MALIK Wasim and Nathan Lister both hit half-centuries to guide Plymouth CS&R towards a seven-wicket win over D West new arrivals Yelverton.
Rob Grove was on song for Yelverton with 97 in their all-out total of 209. Grove and skipper David Ackford (57) totted-up 172 for the third wicket after Matt Trevorrow (2-47) struck twice early on.
Once Ackford went, followed eight runs later by Grove when he top-edged Paul Butson, Yelverton collapsed in a heap as Civil skipper Jonny Keiller whipped out six batters for 15 runs.
Ackford said it was ‘disappointing’ the way Yelverton faded away after the recovery he and Gove put together.
“Some early season rust with the bat was obvious as to go from 179 for three to 209 all out was so disappointing,” said Ackford, who is looking to consolidate following relegation last season.
Civil’s reply started inauspiciously as openers Jamie King and Nuruz Zamal came and went in a hurry.
Malik (60) and Lister (71no) put on 151 for the third wicket which effectively won the match for Civil.
Abraham Thomas (18no) was in with Lister when the end came with nine overs to go.
Said Ackford: “We were a bit rusty with the ball as well. Mike Lemmings (1-38) and Ali Horler (2-43) were the pick of the bowlers.
“But when you drop five catches, it is always going to be an uphill battle.”
PLYMOUTH 2nd XI lost a last-over thriller against Hatherleigh by just one wicket on their return to the D Division West following relegation.
Tom Hughes (89) top-scored for Plymouth, who are now being captained by former Devon batsman James Toms.
Either side of Hughes in the order there were runs for Hemu Hirani (33), Alex Hill (30) and Jack Hughes (25no) in a final tally of 231 for six.
Rob Fishleigh (3-33) and Cameron Rowlands (1-34) were the only Hatherleigh bowlers to stay under four runs an over.
Rowlands (35) and Sam Clark (21) opened-up for Hatherleigh with a stand of 32 then handed the baton to Gareth Tidball. His 91 off 75 balls in 126 minutes got the visitors up to 202 for eight.
The Henry D’Alberti-Nicholson and Jamie Nielson (20no) appeared to have the last leg under control, until the latter ran himself out with three runs to get and 10 balls to get them.
Neilson ensured Hatherleigh of the gold-medal position by nailing the first ball of Jack Hughes’ (2-33) final over for four.
ALFIE Mason struck an unbeaten 65 to guide Kenn to a four-wicket win over Babbacombe in a low-scoring affair.
Babbacombe struggled to 125 all out with no one making more than veteran opener Marcus Thompson (29).
An early order collapse from 50 for one, when Thompson got out, to 69 for five left Babbacombe trying to play catch-up. Skipper Rob Redding (20) and Matt Williams (19) did repair some of the damage.
James Mason (2-8) was partly responsible for Babbacombe’s initial woes. Evan Conway (4-30) kept the pressure on.
Kenn’s reply started dismally with openers Martin Swannell and Chris May in and out for ducks.
Ben Passmore (3-16) turned the screw a bit more as Kenn dipped to 25 for four in reply. Mason, already in by then batted through to set-up victory with more than eight overs to spare.
CHAGFORD announced their arrival in the Tolchards DCL D Division West with a resounding 106-run win over Torquay & Kingskerswell 2nd XI.
Richard Hopwood, a former MCC Young Cricketer whose CV includes games for Durham 2nd XI, Middlesex 2nd XI, Buckinghamshire and Northumberland, top scored on 54 for last season’s E West champs as they cruised to 243 for seven.
Paddy Poustie (38) and Stuart Lipo (39) added 70 for the sixth wicket. James Sharman chipped in with 30.
Of the eight bowlers deployed by T&K skipper Matt McCann, only Towkir Choudhary (2-21) and Aiden Little (2-39) took wickets and kept the runs down.
Torquay & Kingskerswell’s top order came and went for single-figure scores as the innings subsided to 37 for five. Fred Prickett (4-30) and Lipo (2-12) did the damage.
Abu Baker (39) and Robert Spencer (17no) made the scoreline more respectable before man of the match Hopwood bundled out the tail with a three-wicket haul.
IVYBRIDGE 2nd XI defeated Barton by three wickets in a low-scoring affair at Filham Park.
Barton, who wriggled out of relegation danger last season in the nick of time, were bowled out for 138.
A succession of Barton batters got in, got into the teens and got out again without reaching 20. Only Devanshu Sinha (29) made much progress, although Callum Crocker (18) and Ollie Shelton (18) frustrated the Ivybridge bowling for over after over.
Sam Kidd (3-21) and Jitin Joseph (3-23) led the bowling effort for Ivybridge. Duncan Manners-Chapman – ex-of Lustleigh, Abbotskeswell and Chagford – pocketed two wickets on his Ivybridge debut.
Ivybridge got to 99 for three in reply without too much trouble thanks to runs from Harvey Johnson (24), Kidd (24) and Alfie Lewis-Frost (21).
Two wickets for Riley Calland (3-15) and two more for Sinha (2-23) slowed Ivybridge to 110 for six.
Manners-Chapman put the game to bed with a well-paced 18 not out that won it with 17 balls to go.
