By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

ABBOTSKERSWELL are off the mark and out of the bottom two in the A Division thanks to a 15-run win in a soggy affair at Seaton.

Rain may have stopped play at other venues in east Devon, but Seaton and Abbots played through the drizzle until an earlier than planned finish.

Abbotskerswell made 255 for nine in the full 50 overs allowed, which was largely due to a third-wicket stand of 140 between opener Eddie Smout-Cooper (63) and Chathura Peiris.

Peiris made 115 from 101 balls face and hit 13 fours and five sixes along the way. No one else made more than 15.

Joe Berry topped the Seaton bowling stats with three wickets for 37 runs. Mali Marshall’s three-for-53 haul included Peiris.

Seaton lost opener Josh Cann cheaply, but knocks of 43 from Matt Hewer, 70 from Joel Seward and 43 from Ben Morgan kept Seaton in the game.

There were six overs to go when umpires Mark Davies and Tony McIntyre finally pulled the plug on the game with Seaton on 225 for six.

The Duckworth-Lewis calculator fixed a winning total after 44 overs as 242, which gave Abbots victory.

Abbots (60pts) remain at the wrong end of the table with Seaton (also 60) and Cullompton (41).

Nick Watkin, the Abbotskerswell captain, said he hoped the first win would be the catalyst for another one.

“We play Cullompton at our place this Saturday in another huge game,” said Watkin.

Watkin said Smout-Cooper and Peiris put together a match-winning partnership, adding: “they batted excellently on a very tricky wicket at times.”

On the soggy second innings, Watkin said: “Bowling with a soaking-wet ball was tricky at times but, importantly, we got over the line.”

Seaton skipper Morgan said: “At 85 for two halfway through our innings the game was in the balance. Then we let them off the hook.

“It was a much better batting performance despite three hours of rain, but we gave it a good go.”