NORTH ONE

BIDEFORD moved past North Devon to take the lead in North Division One by administering a 141-run defeat on Barnstaple & Pilton.

Father-and-son pair Jack (79) and James Ford (29) posted 84 for the third wicket and junior went on to add another 62 with Ash Baker as Bideford hoisted 238 for four in 40 overs.

Barnstaple & Pilton dipped to 15 for three then 44 for five in reply – Alex Hannam (3-28) and Jamie Lathwell (2-18) doing the damage – and were only trying to keep it respectable after that.

Matt Newton (41) batted through  – he was last out on 97 – as Jack Ford (3-12) whittled away at the other end.

For skipper Hannam it was an all-round performance.

“Our batters were excellent again with Jack and Ash making good scores while others supported them,” said Hannam.

“Our bowling and fielding was also very tidy.”

Lee Cole, the B&P captain, said it was a better performance from his side after the nine-wicket walloping at North Devon seven days earlier.

“We looked a bit better,” said Cole. “Young Joe Hastie (2-28) bowled well at the start against a good, young, energetic Bideford side, who play the game in the right spirit.

“The only downside was our last 10 overs cost us 100 runs and chasing 240 was always going to be difficult.

“It is a challenge this season but we will see where it takes us.

“A lot of our players year were playing second team cricket last year, but I can't fault them as they make themselves available every week and I can't ask for more.

“We will regroup and look forward to Braunton this Saturday.”

BRAUNTON held out under pressure to beat North Devon by just six runs in a derby nail-biter at Kelsey.

Braunton recovered from an early roughing up by James Starkey (3-13) that left them 70 for five to make 180 all out.

Run scoring was always hard work for Braunton: Jack Hockin (4-37) made sure of that.

Jon Baglow was the man of the moment for Braunton. He went in at 70 for five and made a top score of 48 that helped post a defendable total.

North Devon’s early order made steady progress with Richard Wild (41) and Hockin (39) chipping away at the total.

Fred King (35) did something about the scoreboard pressure being applied by Baglow (3-31) and veteran Steve Moore (2-20).

Forty-four to win from the final five overs – and 18 off the last one from Alfie Huxtable – proved too many for North Devon, who closed on 174 for nine.

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