ALMOST there! Heathcoat 2nd XI are on the brink of promotion into the B Division after routing Whimple by 10 wickets.
Cameron Kidd (15) was the only Whimple batsman to reach double figures as they were bundled out for 75.
Skipper Matt Hague took three wickets, one courtesy of a super slip catch by Lee Dixon, who had three more.
Paul Elliott (2-14) accounted for both Whimple openers and Joe Hancock was a bit too quick for a couple of batters.
Openers Toby Lochead (63no) and Mat Parkes (14no) savaged the bowling to win the game inside 13 overs.
Heathcoat are 29 points clear of Sidmouth at the top of the table with three games left to get the 31 points needed to make sure that is how it stays. The first game is against improving Shobrooke this Saturday.
Hard work by groundsman Peter Woodman and the consent of landlords the National Trust got the game played on a wet and windy day. Hague said both deserved to be thanked.
Hague started his overview of the game by saying: “It was a good toss to win.
“Our bowlers were fantastic and Paul Elliot used all his experience to become unplayable on that surface.
“We fielded and caught very well and it was nice for me and Lee Dixon to bowl together and mop up the middle order and tail.
“Toby played the situation brilliantly to allow us to win inside 13 overs.”
OTTERY St Mary made it three wins on the bounce with a 65-run victory over Sidmouth 2nd XI.
Opener Ollie West (38) and Joe Henkus (26) got Ottery up to 110 for two then Jack Malden hit 63 not out to take the total up to 228 for seven.
Ottery found runs hard to come by against Lee Clayden (9-4-21-0) and Matt Parker, who took three for 27 in his nine overs.
Sidmouth’s batting and bowling had been plundered to fill gaps in the first team and it showed in places as they stumbled from 56 for two to 63 for six under pressure from Will Harrison (3-28) and Matt Jeacock (3-32).
Louis Addy (44) and Tom Wainwright (41) fought back with a stand of 86 for the seventh wicket.
Once the partnership was broken Sidmouth slid to 163 all out.
SHOBROOKE Park are one more win away from C Division East survival thanks to a 42-run win in the basement clash with Alphington.
While Exeter and Barnstaple & Pilton appeared doomed to the drop going into round 15, Shobooke and Alphington were both aiming to avoid the third spot.
Shobrooke’s win means they are now 40 points ahead of Alphington with 60 to play for.
Even if Shobrooke don’t get the win they are after against runaway leaders Heathcoat this Saturday, as long as they are still 40 points clear of Alphington are unlikely to be overtaken.
Middle-order knocks from Bruce Kerry (30) and Jon James (27) were topped up by Mike Barlow with 23 down the order as Shobrooke got to 176 for nine in 40 overs.
Will Pring (1-24 off 8) kept the lid on Shobrooke and Tom Nightingale (4-27) cashed in during the later overs.
Alphington had some catching up to do after sliding to 74 for five with Mark Halse (34) in and out by then. Mark Wheeler (3-15) picked him off.
Tom Weeks (29) kept an end going until Alphington reached 128 for eight when he departed to Jareer Shikrani (2-18).
The last four wickers went for nine runs scored as Alphington were bowled out for 134.
BARNSTAPLE & Pilton’s race is run in the C Division East after they lost the basement battle with Exeter 2nd XI by seven wickets.
Barnstaple & Pilton have been teetering on the brink of relegation since the halfway stage of the season. Now they have topped over it.
This latest defeat means B&P are 80 points adrift at the bottom of the table with only 60 to play for.
Victory did not do Exeter much good as they are second bottom and 58 points away from safety. Realistically, they are down too.
George McEndoo opened up for B&P and made at top score of 50 in their total of 94 all out. He was seventh out on 93. Matt Newton (20) was next best.
Luke Unsworth (3-17) and Naj Choudhary (3-15) took the bowling plaudits for Exeter.
Exeter lost opener Ben Abraham cheaply to James Lake, but a stand of 73 between Marc Oelofse (45) and Sean Langford (28) killed the game as a contest.
B&P are away to Sidmouth 2nd XI this Saturday.
BRAUNTON’S four-game winning run in the C Division East was interrupted when their game against Exmouth was cancelled due to a waterlogged ground.
Dan Brierley’s men are away to Alphington this Saturday.
