C Division East review – week eight: Sandford batter Gidney (pictured) clatters 94 | Sidmouth chase runs out of steam
SHOBROOKE Park demolished Exmouth by 141 runs to extend their lead over the chasing cluster of teams at the top of the C Division East.
Chris Simpson and Greg Cole both notched half-centuries as Shobrooke amassed 248 for six in a 45-over game.
The ever-youthful Andrew Codling then bowled Shobrooke into total control with three wickets in seven balls as Exmouth’s top order vanished.
By the time Codling finished his nine over spell, Exmouth were 66 for six and he had five for 25. Game well and truly over.
Results elsewhere did Shobrooke a favour as Sidmouth (3rd) and Heathcoat (4th) lost ground due to defeats by Sandford and Ottery St Mary respectively.
Shobrooke’s lead over new second-placers Ottery is now a healthy 17 points, which is uber-important in a division that only has one promotion spot. Ottery do have a game in hand though, which they play this Saturday when Shobrooke are resting.
Exmouth have yet to win a game this season and are stuck at the bottom of the table.
Opener Simpson (50) got Shobrooke up to 101 for two, then Phil Anning (27) and Lucas Richards kicked-on towards 157 for five.
Cole (52no) and that man Codling (23) added 71 for the sixth wicket as the runs kept coming.
Exmouth skipper Sam Radford, not for the first time this season, must have felt like the boy standing on the burning deck as wickets fell at the other end from him
Radford made a top score of 24 and Josh Austin was next best on 20 in Exmouth’s total of 107 all out.
SANDFORD 2nd XI defeated their Sidmouth counterparts by just five runs in a high-scoring nail-biter at Creedy Park.
Tom Gidney it a season’s best of 94 as Sandford raced along to 271 for seven.
Sidmouth needed 84 to win from the last 10 overs which, with eight wickets in hand as a viable proposition. Sixteen from the final over proved just a few too many and the innings closed on 266 for six.
Gidney, in at 23 for one, had Ellie Bishop (41) as company during a third-wicket stand worth 130.
Skipper Shaun Hawkins (40) kept the runs coming while Rob Stoyle jogged along to 19 at the other end.
Opening bowler Cameron Neame (3-27) submitted Sidmouth’s best blend of accuracy and economy.
Will Goodall (31) and Nick Mansfield (66) took Sidmouth to 66 for two, at which point Ethan Chiappe joined the latter for a real bash at the target.
Chiappe (80) and Mansfield put on 134 as the target came down and down. When Chiappe went, Miles Lewis (36) continued the pursuit with Mansfield.
Mansfield’s marathon stay ended when he was fourth out on 238.
Thirty-four to win with three overs remaining was possible, until Robbie Powell and Lewis were run out in the same over from Jonny Handley (2-43).
Matt Parker and Leo Raichura couldn’t get the 16 required from Ollie Knight’s seven-ball last over.
TEIGNMOUTH & Shaldon rediscovered their winning touch with an emphatic 110-run verdict over C East relegation worriers Upottery.
The Riversiders were eager to erase the memory of an abject performance against Shobrook Park last time out. On that score it was mission accomplished.
An 80-run stand between Harrison Linnitt (35) and Will Greenwood (63) contributed to a running total of 138 for four when the latter got out. Morgan Couch made 53 towards the final tally of 228 all out.
Best of bowling stats for Upottery were supplied by Connor McCoy (3-29) and Robert Machin (3-47).
Despite losing three wickets to T&S seamer Liam Gardner (3-35) Upottery were still in contention at 100 for four. Matt Broom had made 38.
Oscar McCallum provoked a massive collapse to 118 all out with a four-wicket haul in his second spell that blew away the lower order. He took four for five in the space of two overs to finish with four for 22 overall.
If McCallum didn’t get them, Tyler Blackburn (2-20) did.
OTTERY St Mary defeated Heathcoat 2nd XI by five wickets to keep a firm hold on second place behind Shobrooke Park.
Guy Bucknell (36) and Paul Elliott (58), two members of Heathcoat’s old guard, were the principal run scorers in a 45-over total of 167 for nine. Opener Elliott was involved in stands that added 116.
Best of the chip-ins was the 27 made by Fergus Anderson.
Ottery bowlers Joe Birch (2-21), Jody Clements (1-23) and David Kingham (2-25) all cost fewer than three runs an over.
Opener Sam Brook top scored for Ottery with 62 while taking the chase to 135 for four. Neil Davey (31) was next best.
Bits and pieces – which included 24 wides – got Ottery over the line with an over to go. Matt Hodson (1.56) and Jack Tucker (3.22) proved particularly hard to score off.
