IPPLEPEN shot to the top of the B Division table after beating Bovey Tracey by 53 runs in a high-scoring game.

There were runs right down the order in Ipplepen’s 45-over total of 280 for four.

Gareth Penrice (28) and Dave Harris (41) opened up with 50 – and that was just for starters.

Callum Stanley, who re-joined Ipplepen from, Bovey during the winter, shared stands of 65 with Harris, 50 with Mawgan Penrice (26), 68 with Sam Wakeham (42 off 17 balls) and 37 unbroken with Ashley Harvey.

Derek Perry’s two for 34 from nine overs of spin looked eminently respectable compared to the rest of Bovey’s bowling.

Bovey got to 195 for four in reply with 10 overs to go thanks largely to Perry, who had 86 of them. Dan Green had thumped 43 in a hurry during a stand of 65 with Perry.

Perry got out for 90 in the next over – caught and bowled by Marcus Green (4-26) – and that was the beginning of the end for Bovey.

If Green did not get them Reuben Stanley did as Bovey faded to 227 all out.

Pens’ skipper Wakeham said the batters played a big role in this win, the third on the trot for his side.

“The top four set a great platform for us to launch in the final 10 overs,” said Wakeham.

“Callum Stanley batted really well for his 80 not out and anchored the innings. 

“We bowled well up front with Aidan Phillips bowling six overs for eight runs and putting Bovey being the clock right from the start. 

“Ben Green and Perry got together and scored quickly putting Bovey into a good position at half way. 

“Dom Durman bowled well in the middle overs and got the big wicket of Green. “Marcus Green and man of the match Reuben Stanley finished up with two excellent spells to take seven wickets between them.”

Pens, who took over from inactive Thorverton at the top of the table, are away to Cullompton this Saturday.

Bovey, still looking for their first league win, pay a first visit to Kilmington

PLYMSTOCK shot back up to second in the B Division table thanks to a rapid seven-wicket win over visiting Cullompton.

Cully skipper Jason Parr called correctly, decided to have a bat and would have been disappointed when his side were bowled out for 102 with nearly 20 overs to go.

No one among the first eight batters made more than 10 as Billy Gibson (4-23) and Rob Cunningham (3-26) mowed them down.

Sam Franks wagged the tail with 34 at number nine, but it was going to take something special to prevent a Plymstock win.

Cully hopes were raised when Plymstock lost opener Jason Williams in the first over. James Nicholls and Karl Vendrasco had both been and gone by the time the score reached 34 for three.

Hal Kerton (33no) and Scott Mansfield (30no) polished off the rest of the target before the end of the 16th over.

Nicholls, the Plymstock vice-captain, said once Cullompton were on the ropes they were shown little mercy.

“They chose to bat on a 250-plus deck, but our opening bowlers were superb and at 40 for six it was a case of let's try and be ruthless,” said Nicholls.

“We had a little wobble in the batting but Hal and Scott were aggressive and saw us home really well with overs to spare.”

Cullompton captain Parr was quick to highlight where it went wrong for his side.

 “It was a disappointing effort with the bat, which never gave us a chance to get into the game,” said Parr.

“Plymstock consistently bowled in very good areas and played with a good competitive spirit. They will do well this season.

“We've now had two good away wins and two very poor performances at home. 

“We need to find more consistency with out batting in the coming weeks.”

BRIXHAM won for the first time this season when they defeated Chudleigh by five wickets.

Chudleigh had been hoping to build on the previous week’s win over Kilmington, which was their first of the season so far.

That always looked unlikely after Chudleigh were dismissed for 136.  And so it proved as Brixham knocked off the runs with nearly four full overs to spare.

In a division with only one relegation place this season following Filleigh’s late-April decision to pull out, Brixham have moved two places off the bottom. Chudleigh are immediately below them.

Mark Russell (21) was the only one of Chudleigh’s top-six batsmen to make more than 13 as they laboured to 63 for five.

Wickets fell regularly to Lee Upham (2-23), Dhana Lakshan (2-35) and Dan Bullock (2-35) before tail-enders Saqib Hasan (30) and Sam Harvey (10) put on 35 for the ninth wicket.

Brixham did not find run scoring much easier and were 78 for five when Hasan dismissed Adam Edwards.

Tim Robinson (46no) and veteran Paul Heath (25no) took their time taking Brixham to victory without further incident.

Matt Heather, the Chudleigh skipper, said a challenging pitch was the same for both sides and could not be used as an excuse.

“We simply did not bat well enough,” said Heather.

“The pitch was difficult to bat on, but you can't expect to win many games when you score less than 140.

“We are all extremely disappointed with the result.”

KILMINGTON defeated Seaton by two wickets in a low-scoring affair.

Seaton were bowled out for 147 in the 39th of 45 overs – and were fortunate to get that many having stumbled to 45 for six.

Joe Berry batted through for an unbeaten 85 – nine fours and five sixes – and managed to milk 102 runs out of the last four pairs.

Wickes were shared with three up top for Josh Short (3-23) and three lower down for Tom Olive (3-20).

Kilmington’s chase was anything other than routine as they lost wickets regularly to left-armer Joel Seward (5-41) as the promising start provided by Tom Gooding (25) and Short (29) receded into memory.

Joe Elsworth’s 23 not out batting fourth wicket down kept Kilmington on course for victory.