E DIVISION WEST
BOVEY Tracey 3rdXI’s six-wicket win over Tavistock was not enough to spare them a relegation fate in the E Division West.
As victories go it was a hollow one for Bovey, who could not get past third-bottom Plymouth 3rdXI to reach safety. The difference between Bovey and Plymouth was 0.06 of an average point.
Tavvy openers Marc Webber (19) and Marc Lewis (20) gave their team a 37-run start, which proved to be the best partnership in an all-out total of 114.
Opening bowler Harry Pitman was the star of the show for Bovey Tracey with a five-for-29 haul.
A 60-run stand by Dan Boteler (33) and Darren Harvey (21) pointed Bovey in the right direction. Bits and pieces – Sam England’s 14 the most substantial – got Bovey over the line with more than 20 overs in hand.
It was Tavistock’s seventh defeat in a row. They last won a game on June 26 when they defeated Bovey Tracey by 120 runs in the first meeting between the clubs
PLYMOUTH CS&R were the gooseberries at the promotion party when they lost by eight wickets at Kenn.
Kenn needed a win to be sure of finishing second behind Ivybridge 2nd XI, which would be enough to take them back to the D Division West.
Alan Smith (45), Saqib Hasan (34) and Matt Ball (24) made significant contributions to CS&R’s all-out total of 188.
James Mason (5-27) and Hugh Stronge (3-29) posed plenty of problems with the ball for Kenn.
Kenn were a wobbly 19 for two at one stage, but that was as good as it got for CS&R.
An unbroken stand of 172 between James Gosling (82) and Ben Chaloner (87) had the game won for Kenn in the 29th over.
KEITH Maynard picked-up four wickets and Adam Creasy three more to speed Lewdown to a 147-run win over doomed Cornwood 3rdXI.
Lewdown have lived dangerously for much of the season and went into the final round of games in relegation jeopardy.
A 20-point maximum against Cornwood ensured they could not be dragged into the bottom two on the last day of hostilities.
Harry Williams (55), Maynard (32), Jonathan Knight (65) and Rob Holland (27) were Lewdown’s main run getters in a sizeable total of 272 for six.
Maynard (4-32) and Creasey (3-45) put the skids under Cornwood, who were skittled for 125 with more than 20 overs un-bowled.
F DIVISION EAST
BRAUNTON 2ndXI capped off their promotion-winning season in the F Division East with a 133-run win over Seaton 2ndXI.
Openers Steve Hunt and Nigel Cross both rifled bit tons on Braunton’s whopping total of 371 for one.
Hunt made 169 off 110 balls – 21 fours, six sixes – and Cross had 27 boundaries in his 159 not out. Their opening stand was worth 356.
Seaton reached 238 for five before their overs ran out.
Also on the up into the E Division East next season are North Devon 3rdXI, whose eight-run win over Exwick was a far keener contest.
Rob Mann (69) and Sandy Carrick (49) revived North Devon after a woeful start against Sean Bridgewater (4-27) to reach a total of 234 for nine.
Although Jamie Withers (112) thumped a ton for Exwick, the visitors came up short on 226 all out.
Ten bowlers turned their arm over for North Devon. Jeremy Thompson (4-21) booked the most impressive figures.
F DIVISION WEST
SOUTH Devon 2nd XI batsman Harry Senior wrote himself a place in the club record books with an unbeaten double hundred in the game against Teignmouth & Shaldon 2nd XI.
Senior flogged the T&S bowling for 203 not out off just 102 balls – 18 sixes, 14 fours – as South Devon raced to 342 for four in 40 overs.
It was the first double hundred scored by any South Devon player in a league game since the club was founder members of the competition back in 1972.
Mike Smith’s 59 was in danger of going un-noticed during Senior’s whirlwind knock. For the record the pair put on 145 for the fourth wicket.
Tyler Blackburn, Will Moore and Mark Couch all went for nine an over or more during Senior’s onslaught.
