KILMINGTON were given a run for their money by A Division strugglers Abbotskerswell before closing out a 25-run win.
Openers Tom Gooding (55) and Joel Whelan (96) set the tone for Kilmington with a stand of 106 that was the platform for a 50-over total of 300 all out.
The runs kept coming after Gooding was first out with Joel Seward (40) and Brett Garner (44) both weighing-in.
Whelan, fourth out at 186, was run-out by Toby Hards with a second league ton of the season just a boundary away.
Abbots’ big-hearted seamer Jay Hussain returned for a second spell near the end to pick-up two wickets for a three-for-45 haul. Par Singh took two for 62.
Abbots top-five batting has been hit and miss this season, but it fired after a slow start. Skipper Ed Smout-Cooper (69) and Tom Heath (37) put on 67 to warm-up the chase with Niall McCarthy fanning the flames with 75 not out at better than run-a-ball rate.
Eighty-five to win from the final 10 overs with three wickets left and proved a few too many for Abbots, even with McCarthy still there at the time, and they ran out of batters on 275.
On a good bowling day for the Reed tribe, Matt (3-60) and Oli (2-47) dominated the stats.
Garner, who comments on matches for Kilmington, said: “It was a good team effort, all round. Good to get the result and (hopefully) we can kick on now and build on it.”
Reflecting on the match, Garner said: “Joel Whelan and Tommy got us off to a great start. Unfortunately, Joel was run-out on 96 when he looked like going big!”
Smout-Cooper has had little to enthuse about since taking over from the departed Nick Watkin, but Abbots’ performance in this game was a morale booster.
“We fought back really well after they got a quick start – and keeping them to 300, while battling injuries and a punishing ground, was really positive.
“Inder Singh and Jay both impressed, keeping Kilmington to a par score.
“Tom Heath held the innings together well, allowing others to bat aggressively around him.
“Niall was fantastic in the latter stages and was unlucky to come up short in the final over.
“Our best batting performance of the year by far was one of many positives to take into a couple of tricky games in the coming weeks.”
