B Division round-up – week five: Another nail-biter for Stoke Gabriel | Withington (pictured) crucial to latest victory

STOKE Gabriel captain Jack Tolley will be a nervous wreck by the end of the season if his team keep leaving it to the last gasp to close out matches!

Stoke’s one-wicket win at Abbotskerswell was the fourth game in a row in either league or Corinthian Cup that went right down to the wire.

Abbotskerswell put 176 for eight on the board thanks largely to second-wicket pair Richard Harmer (44) and Ed Smout-Cooper (55), who put on 85. Thirty-one extras helped the total along!

Of the eight bowlers deployed by Tolley, only Issac Withington (4-32) and spinner Dan Bullock (2-20) had much joy.

Stoke took the scenic route to victory that took them via 46 for five after a duffing-up from Abbots’ Aussie new boy Anthony Miller (4-29) and James Tyler (4-54).

Adriaan Maxwell (40) and Liam Mair (46) put on 94 to revive the chase, which Withington finished off with 18 not out.

Said Tolley: “The game swung back and forth all day! At five down inside six overs it was going to take some winning.

“Adriaan and Liam batted brilliantly! Hoping to keep this good form going this weekend.”

Toby Codd, the Abbotskerswell player-coach, was stoical in his post-match summing up.

“Unfortunately, we came on the wrong side of the result in a good game of cricket,” said Codd.

“Our big positive was the debut of Anthony Miller. No doubt he'll be a huge threat to the division for the rest of season.”

IPPLEPEN defeated Bovey Tracey 2nd XI by 18 runs to move out of the B Division bottom two.

Toby Holroyd top scored for the Pens with 66 – seven fours, two sixes – in a total of 200 all out.

Next best in the batting stats were Warrick Green (20) and Sam Wakeham (19).

Chris Yabsley (3-43) took the bowling plaudits for Bovey.

Bovey’s reply reached 83 for four without too many issues with Brad Causey (31) the main man.

It was a different story at 101 for seven. Despite the best efforts of Ben Steer (36) and Gethin Williams (34) in the lower order, Bovey had too much to do.

Henry Alsop (3-34) and Green (3-37) flushed out the stragglers as Bovey were bowled out for 182.

Matt Beasant, the winning captain, was realistic as well as congratulatory in his after-match comments.

“It was not a perfect performance by any means, but the outcome was exactly what we needed – and I think we deserved it,” said Beasant.

“Toby Holroyd was fantastic with the bat and showed his class again.

“All five of the bowlers used were absolutely brilliant, I can't fault them at all. A special mention to Henry Alsop, who only turned 14 last week but bowled like he'd played in the B Division for years!”

Dan Green, Bovey’s disappointed skipper, said: “We bowled well but gave away maybe 30 runs too many.

“We should be chasing down 200 runs, but Opplepen bowled well.”

PLYMSTOCK left it late to clinch a one-wicket win over Braunton that keeps them clear at the top of the B Division table.

Only eight balls remained in the match when Ian Whalley, Plymstock’s last man, took the winning single off James Lake.

Braunton recovered from an edgy start against Rob Cunningham (2-27) to reach 168 all out with 10 overs unused.

Sam Reddick (51) and Callum Mitchell (30) added 50 for the third wicket. In-form Theo Valeri managed the bottom half of the order before was ninth out for 42.

Tyrese Karelse snaffled Valeri then Lake in the space of four balls at the end to finish with five for 41. Archie Hall (2-33) was also among the wickets.

Plymstock’s run chase was a curious affair that contained lots of contributions by no stand-out score. Tom Mitch’s 37 at second wicket down was as good as it got.

Key innings were those of Hall (24) and Cunningham (15), who came together at 130 for seven and between them took Plymstock to level pegging at 168 for nine.

Whalley, who would bat in the top five in a team of number 11s, was right man in the right place at the right time to win it.

Skipper Mitch felt it was a win earned the hard way.

“We did very well to restrict Braunton on a ground where a lot of runs have been scored this season,” said Mitch.

“There was lots of tight bowling and Tyrese bowled great lines that made it hard for them to keep him out.

“We made it hard for ourselves when we chased by losing too many wickets in clusters.

“Archie Hall played a mature innings to see us home.”

As far as Braunton skipper Reddick was concerned, the narrow margins of victory could easily have been the other way round.

“Because we did not bat out our overs, which is unforgiveable, it was a tough loss to take,” said Reddick.

“Losing by one wicket means we were probably about 15 runs short.

“We bowled and fielded at a high level, showing top of the league that if we put it all together, we are a dangerous side.

“We will look to improve throughout the week ahead of a trip to Bideford.”

Reddick also recognsied Plymstock's youngster Hall as a talent in the making.

“Plymstock have a cracking young player in Archie Hall, who bowled well and batted beyond his years in the run chase,” said Reddick.