UNBEATEN Ipplepen clinched the C West title without losing a game by imposing a three-wicket defeat on Kingsbridge.
Town found runs hard to come by with opener Freddie Ford (55) having a real battle for his top score of 55. Pens’ George Tapley (4-30) was on a hat-trick during his first spell.
Joe Parker and Warrick Green both operated below four an over to keep the pressure on.
Charles Smyth (26), Seth Gloyn (29no) and Freddie Wier (20) found ways to get Kingsbridge up to 191 all out.
It looked like a routine assignment for Ipplepen as they strode to 140 for three in reply with runs in the lap top for Tapley (38), Marcus Gadie (25), Sam Wakeham (19) and Jono Colgate (27).
Losing three for 20 – Colgate one of them – left Green (23no) to finish the job. Richard Carr and Bhanu DeSilva took two wickets each for Town, who are going to finish second.
SOUTH Devon won for the first time this season when they defeated Paignton 2nd XI by four wickets.
Victory came too late to save South Devon from relegation, but did spare them the embarrassment of going a third league season without a win. That happened before in 2012 and again in 2013.
South Devon were reminded how much they have missed the injured Jonny Martin this season as his four-for-16 from nine overs helped skittle Paignton for 109. James Hart’s two for 16 helped.
Other than Arthur Ray with 47, the Paignton batting failed to fire.
South Devon had to sidestep outbreaks of wicket-taking from Matt Lipton (2-28) and George Woodcock (2-21) before clinching that elusive win.
Mark Andrews opened with 29 and captain Jack Allen was there on 36 not out at the close.
CHUDLEIGH defeated Abbotskerswell by two wickets with just three balls remaining in their C West date at Kate Brook.
Brayden Notman top scored with 56 for Abbots to pass 400 league runs for the season in a team tally of 82 all out. Jay Hussain made 26 before Notman got in; Aron Owen added 39 after he had gone.
Mark Halse (2-24) and Luke Quaintance (1-21) were Chudleigh’s gold-star bowlers.
When Chudleigh were 129 for two – Mark Russell (41) and Nick Halse (35) in the thick of it – they looked well on their way.
Charlie Hill and Hussain (2-27) bowled Abbots back into contention. Bits and pieces – and 41 extras – got the job done.
CORNWOOD 2nd XI suffered a middle-order collapse that ultimately cost them the C Division West derby date against Plymouth 2nd XI.
Cornwood made a solid start chasing 190 to win and were 74 for three approaching the half-way stage. It all went wrong in the time it took to slide to 91 for seven with Jason Hall (35) among the casualties.
James Hulbert (2-6) and Azir Rahmanzai (3-31) were the bowlers responsible for Cornwood’s woes.
Josiah Caunter (20) and tail-enders Sam Gibbs (14) and Tom Burrows (14) battled on, but the damage was done and Cornwood subsided to 155 all out. Melissa Banks (2-22) and George Toms were involved in the tidying up.
Plymouth had to recover from a shaky start – they were seven for two – to get as far as 189 for seven.
Saiesh Reddy (69) put on 60 with Rahmanzai (26) and 61 with Jake Smith (23) towards the rescue mission.
Cornwood spinners Hall and Caunter only managed one wicket between them, but consistently operated around three runs an over.
HATHERLEIGH’S C West relegation fate was sealed by a five-wicket defeat away to Brixham.
Hatherleigh needed doomed South Devon to beat fellow strugglers Paignton and to win themselves at Boundary Park.
Although South Devon kept their side of the ‘bargain’ – they actually won for the first time this season – Hatherleigh could not keep theirs.
Brixham bowled out Hatherleigh for 184 in the last of their 45 overs. Tim Robinson took four wickets and Mo Shaikh three more.
Adam Quick (39), Jamie Probert (33) and Jamie Nielson (22) helped Hatherleigh reach 147 for four before the decline set in.
Rob Guppy (4-44) took early Brixham wickets to leave them reeling at 18 for three. Shaik was already in by then and his 86 not out dealt with the run chase. Robinson (25) and Mark Orchard (32no) were the supporting acts.
