THERE were no surprises at Two Mile Oak where E West leaders Abbotskerswell 2nd XI cruised to a six-wicket win over bottom side Dartington & Totnes.
Skipper Jono Lloyd top-scored for D&T with 47, and Jon Perkin made a studious 25 in a stand of 83 with the captain, in an all-out total of 148.
Jude Keen (20) and Javin Raj (10no) were the only other D&T batters to last long enough to reach double figures.
Will Small (4-40) and Alex Troake (3-28) dominated Abbots’ bowling spread. Harrison Vickery claimed two wickets in four balls mopping-up at the end.
Abbots’ were always in the driving seat after openers Simon Harrison (37) and Nick Guest (24) took them to 60 for one.
Jamie Lock (37no), aided and abetted by Erik Gregersen (19), took Abbots the rest of the way.
Abbots, who have a 27-point lead over third-placed Cornwood 3rd XI in the race for one of two promotion spots, are already contemplating an immediate return to D West cricket.
Dartington & Totnes, 17 points adrift at the bottom, need to start winning soon if they are going to avoid a fourth successive relegation season.
STOKEINTEIGNHEAD went up to second in the E Division West thank to a 45-run win on their first league visit to Plympton 2nd XI.
The Villagers arrived at Harewood Park looking to end the three-match losing streak that had cost them the divisional leadership – and that looked debatable after they were bowled out for 155.
Partnerships were a problem for Stoke – the best was 29 for the fourth wicket involving Andrew Thornton-Clarke (38) and Oliver Hastie (27) in an otherwise unremarkable batting card.
Jack Sellick (3-21) and Umashankar Gangatkar (2-16) booked Plympton’s best bowling figures.
Gangatkar opened-up with a half-century for Plympton, who got to 78 for two with contributions from Sellick (10) and Craig Donohue (20). Then it all went pear-shaped.
Four-wickets fell for seven runs scored – Gangatkar one of them – and a second collapse from 101 for five to 110 all out sealed Plympton’s fate.
Stoke bowlers Chacko John (2-26), Anuj Tiwari (2-11) and Shinto Kuriakose (2-13) were the bowlers who did the damage.
CORNWOOD 2nd XI dropped back from second to third in the E Division West following a four-wicket loss to Paignton 3rdXI.
Stokeinteignhead are the new tenants of second spot thanks to their win over Plympton 2nd XI.
Ayaan Chatterjee top-scored for the Wood with 57 in an all-out total of 232. Mike Hodge (25) and Greg Thomas (27) chipped in with a stand of 78 – and Andy Bees belted 32 off 19 balls at the end.
John Bewick (3-42) was the lone Paignton bowler to take more than two wickets.
Paignton did not have it all their own way on the chase as Josh Cumberland (4-56) had them squirming at 23 for three.
Ethan Hancock (18) stopped Paignton sliding into more trouble, Harry Roberts (39) continued the fightback, which left Andy Singh and Tim Ward to finish things off.
Singh was unbeaten on 87 from 47 deliveries – 10 fours, six sixes – while ex-Devon all-rounder Ward jogged along to 45 not out.
TAVISTOCK 2nd XI trounced neighbours Whitchurch Wayfarers by eight wickets on the way up to fourth in the Tolchards DCL West table.
Whitchurch, who are hovering just above the bottom two, were bowled out for 135 in the 25th of their 45 overs.
Richard Potts (36) and Rich Hall (16) gave Wayfarers a 48-run start, but only Jack Mackenzie (39) made much progress after them.
Ben Evans (4-21) knocked over three of Wayfarers’ top six and Nelson Stanley (also 4-21) nipped out MacKenzie before taking out the bottom half of the order.
Tavistock lost Steve Luffman (22) and Ryan Burke (32) at 45 and 71 respectively during a perfunctory chase. Evans (46) and Marc Webber (27no) were there at the end.
BRIDESTOWE & Belstone 2nd XI’s home game against Teignmouth was washed-out without a ball being bowled.
