THORVERTON pressed their case to be considered serious promotion candidates in the B Division when they defeated leaders Kilmington by 11 runs.
Thorverton were bowled out for 219 in the last of their 45 overs – opener Andy Pitt top scoring on 59.
Kilmington started confidently – they were 98 for two – wobbled to 112 for six under pressure from Dan Robbins and Jake Choules – then staged a fightback that took them to 208 for nine.
Although it looks close, skipper Choules claimed he never heard the alarm bells jangling as the to-win target in the final over was 25.
“We always felt in control,” said Choules. “The last over was big, which made it seem closer.”
Pitt and Dan Robbins (43) took Thoverton to 128 for four, where the baton passed to the middle order crew. A succession of double-figure scores – which included a couple of 16s from Alex Jopling and Tim Diamond – ticked the score along.
Matt Reed dominated the Kilmington bowling returns with a five-for-39 haul.
Tom Gooding (39) and Josh Short (32) were the early run getters for Kilmington.
After Choules (3-31) and Robbins (4-40) pegged them back mid-innings Harry Johnstone (36) and Oliver Reed (31no) revived Kilmington’s chances for a while.
Jopling’s nine overs bowled for 23 runs conceded helped keep Kilmington behind the asking rate.
Said Choules: “Alex bowled with great control as well as his cameo innings when we batted.
“Dan Robbins’ bowled as well as I have seen for the club for his four wickets. A sign of things to come we hope.”
A MIDDLE-order collapse cost Ivybridge the chance of victory at Bideford in a low-scoring encounter.
Bideford were all out for 173 with 14 balls to go – Dan Fernando (4-36) and skipper Adam Huxtable (3-26) posting most of the problems with the ball for Ivybridge.
The stand-out knock in the Bideford innings was Ollie Hannam’s half-century. Tail-ender Steve Bond weighed in with a quick 21 in the dying overs.
Opener Harvey Johnson (30) got the Ivybridge chase up and running and at 67 for two the Bridge were well placed.
It all went wrong in the time it took for Bideford to reduced Ivybridge from 92 for four to 95 for seven and on to 104 for nine as Alex Hannam (3-31), James Hayter (2-15) and both Fords, dad James (3-14) and son Jack (2-12) wheeled away.
James Grigg (18no) and last man George Berry delayed the inevitable until the score reached 126 and Ford junior bagged the final wicket.
Winning skipper Alex Hannam said he had some reservations during the tea interval, but they proved unfounded.
“Oliver (Hannam) batted really well and Steve Bond changed the momentum at the end of the innings, however I still felt we were 20-30 short.,” said the captain.
“All the bowlers bowled well when called upon and we kept taking wickets at important times to win against a good side.”
Defeat leaves Ivybridge one place and three points ahead of the B Division drops spots
PLYMSTOCK appeared to have done the hard part against Dartington & Totnes by keeping the target down, but were denied the chance to have a go at chasing 189 to win by bad weather.
Plymstock’s Archie Walsh (2-37) picked up a couple of wickets as D&T stumbled to 56 for four.
Josh Orrell (56) and Alex Hartridge (66) hung around for a stand of 64 and another worth 68 between Hartridge and David Harvey (27no) got D&T up to 188 for six in 45 overs.
Bowlers Billy Gibson and Jason Williams had identical figures of one for 19 for Plymstock, who were unable to bat due to heavy rain.
IPPLEPEN crashed to their first defeat of the B Division season when they were eight-wicket losers away to Heathcoat 2ndXI.
The Pens found runs hard to come by against the pace of Christian Cabburn (2-12), Matt Hodson’s seamers (1-14) and the off-spin bowling of Finn Stoneman (5-23).
Tom Durman (38), Neil Hancock (31) and Ash Harvey (27) were the only batters to get past 20 – and Durman was there for 77 balls grinding it out.
Stoneman did the damage at the end as Pens subsided from 121 for six to 143 all out.
Openers Jack Burnand (56) and Will Bucknell (43) got Heathcoat off to a 66-run start. By the time Burnand was second out on 129, the game was in the bag.
