C Division East round-up – week five: Heathcoat consolidate top spot with win over Sandford
OPENER Jeremy Bedford hit an unbeaten 97 to help Heathcoat 2nd XI to a six-wicket in the C East derby date against Sandford 2nd XI.
The two rivals were neck-and-neck at the top of the table going into the game with just two points between leaders Heathcoat and second-placed Sandford.
Sandford have dropped down to third – Seaton’s win over Bradninch & Kentisbeare 2nd XI moved them up a notch – and Heathcoat now enjoy a 10-point lead over the field.
Ciaran Gray opened-up with 50 for Sandford, who got to 93 for one with Jon James (39) at the other end.
Pete Steer (40) and Matt Jeacock (18) got Sandford moving again with an eighth-wicket stand of 60 after a middle-order slow down.
Matt Hodson (4-19) was the most effective of Heathcoat’s bowlers. Artie Evans (1-29) gave little away.
Aussie new bly Bedford and Tom Lock (52) got Heathcoat away a 104-run start.
Ben Handley (2-42) and Tom Gidney (2-36) briefly disrupted Heathcoat’s pursuit, but Bedford dispatched Jack James for his 14th and final four to win it with seven overs to go.
SEATON did not hang around consigning Bradninch & Kentisbeare 2nd XI to four-wicket defeat that leaves them two points above the C East drop spots.
Bradninch & Kentisbeare were all out for 136, which Seaton wiped out with more than 16 overs unused to claim the win that hoisted them up to second place.
Other than runs for opener Will Birley (29) and skipper Eliot Acton (59) there was little to report on in the B&K side of the scorebook. No one else made more than 11 – and five batters did not score a run between them!
James Doulton (4-28) took the bowling honours for Seaton, aided and abetted by Damian Baxter (3-22).
Seaton’s run chase was not without its trials and tribulations as they were 54 for five at one stage with Baxter just out for 27.
Tim Doulton (21) and Ben Morgan (35no) calmed nerves with a stand of 53, which left Steve Pritchard (13no) to tidy up.
EXETER 2nd XI dropped into the C East bottom two following a four-wicket defeat in a high-scoring engagement with Upottery.
Opener Josh Paget went into the last over of the Exeter innings on 99 – and promptly got out to Dan Stevens.
With Felix Joseph making 83 – he and Paget put on 131 for the second wicket – and Owals Ahmad bludgeoning 70 off 35 balls, Exeter totted up 286 for six on the County Ground.
Stevens, with three for 61, was Upottery’s only multiple wicket-taker.
Upottery, who started the day in the bottom two, were 124 for four after 23 overs with Matt Broom just out for 45.
A stand of 91 between James Mitcham (80) and Jack Larcombe kept the chase bubbling away and a rapid 41 not out from Adam Pulman got it done and dusted with two balls to go.
THE Clements brothers won’t forget Ottery St Mary’s three-wicket win over Alphington & Countess Wear in a hurry after playing a big part in it.
Alphington & Countess Wear were limited to 181 for nine in 45 overs with Tynan Hill getting them that far with 55 after they were a shaky 91 for five.
Best of the bits-and-pieces scores for A&CW came from James Bovey (20), Lawrence Marsh (22) and Ben Pinkney (24).
John Buckland (3-28) was Ottery’s leading wicket taker.
Alex Clements was joined by older brother Jody with the score on 21 for two after an early going over from Pinkney (2-21).
A stand of 114 for the third wicket between the Clements siblings – Jody is five years older – put Ottery in a commanding position.
“We had never shared a century stand before – and it was a good time to do it,” said Alex.
It wasn’t quite job done yet as Sangeeth Sohan (4-21) made inroads into the. Ottery middle order, starting with Jody Clements (57).
Clements junior was still there and with support from Eddy Kerr (18no) was on 59 not out when the game was won.
UPLYME & Lyme Regis overpowered C East basement tenants Exmouth by 103 runs.
Uplyme accelerated away after an unremarkable start with Bailey Levin (64) and in-form Sam Farrow (40) motoring from 83 for three to 172 for four.
Steve Batey (32) and Andrew Harrison (23) added quick runs in the last 10 overs to take the score to 267 for nine.
There were three wickets each for Exmouth bowlers Elijah Pyne (3-48) and Rahmatullah Mohammadi (3-38).
Exmouth got just the start they did not need with openers Tom Rintoul and Ryan McCann out before a run was scored.
Pyne (26) and Sam Radford (69) got the running total up to 104 for three, only to depart one after the other.
Wickets fell regularly after that as Exmouth subsided to 164 all out. Best of the two-wickets returns for Uplyme belonged to Jack Lamb-Wilson (2-28) and Harrison (2-15).
