sean Day knocked over openers Chris Blake and David Baggs, then returned to pick off some tail-enders, on his way to five for 17.

French (2-25) and Alex Craib (2-27) did the rest of the damage.

CHARDSTOCK secured a fifth win in seven D Division East outings with a five-wicket win home over Uplyme and Lyme Regis.

Skipper Rob Hutchings won the toss and invited his opposite number to bat first and Alex Watson struck early hitting the stumps of Rob Thom when the opener had scored just a single. Watson struck again, trapping Tyler Wellman for six before Laurie Thomas (29) and Bruce Maltby (27) and Steve Batey (31), provided some runs for the visiting cause. However, all three were sent back with Gary Larcombe, Nick Taylor and Ed Brown, the successful home bowlers with all three wickets falling to catches, two held by Tom Warren and one by Gary Larcombe.

The Uplyme and Lyme Regis tail did not wag too well as the last six batsmen managed just 19 runs between them with Gary Larcombe claiming three more wickets while skipper Hutchings picked up one and Alex Watson returned to finish things off with his third wicket as the visitors were bowled out for 142 in 41.4 overs.

The home bowling honours went to Larcombe with his return being 4-24 from nine overs while Alex Watson’s return was 3-23 from 6.4 overs.

The Chardstock reply was launched by Steve Allsopp and Gary Larcombe and it was Larcombe who fell first, caught by Ben Jones off the bowling of Tyler Wellman for a 17-ball knock of 19. Rob Hutchings also hit 19, his from 19 deliveries and, when he was out, the reply was 70-2. Just 13 runs later opener Allsopp was the third wicket to fall, caught by Rob Thom off Wellman for a 33-ball knock of 32.

Ed Brown was caught by Charlie Moss off the bowling of Sam Wooster for 31, but there was just one more wicket lost with Tom Warren being bowled by Steve Batey having scored 12. Thereafter, Alex Watson (16no) and Nathan Copp (8no), saw their side to a comprehensive win with the victory wrapped up inside 24 overs.

Tyler Wellman was the pick of the visiting bowlers with a return of 3-44.

Chardstock skipper Rob Hutchings said: “I was very pleased with the all-round show and, in particular, the bowling. Alex [Watson] bowled very well and the fielding was excellent. When we batted we were perhaps a little complacent, but I have to be happy with the end result.”

As for the season to date, Hutchings says: “As we go deeper into the season I know our availability is going to get better and that means that we will become a real challenge for all the teams in this division, so be as handily placed as we are knowing what is to come is very pleasing.”

CLYST St George were too good for visiting Upottery claiming their second success of the D Division East season thanks to a 42-run win.

Chris Ferro (40) and Freddie Creer (30) and Dan Kendall (34) helped see their side to 121 for three.

Dan Takle (27) and Read added an important 54 for the fifth wicket. Read was not out 46 at the close as Clyst St George ended on 218-7 after their 45 overs. Rob Tasker took four for 52.

Bertie Creer and Ollie Manning were given new-ball duties by Attwater and the pair responded by claiming early success to leave the reply 19-2. 

A Dan Takle inspired run-out, followed by wickets for Read and Ferro stopped Upotery pulling away.

A 30-run sixth-wicket partnership gave the visitors some hope, but that was ended by an Adam Ykhlef catch off Andrew Donovan and, from 146-6.

The big wicket was that of opener Matt Button-Stephens, who was still there at 165 for six. Creer (4-25) got him out and Upottery fell away to 176 all out.

BARNSTAPLE & Pilton edged out Countess Wear by 22 runs in a low-scoring affair at Raleigh Meadow.

After struggling to 43 for four in a game reduced to 40 overs each after a break for rain, B&P recovered to make 158 for nine.

The revival was led by Henry McEndoo (45) and Lee Cole 928), who put on 65 for the fifth wicket.

Bits and pieces down the order, among them Mark Bithell’s 11 at No.10, helped at a vital 23 runs for the last two wickets.

Kav Dias (2-16) and Kam Singh (2-29) were the Wear’s leading bowlers.

Barnstaple’s opening bowler Jack Moore (4-30) reduced the Wear to 12 for three before Dave Jarvis (45) and Ben Jones (52) stopped the slide with a stand of 75.

Jarvis went first to the returning Moore, and with him out of the way only Jones stood in the way of a B&P win.,

James Lake (2-21) removed Jones at 130 for seven and it was downhill to 136 all out for the Wear with George McEndoo (3-16) spinning out the tail.