THE top-against-bottom clash between C West leaders Cornwood 2nd XI and their struggling Plymstock counterparts didn’t quite go according to the formbook.
Although Cornwood won – and won in a hurry – Plymstock made the table toppers work a bit harder than expected.
By the time the Wood had knocked-off 149 to win in the 19th over, they had lost six wickets in the process.
Nineteen points was still a decent afternoon’s work for Robin Dart’s men (161pts) as it keep them out in front of Ashburton (157) and Teignmouth & Shaldon (154) in the annual squabble for the single promotion place in the C Division West.
At the other end of the table it looks like a losing battle now for winless Plymstock, who are 55 points away from safety.
Plymstock’s runs came in two batches, the first a stand of 58 between openers Dave Ling (23) and Paul Birleson (28).
Batch two was a stand of 69 between Manum Chowdhury (33) and Beth Hall (22), the older sister of Plymstock’s exciting young prospect Archie Hall. Chris Hall, the patriarch of the cricket-loving family, was one not out in the final tally of 148 for seven.
Will Sharp (3-29) and Matt Puttock (2-4) took the bowling plaudits for Cornwood.
Cornwood’s response reached 38 for none without mishap, followed by losing three wickets in seven balls for no runs at all. Syed Ali (3-41) and Chris Hall did the damage. Sam Griffiths (53no) took control of the chase and wrapped-up the win with help from Sharp (19)..jpeg)
ASHBURTON kept the pressure on C West leaders Cornwood 2nd XI with a comfortable six-wicket win at South Devon.
South Devon were bundled-out for 161 – spinners Aditya More (3-34) and Chris Yeo (3-41) doing the bulk of the damage – which Ashburton knocked-off with more than 15 overs to go.
Victory keeps Ashburton hard on the heels of Cornwood, who are only four points ahead.
South Devon’s fourth straight defeat means they have dropped from third from top to fourth from bottom in a calendar month.
Toby Goodman top scored for South Devon with 27, closely followed by Dan Yates (24) and opener Aaron Hammett (22).
Ashburton lost opener Dan Coles early on to a tracer shell of a delivery from Sean Andrews, which proved one of precious few highlights in the field.
Steve Edmonds grafted out 45 to take the running total to 82 for three. George Yabsley (44no) and Nick Martin (29no) put on 57 unbroken to win it.
MOHAMMED Shaikh racked-up his third league century of the season for Brixham in their 16-run win over Chudleigh.
Shaikh helped himself to 112 not out in a team total of 227 for eight. He is currently averaging 198 every time he goes out into the middle.
Tom Hopper (45) put on 71 for the third Brixham wicket after Yogi Yogesh (4-40) had accounted for openers Dalton Sanders and Tim Robinson.
Kam Singh (3-31) got in on the wicket-taking business late in the game.
Chudleigh, battling hard to get out of the bottom two to avoid a second successive relegation, were all out for 211 with an over to go.
Chudleigh’s prospects were hindered by skipper and opener Mark Solway having to bat at number 11 due to an injury sustained in the field.
Rob Clarke (29), Rajkumar Neeiam (40) and Sam Haywood (30) all chipped away at the deficit.
Thirty-seven from the final five overs with last pair Solway (12mno) and Mark Russell (17no) proved too tall an order.
Lee Upham (3-28) posed problems for Chudleigh in the top half of the order. Jijin Keralam (5-50) took care of the lower order.
TEIGNMOUTH & Shaldon moved on from losing to leaders Cornwood 2nd XI by handing out a 115-run beating to Paignton 2nd XI.
Half-centuries from Ross Jameson (58) and Alastair Cliffe (62) – they put on 123 for the fourth wicket – pointed Teignmouth & Shaldon towards a total of 295 all out.
Josh Couch (33) and the McKennas – Seamus (32no) and Dan (20) – kept the runs coming right to the end.
Paignton struggled for wickets until George Woodcock was brought on. He took six in a row for figures of six for 71.
Paignton were all out for 180 in reply. They never looked like getting the runs once big-hitting Neil Hancock perished for 39.
Carl McFarlane (32) and Woodcock (30) made Paignton’s only other scores of note.
Wickets were shared between six bowlers. Jameson (3-13) was the only one with more than two.
KINGSBRIDGE picked-up a useful 12 points against Ipplepen 2nd XI in a rain-ruined game at the Butts.
Kingsbridge, gunning for a third straight win on the way up the C West table, were 24 without loss chasing 236 to win when rain stopped play.
Four bowling bonus points, as well as eight for an abandonment, meant it was far from a wasted afternoon.
Ipplepen totted-up 235 for eight in a game cut back to 40 overs a side. Opener Adam Peters (60) and third-man in Sam Hennessy (82) shared a 100-run stand that underpinned the team total. Hudson Edkins (24) chipped in.
Jai Singh (3-57) was Kings’ leading wicket taker. Connor Rothwell (3.00) offered few balls to hit.
James Westlake (18) and Freddie Ford (2) were Kingsbridge’s not-out batters when play stopped.
