D Division East review – week 15: Simpson (pictured) star man as Shobrooke regain pole position | Ousted Sidmouth drop down to second
SHOBROOKE Park are back on top of the D Division East after moving past Sidmouth 2nd XI courtesy of a 95-run win over Barnstaple & Pilton.
While Sidmouth were in the process of losing to Budleigh Salterton 2nd XI, and slipping 10 points off the pace, Shobrooke were rattling up 234 for nine against Barum.
Chris Simpson (58) went through 500 league runs for the season for Shobrooke and shared in a stand of 87 with skipper Chris Ford (29). Xavier Warmbrunn went on to make 61 not out from 41 balls faced in the late dash for runs.
Barnstaple & Pilton’s George Elnaugh (3-26) made life difficult at times for the Shobrooke batters.
Andrew Fewings (59) and Tom Poole (31) were the only batters to make much headway for B&P, who were all out in reply for 139.
Spinner Simpson (3-25) and seamer Neil Maud (2-32) posed problems for B&Ps top five. Dan Puddefort (4-26) cleaned-up at the end as the final five wickets tumbled for 14 runs scored.
SIDMOUTH 2nd XI surrendered top spot in the D Division East when they went down ty 106 runs to Budleigh Salterton at the Holt.
Openers Marc Troman (55) and Nat James (81) set the tone for Budleigh by posting 114 for the first wicket.
Harvey Shipton (25) and Will Down kept the scoreboard lamps flickering to a total of 254 for nine.
Charlie Brock (4-53) was the leading Sidmouth wicket taker. Matt Parker (0-30) bowled nine cheap overs.
Sidmouth were unable to construct a partnership worth more than 35 on the way to a disappointing 148 all out. Will Goodall made 29, Charlie Brock 31 and Parker 20.
Three wickets each for Joe Marley (3-43) and Will Down (3-34) sealed Sidmouth’s fate long before Joel Murphy (2-6) killed them off.
Sidmouth have dropped back to second. They are 10 points behind new leaders Shobrooke Park and 15 ahead of third-placed Whimple.
Sidmouth against Shobrooke on the Fortfield this Saturday looks like the title decider.
NORTH Devon 2nd XI went down by five wickets to Cullompton 2nd XI in the basement battle at Instow.
This win is unlikely to save Cully from the drop as they are 43 points adrift at the bottom. What it did do was stop North Devon (147pts) moving clear of the second drop spot, which they are contesting with Ottery 2nd XI (145).
North Devon’s Richard Wild belted 112 not out from 99 deliveries towards a team total of 232 for three. He put on 163 for the third wicket with Noah Tovell (68).
Jack Grandfield opened-up for Cully and scored 61 at better than run-a-ball rate to set the chase in motion. Ben Smith made 27.
The game was won and lost by a partnership of 113 for the third wicket between veteran James Blackmore (74) and Lee Hooper (52).
BRAUNTON 2nd XI overcame a bad attack of the jitters to win by three wickets away to Topsham St James.
Alarm bells must have been jangling in the away dressing room when Braunton were 20 for five chasing 154 to win. Jack Miell (2-27) and Nibu Thomas (3-41) had wrought havoc in the top order.
Ian Roberts (59) and Joe Mullens (42) got their heads down to put on 105 for the sixth wicket, which turned the game around.
Topsham’s innings was a bits-and-pieces affair littered with scores in the 20s, and nothing greater.
Dan Croxall (21), Ross Treleaven (25), Ed Baxter (20) and Antony Thekkepalakkal (20) and 24 extras contributed most to a total of 153 all out.
Braunton’s Jason Raynor (3-42) took the first three wickets to fall. D V Varghese (3-34) and Andy Paddison (2-22) kept the pressure on.
WHIMPLE battered Ottery St Mary 2nd XI by 157 runs in a one-sided derby date.
Opener Luke Phillips was dismissed with two balls to go for 114 in a Whimple total of 242 for five. Along the way he put on 60 with David Drury (35) and 133 with Mike Searle (52no).
Ottery got to 50 for two without too many problems; then they collapsed in a heap.
Matt Brown’s (5-22) five-wicket haul took out the top order. Mitch Brooker (3-17) finished the job as Ottery were skittled for 85.
