PLYMSTOCK shot up from fifth to second in the A Division on the strength of an eight-wicket win over Ipplepen.
As Ipplepen were top of the table two weeks ago before it was their turn for a bye in a nine-team division, Plymstock anticipated a tough game.
Pens were bowled out for 97 before the end of the 29th over with Mawgan Penrice (33) the only batsman to hang around long.
Billy Gibson (3-23) took wickets up top, Jonny Norman (2-36) did his previous club no favours with a couple, which left Ian Whalley (4-17) to spin out the remainder.
The run chase was routine once openers Charles Martin (23) and James Nicholls (25) put on 51.
Tom Mitch (21no) and Hal Kerton (18no) wrapped things up at the start of the 23rd over.
Plymstock are only four points behind current leaders Seaton, who lost at Bovey Tracey. Ipplepen are 16 points off second place.
CHUDLEIGH’S prospects look a little brighter after they cruised to a seven-wicket win at Cullompton.
Rob Clarke spun his way to a four-wicket haul and Derek Lammonby bagged three for 34 as Cullompton were dismissed for 138 in the last of their 45 overs.
A succession of Cully batters got in, got settled and got out again without making a sizeable score.
Todd Scrace (25), Tom Mortiboys (21) and skipper Jason Parr (27) were the main scorers on a day when Cully were without overseas player Jamal Anwar due to injury. He could be out for two more matches while his injured hand heals.
Teenage opener Alex Haywood batted through for an unbeaten 56 as Chudleigh chased to win in 29 overs.
Skipper Matt Heather (49) shared a stand of 89 with Haywood that killed the game as contest.
Chudleigh have moved 19 points away from relegation danger, which is a relief to skipper Heather.
“A good result and a good way to start the second half of the season,” said Heather.
“I thought we bowled brilliant and despite dropping a couple of catches, we fielded well too.
“Alex batted really well for his maiden 50 in the first team.
“With a couple of wins over the last few weeks, we are confident there will be more in the second half of the season.”
Jason Parr, the Cullompton captain, said it was not hard to identify what went wrong.
“I won the toss and we batted first on a very good batting track, but we let ourselves down with the bat again,” said Parr.
“Chudleigh bowled some good areas and restricted us well, but too many batters got starts and not one of us got stuck in and converted into a big score.
“We probably ended up about 120 runs under par and stood very little chance of defending the total we scored.”
Cully, one of six sides separated by 20 points in the promotion chase, visit Kilmington this Saturday.
THORVERTON’S players won’t need reminding of the old adage catches win matches after they lost by three runs to bottom side Brixham.
Brixham made a respectable but gettable 202 for seven, built around a century from Dhanan Lakshan and chip-ins from Craig Eaves and Dan Bullock.
Lakshan hit 13 fours and a six in his 103. Eaves (30) and Bullock (21) supported along the way.
Thors lived to regret dropping Lakshan before he reached 50. Grassing Eaves in the very next over did not help either!
“Had we held on to one or better both of those catches we would probably have been chasing 140-150 and that’s a different game,” said Thorverton player David Baldock.
Shane Yelverton (3-39) and Nick Barton (2-29) were Thors’ leading wicket takers.
Andy Pitt (28), Paul Fielder (35), Yelverton (23) and Harry Choules (32) kept Thorverton up with the asking rate. The problem was at 167 for seven with eight overs remaining they did not have the wickets in hand.
What Lakshan and Upham had started, Tim Robinson (2-18) and Eaves (2-32) completed as Thorverton were bowled out for 199 and lost by three runs.
Thorverton slip back from second to third, but with only 20 points between the top six it remains wide open.
