EXMOUTH 2ndXI beat Exeter 2ndXI by 50 runs in the basement battle on the County Ground to clamber out of the bottom two.
When the final tottings-up were done a cameo innings from Exmouth’s Jon Martin was more than significant in the outcome of the match.
Exmouth were going along happily at 81 for three with Codie Stydom (30) and Ed Maynard (20) among the runs and Josh Austin part of the way towards making 41.
It was a different story at 132 for seven, after a rough ride from Naj Choudhary (2-37) and Mo Thoufeeq, which is where Martin came into the action.
Martin batted for the remainder of the innings to make 52 not out and out and his last-wicket stand of 49 with tail-ender Greg Marks (15) took Exmouth to 205 all out.
“My aim going in was to get us up to around 160, but I made a ‘day out’ of it and had some fun while I was at it,” said Martin.
Martin was involved in stands worth 72 for the final three wickets, which made all the difference to the outcome.
Jeremy Tojy (27), Aashayt Dube (32) and Tommy Stewart did a workmanlike job getting Exeter to 102 for in reply. Then Stewart (34) became the first of four victims claimed by Elijah Pyne (4-25).
Knocks of 16 from Harry Wilkins and 21 by Choudhary were not enough to get Exeter back on track and they were all out for 155 with more than 10 overs to go.
Exeter are now seven points behind Exmouth, which is not that worrying with 10 games to go.
Graham White said selection problems have blighted the season so far, but that is about to change.
“Thankfully our availability changes greatly from this weekend on,” said White.
SIDMOUTH are down from third to fifth in the C East standings following a two-run defeat at Uplyme & Lyme Regis.
Opener Mark Batey was the only Uplyme batter to miss out in a total of 238 for seven that owed much to consistency from the rest of the top seven.
Sam Farrow had the top score of 77 batting at five and there were runs either side of him from Tyler Wellman (25) and Bruce Maltby (22).
Tom Hodgson and Byron Knowles had two wickets each for Sidmouth. Taylor Ingham-Hill’s one for 30 from nine overs caught the eye – and there was plenty more to come from the University of Exeter scholar.
Ingham Hill stroked his way to 121 off 92 balls – 20 fours, one six – as Sidmouth went off in hot pursuit.
Knowles (21) and Anthony Griffiths (20) were the junior partners in stands that added 114 to the running total.
The turning point came with five overs to go when, with 23 needed and three wickets in hand, Ingham-Hill was dispatched by Joe Elsworth.
Sidmouth arrived at the last over needing four to win with last pair Tom Hodgson and Tom Wainwright the final pair of batsman. Three balls later Elsworth whipped out Wainwright to claim his fifth wicket and the game too.
SANDFORD stay second in the C Division East standings after winning a close affair at Upottery by 17 runs.
Upottery may be propping up the table with only one win so far, but bowled well to keep Sandford to 203 for nine.
And the run chase was an interesting affair that got down to the final five overs with Upottery needing 52 to win with five wickets in hand.
Upottery lost four wickets getting as far as 186 for nine.
Runs were spread out through the Sandford innings with Jon James (24), Harry Everett (20), James Theedom (48) and skipper Pete Steer (44) the primary contributors.
There were three wickets for Upottery bowlers Kalann Nessling (3-33) and Andrew Pulman (3-42). James Mitcham could not have been much tidier as he took two for 17 from nine overs.
Ben Kidson, sixth out on 153, led the Upottery run chase with back up from Jack Smith (30) and Adam Pulman (25).
Wickets were shared round the Sandford bowlers with economy as important as casualties.
Harry Everett’s death bowling (2-39) was significant in keeping the runs down in the final five overs.
HEATHCOAT 2ndXI were unable to stop Alphington & Countess Wear taking away a six-wicket win in a game where rain intervened.
Heathcoat recovered from being 57 for five to reach 227 for seven in the full 45 overs.
Mike Humphreys (77) and Tom Reynolds (48) turned things round with a stand of 101 for the sixth wicket.
Richard Reardon (3-53) and James Bovey (2-45) were the wicket takers, although neither was as frugal as Luan Liebenberg, whose nine overs only yielded 15 runs.
Six overs were lost to rain and the run-rate calculation was 197 to win in 37 overs. Alphington & Countess Wear got there with more than three overs to spare.
Man of the moment with the bat was Matt Taylor, who finished undefeated on 82. He put on 72 with Joe Satt (33) and 97 with Andy Fairbairn (54) in the winning partnership.
SKIPPER Callum Mitchell picked-up a four-wicket haul as Braunton clinched a four-run win at Ottery St Mary.
Opener Rob Collier batted on and on for a top score of 65 in Braunton’s total of 206 for seven.
Alfie Huxtable (40) was Collier’s running mate while adding 128 for the second wicket.
Jamie Lathwell (29) and James Kemp (21no) put on 51 in the later overs.
Matt Jeacock and Jon Triner kept it mean with the ball for Ottery. Sam O’Nyons and Sam Brook had two wickets each.
Ottery lost George Mutter in single figures, but made considerable progress towards the target while Alex Clements (75) and Triner (44) stayed together. Both went in the space of four runs.
Ottery kept going despite interruptions from Mitchell (4-55) and Steve Moore (2-29) and while O’Nyons (26) stayed there was a chance.
Sixteen to win from the last over bowled by Mitchell proved a few too many and O’Nyons was the last casualty in a final tally of 202 for eight.
It is not the first time this season Ottery have been involved in a last-over scramble for victory – and it isn’t something that worries skipper Clements unduly.
“We lost our way a little bit from overs 20-30 and couldn't quite keep things ticking towards the end of the innings,” said Clements.
“Losing these close games will really help us develop as a team.”
