FILLEIGH handed out a 67-run defeat to visiting Axminster Town in their first home game of the season.

Ryan Bowden and Olly Squire were in and out early for ducks and of the first 48 on the board Mark Prideaux had 30,

Justin Saker made 26 as Filleigh struggled against Dave Murnane (4-53) and at 92 for five needed a pick-me-up.

It arrived in the form of a 60-run stand between Simon Prideaux (60) and Connor Nash (35) and from then on Filleigh accelerated.

Kieran Jerrett made 26 and bits and pieces from the tail took the tally to 230 for nine in 45 overs.

Ben Fuzzard bowled nine overs for 18 runs to keep Filleigh quiet early on.

Axminster slumped to 95 for six in reply with Murnane (34) the only batter to hang around long. He was one of two scalps for James Marsh.

Fuzzard (28) and Nick Taylor (27) stopped a total collapse with delaying knocks in the bottom half.

Taylor was the last man out in the 44th over to returning opening bowler  Jon Hickman (4-29).

Filleigh make the long trip to Seaton this Saturday.

BARNSTAPLE & Pilton paid a high price for dropping Uplyme’s Adam Caddy as he went on to hit an unbeaten 118.

Cadey was on two when he top edged a shot and the ball sailed into the slips, where it was dropped.

Caddy and skipper Mark Batey (43) them dominated the bowling for long spells as Uplyme reached 212 for seven.

Although James Lake had figures of three for 41 for Barnstaple he only bowled five overs.

Steve Moore kept it tight to take one for 26 from nine and Lee Cole took two for 37 in a similar spell.

The B&P batters found it a struggle against James Dinnison (3-16) and Rhys Davies with only Brady Saunders (37) getting settled for long.

James Whetlor (2-32) got into the middle order, so did Caddy (2-20) and with Dinnison returning for a go at the tail B&P were all out for 133.

Sam Bithell was last man out for 18 – the second highest score in the B&P innings.

GRAHAM Tucker and Alex Frankpitt both hit half centuries as Feniton defeated Kilmington by 98 runs.

There was no David Court against Kilmington – the former Devon batsman clobbered Filleigh for 187 the week before – but with Tucker (50) and Frankpitt (52) on form a total of 225 for eight was hoisted.

Fenny captain Jon Pyle picked up three for 10 and there were two wickets each for Jon French and Charlie Selly as Kilmington collapsed from 106 for six to 127 all out.

Brett Garner (30) just pipped Alfie Jaques for top scorer.

JOEL Seward claimed three wickets in the same over to point Seaton towards a 24-run win over Cullompton.

Stephen Pritchard opened up with 58 for Seaton and a stand of 76 with Seward helped reach a total of 189 all out. Mark Bray (19) and Ed Hunt (23) chipped in.

Best of the bowlers for Cully with three for 35 was Kalann Nessling. Jake Dines had three for 40.

Cully started disastrously – openers Adrian Pullin and Darren Paul were in and out for five on the board – but recovered while Jack Grandfield (24), Brendon Parr (23) and james Blackmore (62) were out there.

Seward had Parr lbw, caught and bowled Dines and cleaned up Richard Stevinson to turn 75 for three into 76 for five.

Blackmore nursed the bottom half as best he could, but when he went at 146 for eight it had been over for some time. Cully closed on 165 for nine.

COUNTESS Wear beat Clyst Hydon by five wickets after they were set 160 to win.

John Bendall (3-34) and Mark Davey (3-9) did the damage with the ball as Hydon were bundled out for 159. Clint Lewis top scored on 33.

The Wear batting was pretty consistent – only Tom Bendall really missed out – with Davey (30) finishing what Rob Jones (31) and Kav Dias had started.