D Divison West round-up – week 16: All change at the top of the table ... again! | Now it's Chagford's turn
JACK Probert and Cameron Rowlands both hit half-centuries for Hatherleigh 2nd XI in a four-wicket win at Babbacombe that pushed them 16 points clear at the top of the D West table.
Second-placed Plymouth were only four points behind going into round 16. Their defeat in the second-against-third meeting with Chagford played right into Hatherleigh’s hands.
Danny Forrester’s side are 26 points ahead of third-placed Chagford, who are Plymouth’s rivals for second place the way the table stands at the moment.
If Hatherleigh defeat Ivybridge 2nd XI this Saturday, they will be on their way back to the C Division West, which they were relegated out of in 2021.
While Hatherleigh can probably plan for promotion, Babbacombe have hit rock bottom. Barton 2nd XI moved off the bottom thanks to their win over Kenn, leaving Babacombe two games to do something about the 12 points currently needed to get out of the drop spots.
Babbacombe openers Marcus Thompson (23) and Rob Redding (41) attacked the Hatherleigh bowling from the start during a stand of 55. Two wickets in five balls for Henry d’Alberti-Nicholson (3-41) slowed things briefly.
Reddings demise to a catch in the deep off Luke Westacott (2-19) also applied the brake. He was one of three wickets to fall on 75.
Former skipper Steve Broad dropped anchor for 61 off 82 balls to help Babbacombe reach 185 all out. Rowlands and Oscar Moore took two Babbacombe wickets each.
Hatherleigh started hesitantly – they were 33 for three after probing from Ben Passmore – but a stand of 129 between Rowlands (58) and Probert (76) got them back on an even keel.
Marcus Tanton (2-30) snared Probert leg-before to break the stand – Henry Stubbs bowled Rowlands soon after – but the target was in the teens by then and the game over as a contest.
A SEVEN-run defeat at Chagford cost Plymouth 2nd XI the D Division West leadership at the promotion race comes to the boil.
Plymouth, Chagford and Hatherleigh 2nd XI have been trading places in and around the top of the table for a while with all three taking turns at the top.
Even fourth-placed Ivybridge 2nd XI, who face Hatherleigh this Saturday, are just about in the frame for second spot.
It’s Hatherleigh’s (245pts) turn to top the table now and they will be far enough ahead to be sure of promotion (if not the title) by beating Ivybridge. One of Plymouth (229), Chagford (219) and Ivybridge (206) will be going with them.
Chagford’s total of 191 for eight was a collaborative effort with no stand-out score. Harry Senior (33) and Chris Jelley (31) were the leading run makers. Tom Baycock, Jake Griffiths and Huzaifa Khan all got into the 20s.
John Kerridge with three for 36 topped Plymouth’s bowling stats. Melissa Banks bowled nine overs for a mere 22 runs given away.
James Webb opened-up for Plymouth with 46 and was the first of three wickets to fall as 131 for three became 131 for six. Alex Hill had already been and gone for 29.
Tom Hughes( 60no) batted through as Plymouth reached the final five overs needing 35 to win with five wickets intact.
Twelve to win from the final over bowled by Stuart Lipo (2-27) proved too many. Fahad Ali and Saiesh Reddy were dismissed in successive balls as Plymouth bowed out for 184.
THREE wickets each for Al Stewart and Matt Trevorrow pointed Plymouth CS&R towards a 41-run win over Torquay & Kingskerswell 2nd XI.
A brace of 33s from Jamie King and Nuruz Zamal were the top runs off the bat in Civil’s totak of 221 all out. Next best with 26 was Malik Wasim. Torquay & Kingskerswell gave away 48 extras, including 27 wides.
Vivek Kulkarni (3-33) and Tobias Delahunty (3-38) were T&K’s main wicket taking bowlers. Mustavi Emdad (2-14) posed problems for the middle order.
Stewart (3-17), who took three of the first four T&K wickets, and Trevorrow (3-48) had T&K in all sorts of trouble at 102 for eight.
Stewart had taken the prized wicket of Delahunty, who made a century against Ivybridge 2nd XI seven days earlier, while Trevorrow’s haul included Devon over-50s run getter Mike Pugh.
Ethan Kulkarni (36) and Ritesh Dabhade (23) detained Civil longer than expected before they were the last two men out in a total of 170.
YELVERTON put 12 points between themselves and the D West relegation places with a six-wicket win over Ivybridge 2nd XI.
With two games to go and 40 points still to play for, Yelverton are not out of danger yet. But they have stayed clear of the bottom two for the past five matches and are in sight of safety now.
Ivybridge dropepd back to fourth. The 23-point gap between the Bridge and second-placed Plymouth 2nd XI is not wide enough to rule out promotion yet, but means they cannot afford any more defeats and need teams ahead of them to slip up.
Ivybridge opener Chris Greenhouse was fifth out on 116 for 43. Sam Northmore (23) made the only other contribution until then.
Veteran Adrian Pullin got his head down to make 45 and was the last man out in an eventual total of 164 for nine.
Hadleigh Scott-Kirk (3-24) and Matt Smale (2-26) took the bowling honours for Yelverton.
Yelverton found runs hard to come by at first – Pullin (1-29 off 9) was particularly hard to get away.
At 48 for four with opener Mike Lemmings just out for 40, there was a job to be done. Fred Smale was already in by then. Brother Matt joined him and they won it for Yelverton with an unbroken stand of 117.
Fred Smale was 71 not out at the end and Matt was unbeaten of 41. 
