D Division West round-up – week three: Last (pictured) bangs out a ton as Barton win last-ball thriller at Plymouth CS&R
YELVERTON Bohemians are off the mark and off the bottom in the Tolchards DCL D Division West following a crushing eight-wicket win over Babbacombe.
The Torquay side probably felt they were in command after racking-up 247 for seven in a 45-over game – skipper Rob Redding making 80.
Yelverton captain David Ackford more than replied in kind by stroking an unbeaten century to clinch that first league win of the season with more than seven overs to go.
Babbacombe (19pts) are now bottom of the table with Torquay & Kingskerswell 2nd XI (20) between them and Yelverton (29).
Redding and veteran Marcus Thompson (50) put on 148 for Babbacombe’s first wicket as Yelverton’s bowlers toiled in vain. Yelverton’s Mike Lemmings (0-16) bowled nine miserly overs during that phase of the game.
“Rob and Marcus batted superbly for to set us a big chase,” said Ackford.
Losing three wickets for 12 runs added – Ben Grove (3-52) took them all – slowed Babbacombe briefly before Dan Western (27) and Aiden Lightowlers (20) got them going again.
“Our fielding performance was excellent in the heat, with the highlight Ben Grove taking an unbelievable diving catch,” said Ackford.
Yelverton lost opener Lemmings in the third over with the score on six. By the time Rob Grove was the second man out for 63, the chase stood at 113 for two. Ackford (102no) and Ben Grove (52no) took them the rest of the way.
“It was an excellent performance from the batting unit and good to see the top order taking responsibility,” said the ton-up captain
“Some very good game management, and sensible cricket, got the game won with seven overs to go and eightwickets in the hutch.”
PLYMOUTH CS&R lost their unbeaten record in the D Division West when Barton defeated them by one wicket in a thriller finish at Manadon.
Civil made 294 for eight in their 45 overs – Nathan Lister, Dan Winsor and Nuruz Zamal all passing 50 – and Barton got to the start of the final over needing eight to win.
The target came down to six off the last ball from Ritesh Dubey (3-21), who chucked down a wide. Barton ran a bye as well, which meant four to win off the ‘bonus ball’.
Tail-ender Callum Crocker threw the kitchen sink at Dubey’s last delivery, which disappeared over the boundary somewhere behind cover-point to win it for Barton.
Crocker may have finished it off for Barton, but they would not have got anywhere near without an opening stand of 167 for the first wicket between skipper Adam Last (123) and Morgan Hargreaves (61).
Mailk Wasim (2-35) broke the stand by dismissing Hargreaves, not that it made much difference as Tom Porter (50) carried on chasing.
Bits and pieces got Barton in range for the final assault by Crocker and Jack Shelton.
Opener Jamie King (36) steered Civil to 85 for three before handing over to Lister, Winsor and Zamal for the middle-order push.
Lister, bowled off a no-ball and reprieved, made 52 and put on 46 with Winsor for the fourth wicket.
The big stand was one of 119 between Winsor (74) and Zamal (55) that took the tally to 250 for five.
Three Barton bowlers took two wickets. Best of the figures were owned by Riley Calland (2-26) and Josh Parkinson (2-36).
DEPLETED Kenn were on the wrong end of a 171-run drubbing when they travelled to Plymouth 2nd XI in the D Division West.
Availability issues left skipper James Mason with gaps to fill with a selection of second teamers.
Mason said selection could not be used as an excuse as Kenn were second best almost everywhere.
“Our fielding was not good enough – we dropped six catches – and we weren't on it in the last 15 overs, when they got to many,” said Mason.
“Hopefully availability will be better this week as one win in three games is not the start to the season we hoped for.”
Opener James Webb (46) got the city side up and running, then Alex Hill (62) and Jack Hughes (71no) put on 98 for the fourth wicket towards a total of 236 for eight.
Best of the bowling for the visitors was booked-in by Pete Chislett with four for 36.
Kenn promptly slumped to 20 for four in reply with two wickets for Sam White (2-12).
Evan Conway shut-up shop at one end for 16 off 59 balls – half of which came in boundaries – as Fahad Ali and Stephen Skews whittled away batters at the other.
Ali claimed four for 20 and Skews two for seven in seven balls to consign Kenn to 65 all out in the 31st over.
HALF-centuries from Jim Mawle and Stuart Lipo were not enough to save Chagford from a 26-run defeat by Ivybridge 2nd XI that cost them the D West leadership.
Ivybridge openers Chris Greenhouse (64) and skipper Sam Northmore (58) put on 116 for the first wicket towards the Bridge’s total of 242 for seven.
Duncan Manners-Chapman (28), a former Chagford player, and Alfie Lewis-Frost (30), topped-up the total with a sixth-wicket stand of 58.
Chagford bowler Jon Wright accounted for Manners-Chapman and Lewis-Frost on the way to match figures of four for 44.
There was a gap on the Chagford team-sheet where prolific run-getter Richard Hopwood’s name usually appears, which potentially made a difference to the chase.
Mawle (54) and Lipo (52) took the pursuit as far as 158 for five, but with only eight overs to go the asking rate was too high.
Jake Griffiths (37) and Tom Baycock (28) accumulated enough runs to earn to more batting bonus points in a final total of 216 for seven.
HATHERLEIGH 2nd XI defeated Torquay & Kingskerswell 2nd XI by six wickets to take over at the top of the D Division West.
Chagford, who were top, lost for the first time this season when Ivybridge beat them, which allowed Hatherleigh to shoot past them.
Rob Fishleigh and Cam Rowlands posted identical bowling figures of three for 22 for Hatherleigh.
Charlie Neilson (78) and Jack Probert (46) were the main run-getters in Hatherleigh’s chase.
