MATT Taylor’s first game as Alphington’s caretaker captain ended in an emphatic six-wicket win over Exmouth 2nd XI.
The Exeter City boss is a long-standing member of Alphington CC and plays as much as he can between football seasons.
Having parted company with skipper Luke Phillips in the days before the game, the Alphington executive asked Taylor to take charge for the game against the C East front-runners.
It proved a smart move as Taylor led Alphington to their first league win of the season.
Will Pring, who is playing and team managing, said Taylor will lead the side on a match-at-time basis.
“I am in charge of all off-field bits to let Matt focus on being an on-field leader,” said Pring.
“We immediately saw the benefits of that on Saturday where his approach completely revitalised us as a team.
“His game knowledge and leadership is second to none and we owe him a great deal for stepping up when he’s got so much on his plate.”
Alphington’s bowlers, led by Kam Singh (3-22) and Tom Bath (3-39), came up trumps to dismiss Exmouth for 158.
Exmouth were 55 for five before Sean Day (31) and Ryan Schaufler (44) put on 60 to spark a lower-order revival.
Opener Taylor set the tone for the chase with an anchorman’s 66 at the top of the order.
Stands of 59 with Will Pring (20) and 32 with Tom Bath (22no) took Alphington within 11 runs of victory by the time Schaufler dismissed Taylor.
Defeat cost Exmouth the sole tenancy at the top of the C Division East as Sidmouth and Whimple are now both level with them on 64 points each.
SIDMOUTH chased long to beat Heathcoat by three wickets at Knightshayes.
Heathcoat opener Toby Lochead made 104 off 90 balls in a 45-over total of 264 for four.
Lochead was third out at 154 having got that far with support from James Onley-Gregson (26) and Simon Sobczak, who finished on 51 against his former club.
Tom Reynold thwacked 42 not out off 23 balls.
Sidmouth got over the line with two balls to spare, steered there by their anchorman Anthony Griffiths.
After Elliott Rice (32) had given Sidmouth a start, Thomas Moore (58) and Griffiths added 87 to reach 161 for four.
Griffiths played the elder-statesman role to perfection as the final 103 runs were accumulated. He was 63 not out at the close.
WHIMPLE snatched victory from the likely jaws of defeat when they met Braunton.
Ben Silk (45) top scoring – which looked well within Braunton’s reach when they were 130 for four in reply. Callum Mitchell was just out for 69 and Ben Whitty had 25.
Braunton then lost five wickets for seven runs and the damage was done, despite a valiant effort by last pair Joe Barnes and Steve Moore to put on 24 to salvage the game.
Lee Nessling (3-28) took the early wickets, but the turning point was Matt Brown taking four for 49 to skittle the middle order. Whimple went on to win by 15 runs.
Ben Silk, the Whimple captain, said: “It was an awesome win.
“We took wickets at all the right times.”
It was yet another away day disaster for Braunton, who have only won three times on the road since the end of the 2015 season.
It is almost a calendar year since the last win on the road: a three-wicket result at Clyst Hydon.
Dan Brierley, the Braunton captain, said it was not hard to see what was going wrong.
“We just need to steady the ship more once we lose a quick couple of wickets,” said Brierley.
“Hopefully we will have an away win soon.”
EXETER 2nd XI’s torrid time continued with third defeat in four starts, a result that drops them to bottom of the table.
Sean Langford (36) and Toby Jones (32) took Exeter to 59 for two, Nick Horne (53) rescued them after a collapse to 87 for eight and with help from Matt Wood (26) got the score up to 173 all out.
Sam Brook (4-15) led Ottery’s bowling effort, ably aided by Oliver West (2-10).
The run chase was a perfunctory affair, led by opener West with 64. His stand of 70 with Dan Flower (48no) broke the back of the chase.
TEN-man Barnstaple and Pilton lost by three runs in a riveting C Division East encounter at Shobrooke Park.
Jon James hit an unbeaten century and co-opener Dan Robbins made 85 in Shobrooke’s total of 252 for three.
An opening stand of 161 was topped up by James and Chris Ford (23no) adding 59 unbroken at the end.
Jamie Tapp (3-51) booked in B&P’s best bowling figures.
Barnstaple & Pilton’s player shortage in recent weeks has been well reported, but they were able to put out two teams on Saturday.
Acting captain George McEndoo can only wonder whether things may have been different had he had an 11thman in the team.
Sam Bithell (46), James Roe (77) and Tapp (37) got B&P down to the last three overs needing 21 go win with two wickets intact, Roe being one of them.
It came down to 10 to win from the last over and Roe still there. He was run out going for a third run and when Robbins (3-62) bowled last-man Matt Jarvis two balls later it was all over with one delivery unbowled.
