HEATHCOAT 2ndXI are guaranteed promotion after they beat North Devon 2ndXI by 69 runs.
Simon Sobczak (75) and Devon U15s’ captain Joe Du’Gay (51) were the leading run getters for Heathcoat in a total of 236 for eight.
Simon White and James Thomas had a couple of wickets each for North Devon, who were limited to 167for eight in response.
Matt Dart thumped 46 and Richard Ayre made 36 against his former club.
Matt Hodson (3-38) and Tom Reynolds (2-23) were Heathcoat’s leading bowlers.
HEATHCOAT are top of the shop on 263 points, five clear of second-placed Exmouth, who routed Sandford by eight wickets on the Maer Ground to ensure their own promotion.
Ryan Glass (30), Tom Gidney (30) and Jim Shepherd (31) were the backbone batters in Sandford’s 202 for seven.
Exmouth cruised to victory on the back of an unbeaten ton from Mile Lenygon and 54 from Harrison Folland.
Sandford still have some work to do to get out of the bottom three as with two games to go they are 10 points behind North Devon, the team they have to get ahead of to stay up.
BARNSTAPLE & Pilton have not given up on clinching the third promotion spot in the D Division East after cruising to a five-wicket win over Countess Wear.
Heathcoat and Exmouth 2ndXIs are nailed on for the top two places with Chardstock (225pts), B&P (213) and Upottery (207) clamouring for the third.
The Wear, now resigned to relegation, were all out for 131 in the 42ndof their 45 overs.
Jon Heaver (21) and Par Singh (25) were the only batters to make much headway against the B&P bowlers. Wickets were shared with two each for Jack Moore, Dan Smith, Steve Moore and Lee Cole.
Jack Moore hit a spritely 51 off 38 deliveries – five fours, three sixes – as B&P won with 14 overs to g,
George McEndoo made 26 as Moore’s warm-up man.
Uplyme are the visitors to Barnstaple & Pilton this Saturday.
CLYST S George defeated Upottery by 32 runs to ease their own relegation worries and end their hosts’ promotion prospects at the same time.
Opener Sam Read hit 51 and with Dan Takle (29) and tail-ender Oli Chatterjee (31) weighing in Clyst reached 183 for eight.
Upottery’s early order failed dismally, with the notable exception of opener Matt Broom, who was sixth out on 106 for 30. James Edworthy (5-20) took all but one of the wickets to fall.
Ryan Pulman (24) and Mark Joyce (25) tried to make up lost time but the damage was done. Chris Ferro (3-33) polished off the last few wickets in Upottery’s 151 all out.
Clyst are now 64 points clear of danger with 40 to play for. Upottery (-51) are too far behind second-placed Exmouth to catch them for a promotion place.
With promotion now out of the question, Joyce said: “A bad day all-round at the office for us and in a game that really mattered.
“We let them get 40 runs too many and then our batsmen forgot to turn-up.”
“We have certainly blown a great chance to get the 1st XI up a level. I fear we will look back on this as a big opportunity missed.”
CHARDSTOCK beat Uplyme by five-wickets to stay ahead of Barnstaple & Pilton in the quest for the third promotion spot.
Skipper Laurie Thomas made 54 and Rob Thom 28 in Uplyme’s 180 all out. Richard Pyman (3-21) was the leading Chardstock bowler.
Gary Larcombe went in first wicket down for Chardstock and was still there are the end, unbeaten on 97.
