E Division East round-up – week 16: Culmstock six points away from promotion | Palfrey and Bell men of the moment with the ball

CULMSTOCK appear nailed on for promotion from the E Division East after beating Chardstock by 38 runs.

Although second-placed Woodbury & Newton St Cyres (243pts) could still catch the leaders (258), third-placed Newton Tracey are 35 points behind with 40 to play for.

Six points take from Sidbury this Saturday will guarantee Matt Summerfield’s team a top-two place come what may.

There were runs all the way from one to eight for Culmstock in their 45-over total of 265 fr eight.

Ross Stickland made a patient 37, Chris Palfrey (46) and Phil Bell (41) were a little speedier, and Luke Dopson whacked 22 not out from seven ball at the end.

Bowling-wise for Chardstock there were two wickets each for Nathan Copp and Tom Warren. Rob Hutchings (1-35) kept it mean.

Hutchings top scored with 63 for Chardstock, who were all out for 227 with four full overs to go.

An opening stand of 105 with Nathan Giles-Jones (34) hinted at a dart for the target – and Watson (55) kept it going. Chardstock needed more than 38 not out from Stuart Parris to chase down the total.

Men of the moment with the ball for Culmstock with three wickets each were Palfrey and Bell.

HEATHCOAT 2^nd XI still have some work to do if they are going to dodge the drop despite a seven-wicket win over fellow strugglers Honiton.

Three wins in a row have hoisted Heathcoat off the bottom of the table and within eight points of safety.

They still need to find a way past Feniton and Honiton to complete their great escape.

Andy Canniford (90) and skipper Adam Holmes (81) were Honiton’s primary contributors to a total of 261 for five. They put on 159 for the fifth wicket. Josh Kallaway (2-39) took the bowling plaudits for Heathcoat.

Will Bucknell fired an unbeaten 127 for Heathcoat in a 39-over dash for victory. His opening stand of 221 with Richard Pugsley (96) made the outcome a formality.

THORVERTON 2^nd XI’s recent dip in form continued with a whopping 193-run defeat by Newton Tracey.

Simon Jenkins (61) and Martin Gear (93ret) put on 133 for Newton’s third wicket – and there were more runs where those came from.

Sumit Ghangas (56 off 33) and Dhavalkumar Patel (23) kept the board ticking over towards 312 for eight.

Erin Vukusic (4-44) was the only Thorverton bowler with more than one wicket in the book. None operated below six runs an over.

Thorverton were bowled out for 119 with more than 18 overs to go. Man of the moment for Newton Tracey with a seven-for-17 haul was Robert Gear. 

Thorverton’s only significant run scorers were Freddie Fenner (26) and Awrangzeb Khoglani (29).

CLYST Hydon have an all-or-nothing encounter with Feniton this Saturday in their fight to dodge the drop.

Hydon have to overhaul Feniton to clamber out of the bottom two – and already need 20 points to do that. Anything other than a win this Saturday will render the final round of fixtures largely irrelevant.

Hydon’s latest setback was a four-run defeat at the hands of second-placed Woodbury & Newton St Cyres.

Ross Jarvis hit a run-a-ball 65 for W&NSC and his stand of 101 with Nain Chouhan (48) helped rescue them from 37 for three.

There were even more runs to come lower down the order from Mukesh Purohit (23) and Oliver Brealy (35no) towards a final product of 245 for eight.

Graham Trude, batting first wicket down for Hydon, went in at 46 for one and came out at 195 for four with 83 next to his name. A stand of 136 with Grant Johnstone (57) had given Hydon hope.

After Becca Silk (2-39) broke the stand that mattered, Chouhan (3-41) picked-up wickets as Hydon got to 241 for seven in response.

FENITON defeated Sidbury by five wickets to keep their heads above the low-tide mark in the E Division East.

Feniton are 12 points above the relegation places now going into Saturday’s basement battle with bottom side Clyst Hydon.

Sidbury opener Will Bidder top scored with 60 in their total of 156 all out. Next best on 33 was Jonathan Whitfield.

Matt Davies (5-30) had the stand-out bowling figures for Feniton. Dan Mortimer took two for 12.

Feniton got to 87 for three in reply without too many difficulties, then lost Davies for 33 to a run-out. Harrison Stone went without adding to the score.

Skipper Adam Gibbins (56no) and Joe Blackmore (28no) put on 68 unbroken to win it without further incident.