SKIPPER Mark Couch showed the way ahead with a man-of-the-match  display as Shaldon Optimists defeated Buckland Monachorum by 154 runs.

The Moorlanders had Shaldon wobbling at 21 for three with Karl Blackburn, George Thomas and Todd Ballman the men out.

Couch went in at 14 for two and was still there at the end, unbeaten on 82 in a total of 232 for five.

Along the way there were stands of 80 with Kevin Haycock (21), 42 with Andy Lockyer (31) and 89 unbroken with Joe Wilcox, whose rumbustious 54 not out came off 26 balls.

The Moorlanders wheeled on nine different bowlers to try and break the partnerships, but to little effect.

Couch then took four wickets for six runs in nine overs – three of them maidens – as Buckland were bowled out for 78.,

Home skipper and opener Steve Mannell batted 46 balls for nine and sixth man in Gary Brooks faced 57 balls making seven not out.

Simon Hoad with 16 was the only batsman to reach double figures during the 35.2 overs the innings lasted.

Shaldon can expect a tougher test this Saturday when they visit Ashburton, who are gunning for promotion straight back to the C Division, for a top-of-the-table clash.

STOKEINTEIGNHEAD cruised to a four-wicket win over league new comers South Brent at Netherton Park.

Dave Lewis with 71 was top scorer for South Brent in a modest total of 102 all out.

Lewis, who went in at eight for three, was sixth man out at 88.

Tim Lannin in a stand of 56 for the sixth wicket with Lewis faced 32 balls without scoring a run!

Next best in the South Brent total was Scott Malpas with five.

There were three wickets each for John Burton(3-17) and Chris Prestt (3-21).

Prestt (37) and Andrew Thornton-Clarke (17) got Stoke to 62 for one in reply and all looked rosy.

Sixty-nine for four was a different story as Sean Bevan  (2-27) and Lewis (1-23) made inroads.

Tim Trower’s 20 off 24 balls got Stoke within five runs of victory and not even a double strike by Chris Daniel (2-17) could change the outcome.

THREE wickets each for Matt Coon and Lloyd White set Ashburton on course for a six-wicket win at Topsham St James.

The Saints never properly recovered from an early going over from Matt Coon (3-12) that saw them slump to 19 for three.

Aiden Pring (29) and Anthony Pearson (17) put on 36 and Callum Treleven (21no) kept going after Pring and Pearson fell.

Ashburton took the last six Topsham wickets for 28 runs as the home side were skittled for 95 – White finshing with three for 16 from eight overs.

Martin Causey was the early order anchorman for Ashburton, making a sedate 40 off 84 balls as they reached 74 for three.

James Dark (23no) took Ashes most of the rest of the way to victory.

YELVERTON Bohemians made hard work of chasing down a modest total of 147 set by opponents Kenn, in a low-scoring affair.

Kenn struggled early with the first runs off the bat coming off the seventh over, as Peter Lojsczcyk (1-31) and Sam Crompton (0-18) showed a good degree of control.

Lojsczcyk eventually found the breakthrough, with a smart catch behind by wicketkeeper Anis Zubair quickly followed by a run out as Geoff Brain, Rich West and Zubar combined from the long boundary.

With Dan Keylock (1-14) and Pat Hobbs (2-25) bowling, wickets fell steadily, the only resistance shown by Martin Swannell, eventually bowled by West (1-25) for 50.

Steve Colmer collected three wickets through the lower middle order, however Yelverton failed to pick up the last wicket.

In reply, with normal opener Julyan injured, Geoff Brain was joined by Hobbs.

Brain was quickly back in the pavilion, adjudged lbw for 0. In at 3, Scott-Kirk (30) and Hobbs scored quickly, before Hobbs fell for 15.

The scoring rate continued with Zubair (27), however when captain West fell (8), there was a danger of Yelverton collapsing.

However Lojsczcyk (25) and Mark Symes (19) got Yelverton close, before both falling leaving the score at 143-7. Luke Julyan (2) and Keylock (5) combined to see Yelverton over the line to maintain their 100 per cent record.