Teignmouth & Shaldon were all out for 197 in reply and succumbed to a 145-run defeat.
Will Greenwood, a double centurion himself against Ipplepen earlier in the season, was T&S’s top scorer with 63.
Dave Lear (4-53) led the South Devon bowling effort. Smith and Andrews had two wickets each.
Matt Kitto, the South Devon captain, said Senior’s return to form was a pleasure to watch.
“As Harry has struggled for opportunities to find any form in the first team we gave him a couple of weeks in the seconds and I think he has benefited,” said Kitto.
“Everyone knows Harry can hit the ball hard and long. Once he had got himself in, there was no stopping him.
“Harry had a couple of lives along the way, but it was a quality innings. Some of his driven sixes in particular were a pleasure to watch.”
Kitto said a mid-table finish following promotion at the end of the 2019 season was a good outcome after a season of virtually no cricket in 2020.
Kitto added: “With the help of some experienced heads we managed to get good results and experience for our youngsters,” said Kitto. “Let's hope we can build on this.”
G DIVISION EAST
TOPSHAM St James failed to make the most of winning the toss against Exmouth 2ndXI and taking first knock on yet another immaculate strip at their new home ground.
Mike Davison (36) and Charlie Ferraro (31) both threatened to take the Exmouth attack apart, playing some fine strokes but then getting a little careless. Much the same could be said of Vedang Mandalia (17 off only eight balls, including four superb boundary shots) and Rhys Norman, who scored 20 off 29 balls and played a couple of truly sublime back-foot drives which set the purists purring.
Rhys needlessly ran himself out when in full flow, but the other three were all victims of fine catches by the Austin brothers, Josh and Sam, and young Dylan Shah. Josh Adams weighed in with a quick-fire 14, but was unable to restrain himself for long enough to take advantage of a potential last-wicket stand with Dave Vranch, who is 82 years young and first played club cricket long before any of the rest of the team were born. Topsham were all out for 188, with a number of wasted overs to spare.
The Exmouth bowlers recovered quite well from a start which saw them going at nine an over, and returned remarkably similar figures in terms of runs conceded. The leading wicket-taker was Harry Debrijevic, who troubled most of the batsmen, and fully deserved his 3-36. He was closely followed by Rory Craib, whose accurate leg-spin netted 2 for 33, and very young opening bowler, Dylan Shah with an excellent 2 for 37. The other wickets fell to the Austins, 1for 30 to Sam and 1 for 34 to Josh.
The Exmouth innings started at an even faster rate than Topsham's, with Rory Craib (22) and veteran Roger Wensley (21) taking advantage of some loose bowling – both sides contributed substantial numbers of wides to their opponents score.
When the openers were out things tightened up, and Topsham looked clear favourites, until those Austin boys again got in the act. Josh started things off with a cool and capable 31, and when he was in with Sam, the ball was definitely in Exmouth's court. Sam went on to a fine half-century, but was then immediately bowled by Charlie Ferraro.
All was not yet over! Dylan Shah showed that he can bat as well as bowl, and there was still hope while he remained. Unfortunately, with just eight runs required for victory, he too was bowled by Charlie Ferraro, leaving his Dad 4 not out and Exmouth rueing the fact that they had only ten men.
After the tearaway start to the Exmouth innings, the brake was applied by veteran off-spinner Gary Salter, whose eight overs yielded 2 for 17, and troubled all the batsmen. He was well-supported by Charlie Ferraro, who gave up his normal medium pace after a couple of overs and bowled his own off-breaks with great success, ending with 3 for 30. Rhys Norman is too quick for many batsmen at this level, and he mopped up 2-20 in fine style.
Yet another off-spinner, Vedang Mandalia, took 1 for 40, but bowled much better than his figures suggest. The other wicket fell to Morgan Maynard, who struggled a little with his accuracy, but remains a fine prospect with both bat and ball.
Topsham St James took 19 points to Exmouth's 9 points, which was enough to ensure that neither side got relegated.
