C Division West review – Week 15: McKenna (pictured) whacks Pens for 101 not out off 53 balls | Linnitt reaches century more sedately in same game

HARRISON Linnitt and Seamus McKenna scored centuries of differing styles for Teignmouth & Shaldon in an 89-run win over Ipplepen 2^nd XI.

Opener Linnitt made a largely conventional century off 118 balls – 17 fours and a six – towards T&S’s total of 367 for seven. He was part of stands that went from nought to 281 for five, including one of 136 with Morgan Couch (38) and another 94 with McKenna.

McKenna’s method was more forceful! He made 101 not out from 53 balls faced, 17 of which were dispatched to the boundary.

Pens deployed veteran Jeff Heath as a partnership breaker late on. McKenna and Adam Dowsing whacked him for 30 from a seven-ball over. Twelve runs off Freddie Harvey’s final over took McKenna to three figures. No Ipplepen bowler operated at below six runs an over.

Ipplepen replied with 279 for nine which, nine times out of ten, would be a potentially winning total.

Pens got as far as they did thanks to 80 down the order from Marcus Green, which helped rescue them from being 90 for six. Last man Brad Aldridge made a claim for a higher berth in the batting order this Saturday with 35 not out during a tenth-wicket pairing with Green worth 80 runs.

Liam Gardner (1-23) was the most frugal of T&S’s nine-over bowlers. There were two wickets each for Couch and the dad-and-lad combination of Tshepoa and Khaya Legodi.

CORNWOOD 2^nd XI did not hang around cruising to a six-wicket win over South Devon that keeps them out in front in the C Division West.

South Devon were bowled out for 94 – Jason Hall finishing them off with four for 14 – which Cornwood knocked-off in fewer than 20 overs.

It has been a two-horse race for some time between Cornwood (260pts) and Ashburton (256) for the single promotion place out of the division. The two sides meet on Saturday week in what looks like a winner-takes-all encounter.

South Devon only got as far as 94 all out courtesy of the 31 extras Cornwood coughed-up. Keeper-batter Fin Humphries (15) booked the best of a sorry set of scores.

Will Sharp (3-20) and Adam Goodliffe (2-18) got South Devon into trouble before Hall put them out of their misery.

The run chase was largely a formality once Cornwood had seen off South Devon’s respected new-ball pairing of Jonny Martin and Mali Marshall.

After Noah Carlisle was third out on 70, Matt Butterworth (11no) and captain Robin Dart (14no) joined-up the dots.

Dart said much of the credit should go to his new-ball bowlers for their role in reducing South Devon to 33 for six.

“A fantastic opening salvo from Will and Adam put us well ahead of the game,” said Dart.

“Charlie Carwardine, aged 14, didn't disappoint on his step up to the 2^nd XI and was unlucky not to get a couple wickets. 

“Jason Hall showed his class mopping up the tail.

“We chased sensibly and I thought we handled South Devon’s opening bowlers well. 

“Noah Carlisle batted solidly until falling to a great catch on the drive.”

PLYMSTOCK 2^nd XI won for the first time this season when they defeated Paignton 2^nd XI by four wickets at Dean Cross.

Plymstock’s first league win of the season won’t save them from relegation – they were already doomed to the drop – but will have lifted spirits after a challenging season.

Former Devon quick bowler Mark Orchard – a cousin of ex-Plymstock skipper Dave Orchard – opened the batting for Paignton and top scored with 31 in their total of 144 all out.

Ex-Devon skipper Neil Hancock, whose son Ethan and daughter Naomi joined him in the team, was next best on 16. Forty-three extras gave Paignton’s total a helping hand.

Plymstock bowlers Ben Whalley (3-31) and Alex Barnicott (3-23) turned in the best figures.

Paignton had similar problems bowling straight – 44 wides in a list of 54 extras – which helped compensate for a lack of runs among Plymstock’s top five.

 Opener Dave Ling (23) was the only batter in the top six to reach double digits in a running total of 80 for five.

Syed Ali (41no) got on with it to clinch that elusive first league win.

BRIXHAM and Kingsbridge fought out that cricketing curiosity the tie when they met at the Butts.

Tom Hopper was Brixham’s man of the moment with an unbeaten 116 in a batting-first total of 242 for three.

Hopper, in at 55 for one, put on 121 for the third wicket with Mohammed Shaikh. Richard Carr (2-53) broke the stand by removing Shaikh.

Kingsbridge trio Aaron Chandler 84), Alex Browne (20) and captain James Fletcher (49) all made a dent in the deficit before Brixham’s Tim Robinson (4-45) shook things up.

Kingsbridge got down to the final over from Fergus Rees (2-34) needing four to win with two wickets intact and Carr (20) one of the not-out batters.

The scores were level when Rees bowled Carr with the fourth ball. In a harum-scarum finish Freddie Weir was run-out off the last ball trying to steal the winning single with Neal Peach.

PROMOTION-chasing Ashburton made light work of beating relegation-haunted Chudleigh by 129 runs.

A consistent effort from the Ashburton top four underpinned a team total of 222 all out.

Between them Steve Edmonds (26), George Yabsley (20) and Lloyd White (46) and did most of the work getting to 158 for four.

Ash Berry (41) went steady as she goes all the way to the penultimate over. Andy Robinson and Kam Singh collected two wickets each for Chudleigh. Rob Clarke (2-22) offered little to go after.

Chudleigh plummeted to 31 for five in reply as Charlie Towers (3-20) and Jack Warren (2-23) got into the top order. Aditya More (2-8) kept the heat on.

Harrison Windsor-Horne, in at 24 for three, was still there when Chudleigh were bowled out for 93.

Chudleigh (162pts) have a relegation cruncher this Saturday against Paignton 2^nd XI (150), who are immediately below them in the second relegation berth.