ROSS Acton turned in a devastating spell of bowling in Bradninch’s seven-wicket win over Abbotskerswell at Two Mile Oak.

The left-arm seamer grabbed six wickets for five runs in seven overs – three of them maidens – as Abbots were skittled out for a humiliating 37.

Charlie Dowling, Abbots’ Anglo-South African all-rounder, scored 26 of the 37.

Elliott Adams made four, Noah Tobias was three not out and eight batsmen did not muster a run between them!

Five of Acton’s six wickets were given out lbw, which provoked a grumble or two from the home camp.

As far as a career best is concerned, Acton’s bowling figures are up there with the seven for 26 taken against Cornwood in 2013 and his seven for 33 against Sandford (2009).

Craig Penberthy and Tallan Burns took two wickets each in the 13.5 overs it took to bowl out Abbots.

Dowling excited the home team by dismissing Bradninch opener Kian Burns first ball. Two more wickets fell – the last with the scores level – before Leon Horn (13no) took a single of Tobias to win it.

Victory keeps Bradninch in second place behind leaders Cornwood. 

Abbots remain just above the bottom two, but only by a point as Barton moved closer to them with a first league win of the season.

Nick Watkin, the Abbotskerswell captain, said the batsmen in the team need to start living up to their job description.

HATHERLEIGH’S hopes of returning to the A Division top three were thwarted when their game against Budleigh Salterton fell foul of the weather.

Budleigh were third in the table going into round seven, but Hatherleigh would have gone past them had they won.

Although Hatherleigh gained two points on Budleigh before the rain came down, they are still 10 behind. And with Cornwood and Bradninch both playing to a finish and winning, the distance between Hatherleigh and the top two is now 23 points.

Rob Fishleigh (47) and Gareth Tidball (70) were Hatherleigh’s main run scorers in their total of 175 for five from 42 overs. They put on 74 after Ryan Dennis went cheaply.

Tari Musakanda (1-22 off 9) kept it tight with the ball for Budleigh.

Duckworth-Lewis said Budleigh needed 190 to win in 42 overs. They were 37 for three when the game was called off.

Mark Lake, Hatherleigh’s disappointed captain, said: “Sometimes it's just not meant to be and this was one of those game.

“We were well on top of the game until the rain came and it was a shame there was so much rain we had no chance of getting back on. 

“Gareth and Rob Fishleigh batted beautifully to get us a really good score.

CORNWOOD thrashed Tavistock by 74 runs to consolidate their position at the top of the A Division.

Opener Aaron Richards (51) and Ben Beaumont (70) were the leading scorers in Cornwood’s total of 234 for eight when rain stopped play in the 47thover.

After Richards and Beaumont put on 54 for the third wicket, Matt Butterworth (35) and Elliott Staddon (25) added another 75.

Tavistock’s seamers Dylan Aucamp and James McGahey stayed in three-an-over territory. Charlie Barriball (3-42) was the only bowler to take more than one wicket.

Tavistock were set 200 to win in 31 overs after consulting the Duckworth-Lewis tables, but at 87 for five after 17 overs there was only going to be one winner.

Billy Barriball made a patient 52 at the top of the order, but next best was Sean Cleave’s 10 and 29 extras in an all-out total of 125.

Cornwood are seven points ahead of Bradninch, who moved up to second after defeating Budleigh Salterton.

IVYBRIDGE have fallen further adrift at the bottom of the A Division following a 69-run defeat in the basement clash at Barton.

Something had to give at Cricketfield Road as both sides had lost six in a row.

Victory lifted Barton out of the bottom two at the expense of Abbotskerswell, who where badly beaten by second-placed Bradninch.

Barton recovered from six for three – Josh Coker (3-41) doing the damage – to reach 161 all out.

George Northcott (37) and skipper Adam Parker (33) started the fightback by putting on 69 then Adam Last made 40 on a rare 1stXI appearance as the total mounted.

Adam Huxtable (2-20) and Harry Solomon (2-20) bowled carbon-copy 10-over spells to keep Barton under control.

Ivybridge were 28 for three with Zimbabwean batter Dudu Zondo among the casualties.

Dinesh Raheja did a professional job trying to hold the middle order together – he made 30 off 64 balls – but worthwhile support was hard to find.

Coker  (10) and Chris Greenhouse (11) batted time in search of bonus points, but once Dinesh was sixth out on 74 it was downhill to 92 all out.

Matt Crampton’s six-for-19 haul put the skids under Ivybridge.

PLYMPTON beat Bideford by 104 runs to move into the A Division mid-table area.

Skipper Alex Carr and tail-ender Joel Larkman rescued Plympton from an unimpressive 105 for eight and steered them to a defendable 202 all out.

David Ackford (21) and Justin Wubbeling (29) had the only scores of note before Larkman joined Carr.

Carr (53) and Larkman (34) put on 95 before Ben Perry bowled the Plympton captain. 

Pick of the Bideford bowlers were Alex Hannam (3-27) and Jack Ford (3-27).

Bideford’s reply never really got out of second gear as they stumbled from 24 for three, to 53 for six and 65 for eight and nine.

Steve Bond (22no) delayed the inevitable while adding 33 at the end with Cameron Atkinson.

Wickets were shared with two each for Wubbeling, Craig Donohue and Will Scott-Munden. Skipper Carr’s one for 11 off 10 put pressure on Bideford from the start.