BUDLEIGH Salterton shot up to third in the A Division table after getting home by three wickets against visiting Lewdown.

Depleted Lewdown arrived without South African all-rouder Johannes Wessels – on compassionate leave back home after a death in the family – and a clutch of 1^st XI regulars.

Lewdown had the third team wicketkeeper in thier bowling line-up as one of the more inventive ways captain for the day Harry Geering found of plugging the gaps.

Tom Pengelly top scored for Lewdown with 47 in their all-out total of 154.

Rob Craze spun his way to three for 25, Sam Fereday had three for 29 and James Leat picked-up two for 22.

Budleigh thought they had the game won by tea – and it seemed Ed Doble (33) and Elliot Rice (33) agreed.

Wickets tumbled to Jack Williams (3-32) and Matt Witcher (2-19), leaving skipper Joel Murphy and Ben Phillips to limp Budleigh over the line.

Murphy said it was good to win with a minimal contribution from overseas player Matt Junk and without Somerset’s Max Waller, but added there was room for improvement.

“We probably let them get too many – 100 all out wouldn’t have been unreasonable – but you would settle for 153,” said Murphy.

“Then we got to 112 for three, thought it was game over and let out standards drop a little.

“Chasing low totals can be a problem sometimes because you think the job is already done and we were guilty of that.”

Budleigh visit newly promoted but struggling Ipplepen for the first time in a league game this Saturday.