BARTON beat Filleigh by three wickets to slash the North Devon side’s lead at the top of the B Division to three points.

Filleigh’s 175 all out was anchored by Rob Collier’s 68, aided and Connor Nash with 28.

Nash and Collier put on 68 for the third wicket with Collier staying on to make another 52 with Jas Kalsi (19).

Batters came and went regularly once Kalsi was sent on his way by Stuart Bowker (3-29). Collier was ninth man out at 170, dismissed by the returning Matt Needham.

Opener Simon Edwards played the anchorman role for Barton while he compiled 53 in a shade over an hour and a half.

Edwards and Matt Crampton (30) wiped off 49 then Shaun Needham (18) and Edwards accounted for another 42.

When Edwards fell to James Campbell (3-39), the target was down to 40 to win, most of which Adam Last (27no) obtained.

CHARLES Martin and Scott Mansfield both scored half-centuries, and there was a four-wicket haul for Billy Gibson, in Plymstock’s 112-run win at Shobrooke Park.

Martin (64) and Mansfield (70) put on 102 for the third wicket before Tom Youngman split them up.

Josh Hocken (24) and Jason Williams (25) kept up the good work as Plymstock posted a season’s best so far of 264 for nine.

Craig James, the former Cornwood all-rounder took three Plymstock wickets for 31 runs.

Shobrooke were all out in reply for 152 and never looked like getting much closer.

Gibson got both openers, Rob Cunningham (2-40) and Ian Whalley (3-50) attacked the middle order, then Gibson (4-27) came back to take a couple more.

Dan Robbins (25) made early runs for Plymstock. Andy Codling (28), James (34) and veteran Richard Pyle (21) got the score up to 121 for five, them it all went downhill fast.

PLYMSTOCK are up to fifth in the latest table, four points behind Tavistock, who were 134-run winners at Ipplepen.

Ipplepen took a 134-run pounding at home to Tavistock that leaves them in the bottom two for another week at least.

Opener Ian Gray was the man of the moment for Tavistock with a brisk 154 in the Moorlanders’ total of 302 for four

Gray and James White (27) put on 83 for the first wicket – and that was just warming up!

Gray and Bill Barriball then larruped the Ipplepen bowling all round the park adding 167 for the second wicket.

Barriball went for 68 in even time. Gray – 22 fours and a six in a career best knock – was fourth and last man out.

Pens were shot away by Tavvy’s new-ball pair Dom Snyman (3-28) and James McGahey (2-24), who reduced them to 34 for five.

Callum King – 52 off 77 balls with nine boundaries – showed some pluck while wickets were tumbling.

Ben Forsey(27) offered King some support, but the Barriball brothers Billy (3-2) and Charlie (3-38) mopped up the stragglers.

CULLOMPTON did enough in a nail-biter at Seaton to stay out of the relegation places despite losing by two runs in the last over.

Opener Matt Hewer was the Seaton kingpin with a patient 70 off 107 balls in the Seasiders’ total of 204 all out.

Hewer, fifth out at 170, put on 73 with Brian Cann (28), 62 with Ollie Pinnock (28) and 29 with Ben Morgan, who made 39 not out.

South African Kenton Vos was the stand-out bowler for Cully with five for 33.

Vos then got Cully’s chase up and running with 58, but lacked support in the top half of the order.

When Vos went at 110 for seven to Kersley Sutton (2-48), Cullompton were probably one more lost wicket away from defeat.

A stand of 83 between Adrian Pullin (57) and Alex Clist (24) revived Cully’s prospect and at 193 for seven they were favourites.

Sutton removed Clist. Joe Berry had Josh Richards caught behind for a single, which left Pullin on strike going into the final over with three needed to win

Berry got Pullin out first ball. Game over.

Cullompton took maximum batting and bowling points out of the match, sufficient to keep them ahead of Ipplepen and out of the bottom two.

THORVERTON, one place and 11 points ahead of Cullompton, squeezed home by nine runs in a basement nail biter at Babbacombe.

Paul Fielder (42), James Maxwell (34) and Nick Barton (34) were the main run scorers in Thors 202 for eight at Walls Hill. Andy McVeigh (4-34) and Damon Calland (2-33) posed problems with the ball.

Babbacombe got off to a start thanks to Steve Lewis (32) and Dean Peall (32) and edged closer with 32 more from Calland.

Keeping up with the rate proved problematical and they ran out of time on 193 for eight..