C Division East review – week 15: More runs for Hewer (pictured) as Seaton defeat Heathcoat to take over at the top | Only two points in it as promotion race comes to the boil
SEATON ousted Heathcoat 2nd XI as C East leaders after defeating them by 38 runs in the top-of-the-table clash at Court Lane.
Back-to-back defeats by Sandford and now Seaton have eaten away at Heathcoat’s previous 22-point lead at the top of the table.
Heathcoat are now down to second, but only by two points, which is not good news in a division with just one promotion place.
With three games to go, and 60 points still up for grabs, the one-two at the top can change very quickly.
Seaton opener Matt Hewer played the anchorman with 50 and took the score to 130 for three with support from Kai Croft (38) and Damian Baxter (46). It was Hewer's third league half-century this season and took him through the 400-run landmark.
Sam Goodier was next best on 32 in Seaton’s total of 239 all out in the full 45 overs.
Lee Dixon (3-43) and Matt Hodson (3-47) were Heathcoat’s most effective nine-over bowlers.
Heathcoat opener Tom Lock did what he does – bat time to lay a foundation – but worthwhile support was in short supply. He was sixth out for 60 with the score on 125.
Dixon (21) and Hodson (24) gave it a go down the order. But had been left too much to do.
Croft picked up four for 50 and Tim Doulton three for 34 as Seaton bowled-out Heathcoat for 201.
BRADNINCH & Kentisbeare 2nd XI have a fight on their hands to stay in the C Division East after suffering a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Ottery St Mary.
With three games to go Eliot Acton’s side are 25 points adrift at the bottom of the table. Alphington & Countess Wear’s nine-run win over Exeter 2nd XI moved them off the bottom rung at B&K’s expense.
Beating Alphington & Countess Wear this Saturday would be a step in the right direction, but B&K now need favours elsewhere to dodge the drop.
Harvey Sanders made 27 in a B&K running total of 65 for four. Darren Paul went in after Saunders and batted through for an unbeaten 59 in a total of 170 all out.
Ben Major (3-30) and Sam O’Nyons (2-29) booked the best of Ottery’s bowling figures.
O’Nyons, out for 46 with the score on 103, was Ottery’s only casualty on the way to victory. Alex Clements (68no) and Rhys Norman (37no) went the rest of the way.
SANDFORD 2nd XI scraped home by one wicket in a low-scoring appointment with their Exmouth counterparts.
No Exmouth batter made more than 17 in their modest total of 136 all out. There were more wides (18) than any individual scored with a bat in his hand. Richard Baggs and Rahmatullah Mohammadi both made 17.
Ollie Knight (3-27) bested Brian Leach (2-15) and Alfie Butterfield (2-19) in the Sandford bowling stats.
Sandford got to 80 for one without too many problems – opener Pete Steer making 43 – then slid to 91 for four and on to 108 for seven with Tom Gidney (23) and Ellie Bishop (24) among the fallen.
Tail-ender Knight (13no) and Butterfield (5no) got Sandford over the line with 11 balls to spare.
Exmouth shared the wickets around with three for Matt Moretta (3-26) and two each for Ollie Dawe (2-29) and Ethan Brenton (2-27).
ALPHINGTON & Countess Wear moved off the bottom of the C Division East with a nine-run win over cross-town rivals Exeter 2nd XI.
But in a division with two relegation places, Alphington & Countess Wear still have to find 15 points somehow to get past Exmouth 2nd XI to reach safety.
Greg Newcombe stroked 10 boundaries reaching a top score of 66 for A&CW in their 253 for nine. He put on 69 with Jack Mills (25).
More runs followed from Jon Heaver (47) and Jamie Withers (37) as 82 were added for the seventh wicket.
Ashay Dube (3-32) and Hamza Khan (2-27) bowled tidily for Exeter.
A fourth-wicket stand of 95 between Dube (73) and Sean Langford (59) contributed a large proportion of Exeter’s 244 all out. George Heard made 35 down the order after four wickets fell for one run scored.
Jamie Withers (2-28), Ben Pinkney (2-23) and Jake Pond (2-45) were A&CW’s main bowlers.
UPLYME & Lyme Regis moved two places further away from the C East danger zone by beating Upottery by 67 runs.
Opener Mark Batey got Uplyme’s innings up and running with a steady 55 that took the running total to 133 for four.
Former captain Sam Farrow, who had already put on 58 with Batey, went on to make a top score of 94 towards Uplyme’s total of 237 for nine. Dan Magee (34) chipped in.
Upottery started promisingly – they were 82 for one thanks largely to the efforts of Ryan Pulman (60) – only to stumble to 94 for four as Farrow (3-42) and Charlie Moss (1-30) disrupted the status quo.
Rob Tasker (21) and Ryan Botley (35) appeared to have put Upottery back on track as they recovered to 148 for five. Then it all went pear-shaped.
Joe Elsworth (2-15) and Steve Batey (3-35) ran through the bottom half of the order as Upottery faded from 164 for six to 170 all out.
