Topsham St James batting against Bovey Tracey<br>credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marklucylockett/sets/72157715343793312/with/50183710731/

By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

Click here for more Mark Locket photos from festival day at Bovey Tracey

PLYMPTON got away to a flying start in DWCL Super8s Group A with wins over Cornwood then Plymouth in the festival opener.

Cornwood were no match for Plympton in game one when they were bowled out for 53 – and 27 of those were extras.

Maddie Turner (2-4), Hannah Duckworth (2-2) and Cait O’Keefe with two for 17 against the club where she has played men’s cricket did the damage with the ball.

Plympton only needed 6.1 overs to knock-off the runs.  After losing openers Evie Privett and Jemma Horton cheaply, Imogen Beasley (16no) and Ana Hampson (11) saw Plympton most of the way home.

Plymouth were beaten by 25 runs to give Cornwood their second four-point maximum of the day.

Hampson’s  form returned with a bright and breezy 30 in Plympton’s 16-over total of 106 for four. Beasley was 13 not out at the end.

Jemima Johnson (1-16) and Sheridan Lewis (0-16) bowled tidy, four-over spells for Plymouth.

Plymouth got as far as 80 for four in reply. No one made more than Ann Ruddock. Maddie Turner (4-1-7-0) was the meanest of the Plymouth bowlers. Hannah Duckworth (4-0-18-2) had the most success.

It wasn’t a great day for Plymouth as they also lost to Cornwood, who defeated them by eight runs.

Johnson (3-11) had reduced Cornwood to 26 for four almost on her own, but the slide stopped with a stand of 48 between Laura Johnston (28) and Hannah Parsons (23no) that took Cornwood close to their final total of 97 for five.

Lewis (23no) and Emma Hogg (11) were the only Plymouth batters to reach double figures in a tally of 89 for four.

Group A moves on to festival day two tomorrow (Sunday) when Cornwod, Plymouth and Ipplepen battle it out at Mount Wise.

Bovey Tracey talk tactics prior to taking the field against Paignton

TOPSHAM St James Ladies threw down the gauntlet as the team to beat in Group B with wins over Bovey Tracey and Paignton.

Bovey were trounced by the maximum margin of eight wickets while Paignton put up more of a fight, only going down by two wickets with 10 balls to go.

Bovey Tracey’s leading scorers in their total of 103 for one against Topsham were Julie Ingham-Hill (23no) and Kaitlyn Butterly (30ret). Mel Vaggars (0-13) and Hannah Clark (0-9) were the shrewdest of the Topsham bowlers.

Topsham openers Amelia Sydenham (33) and Caitlin Pilcher (32) go the chase up and running before both had to retire. Vaggers (12no) and Lucy Gilbert (9no) were in at the end.

Topsham chased to win against Paignton, who made them work far harder.Paignton bowling against Bovey Tracey

Charlotte Massey (24) and Emily Roberts (33ret) had the primary scores off the bat for Paignton in their total of 114 for four. There were two wickets each for Clare Pym and Abi Clark.

Sydneham (27) was in the runs again and with chip-ins from Vaggers (18), Hannah Clark (15) and Lucy Gilbert (13) the post was passed with 10 balls to go.

Paignton did beat Bovey Tracey by six wickets in a rain-affected game decided on run rate.

Bovey reached 83 for six in the full 16 overs. Paignton had 14 overs batting time to make 73 to win and did it for one wicket lost and nearly three overs to spare.

Paignton’s Hollie Perkin capped a player-of-the-match performance with a run-a-ball 28 not out to compliment her one-for-nine-off-three bowling stint.

Round two in the Group takes place at the County Ground, where hosts Exeter replace Bovey Tracey.

TAUNTON Deane’s batters had too much firepower for Sandford and North Devon in the opening round from Group C.

First to fall by the wayside against the Somerset outfit were Sandford, who were held to 96 for five chasing a target of 156 to win.

Sandford opener Ellie Bishop (31ret) was involved in stands of 20 with Penny Price and 48 with Jemma Vereker (16).

Jessie Smith-Lees (3-25) took the bowling plaudits for host club Taunton Deane.

Earlier, Hannah Hughes (32ret) and Madi Bond (30) were the Somerset side’s leading run scorers.

North Devon’s 16-over total of 121 for four looked respectable, but it was polished off with seven wickets in hand and 10 balls to go.

North Devon opener Kate Williams scored 20 of the first 25 runs on the board and was backed up by Carmen Clements (28) and Lydia Clements, who retired with 30 off 27 balls.

Bond (30ret) and Abby Murray (30ret) put North Devon in a winning position then bits and pieces saw them over the line.

Earlier in day North Devon had overwhelmed Sandford for 56 runs after stacking up 160 all out in the last of their 16 overs.

Williams dealt almost exclusively in boundaries compiling 29 and Lydia Clements made 33 to get North Devon up and running. Carman Clements had five fours in a quickfire 30 that kept the board spinning round.

Bishop with three for 39 had the most success among the Sandford bowling attack.

Sandford’s target came down to 151 to win in 15 overs following a rain break, but that proved too many.

Vereker (31ret) and Lottie Miles (20) had the only scores of note in a total of 94 for four.

Rose Ball – three overs bowled, three runs conceded – and Lydia Clements (two overs, two runs) made life hard for Sandford with the ball.

Round two in Group Two is at Hatherleigh tomorrow (Sunday). North Devon drop out this week.