SEATON stay out in front at the top of the C Division West after beating Axminster by 42 runs in the derby clash at Court Lane.
Although second-placed Uplyme defeated Countess Wear by 132 runs, they made no dent in Seaton’s 19-point lead.
Joel Seward, standing in as skipper for Ben Morgan, top scored for Seaton with 50 against his old club in his new one’s total of 211 for nine.
Seward, with help from Sam Goodier (20) got Seaton up to 105 for four then Ed Hunt (49) and Rob Prior (22) knocked up 62 more.
Nick Taylor (4-37) easily took the bowling plaudits for Axminster.
Town were 179 for nine when the overs ran out – Taylor adding 59 runs to his earlier wickets.
Mike Wakley (46) and Taylor put on 85 for the third wicket to give Town a chance, but only Sam Farrow (25) made a significant contribution after that.
Kersley Sutton (3-28) led the bowling effort for Seaton.
COUNTESS Wear are hovering just above the C East danger zone after a hefty 132-run reversal at Uplyme & Lyme Regis.
A consistent effort by Uplyme’s top six took them to 206 all out in the last of their 45 overs.
Openers Rob Thom (43) and Laurie Thomas (23) put on 84 and there were useful chip-ins from Mark Batey (30) and Mike van den Berg (23).
Steve Holland (3-28) led the Wear bowling stats, aided and abetted by Oli Byles and John Bendall with two each..
Wear were bowled out for 74 with James Whetlor (5-10) doing most of the damage.
Countess Wear lost their last five wickets without scoring a single run as Whetlor and van den Berg scythed through them.
Countess Wear are two points clear of the drop spots and could easily be in them this Saturday if they lose to Kilmington and Clyst Hydon beat Barnstaple & Pilton in the basement battle to go past them.
CLYST Hydon beat Feniton by four wickets to start moving towards safety.
They remain in the bottom two, but are level on points with Filleigh and just two behind Countess Wear.
Feniton, who were second, drop back to third in the wake of the defeat but are only four points behind Uplyme who ousted them.
Charlie Selley (49) and Alex Frankpitt (46) were the main run getters for Feniton in their total of 153 all out. There were four wickets each for Clinton Lewis and Dhanuja Haturusingha.
Sinthuran Teheveraj (53) and Haturusingha (40) led Hydon’s run chase.
There were two wickets each for Mark Kingdom, Selley and Fran Pyle, who turned up to umpire and had to play as Feniton were one short.
FILLEIGH edged out Barnstaple & Pilton by just four runs in a nail-gnawing North Devon derby.
Barnstaple & Pilton must have fancied their prospects after dismissing Filleigh for 122 – Henry McEndoo taking four for 31 and brother George (3-4) mopping up the stragglers.
Filleigh started well enough with Ryan Bowden (20) and Mark Prideaux (37) knocking up 59 for the first wicket and were well placed at 84 for two.
The it all went wrong. McAuley Harrison-Hooton (19) watched from one end as four wickets went for 20 runs as Henry McEndoo got stuck in.
James Campbell’s departure for 14 was the beginning of the end as the last three wickets went for one run!
B&P lost three wickets for 29 as Jon Hickman (4-22) posed early problems, got to 104 for five thanks to Jack Moore (23), Lee Cole (11) and Steve Moore (18) then fell apart.
Kieron Jerrett came back for a second spell to take three wickets and with a couple of run outs thrown in the visitors were all out for 118.
Filleigh make the relatively sort trip to Cullompton this Saturday. Barnstaple & Pilton are at home to Clyst Hydon.
CULLOMPTON kept the top four in their sights when they posted a massive 195-run at Kilmington.
Skipper James Blackmore flogged the home bowling for 13 fours and five sixes in his 118.
Tafara Mupariwa made 89 and put on 109 with newcomer Jason Parr (34), recently arrived from Chelston & Kingskerswell, for the second wicket.
Mupariwa and Blackmore added another 95 for the third wicket as the Kilmington bowlers toiled largely in vain.
Blackmore was sixth out at 281 in a final total of 311 for nine.
Kilmington were all out for 116 – which was more than they looked like getting at 37 for seven after an early battering from Jack Grandfield (5-29) and Parr (2-17).
Josh Short made 58 after going in at 33 for six and with Giles Dixon (11) put on 34 for the eight wicket.
Jacob Dines (2-10) and Brendon Parr (1-12) brought playtime to a close in the 31st over.
