JAMES Toms hammered Babbacombe’s bowling all around the ground to put Plymouth 2nd XI on course for a 64-run win at Babbacombe.
Toms, taking his cricket seriously again after a break from the game, used to be a prolific run getter for Barton then Plymouth before his sabbatical. He is one of only a handful of batsmen to score a century for Devon on his three-day debut.
Seventeen fours and seven sixes were dispatched by skipper Toms on the way to 151 in Plymouth’s score of 275 for four on the Walls Hill ground. Along the way there was an opening stand of 121 with James Webb (61) and another of 147 with son George Toms (38).
Ben Passmore was the only Babbacombe bowler to operate below four runs an over. Henry Stubbs took three for 41 when the slog was on at the end.
Babbacombe were just about in contention at 104 for four with 15 overs to go. Taking 21 in the previous over from Stephen Skews helped. The runs dried up after that until veteran Dave Stubbs came in and whacked 68 off 34 balls with five fours and six sixes in there.
The run-rate damage had been done by then and Plymouth were all out for 211 in the penultimate over.
Best of a steady set of bowling figures – Skews exempted – belonged to Aziz Rahmanzai (3-35).
CHAGFORD continue to set the pace at the top of the D Division West after beating Yelverton by six wickets.
Skipper David Ackford (67) and Ed Sorensen (25) contributed the only double-figure scores to a Yelverton total of 134 all out.
Yelverton lost their last seven wickets for just 14 runs scored as Stuart Lipo (6-23) scythed through the order.
Chagford knocked-off the runs with more than 18 overs to spare with Richard Hopwood leading the way on 85 not out.
Hopwood and Lipo (36no) added 86 unbroken for the fifth wicket to wipe out the deficit.
Ben Grove and Hadleigh Scott-Kirk took two wickets each for Yelverton, who are at the opposite end of the early table from leaders Chagford.
PLYMOUTH Civil Service & Roborough crushed Ivybridge 2nd XI by seven wickets in a one-sided affair at Manadon.
It was Civil’s second straight win in the Tolchards DCL D Division West this season and puts them just a point behind early frontrunners Chagford at the top of the table.
Ivybridge skipper Sam Northmore’s decision to bat first rebounded on him as his side were skittled for 66 in the 20th over of a 45-over game.
Northmore made 13, Joe Donnelly made 16 and no one else made more than eight!
New-ball bowlers Matt Trevorrow (4-28) and Saf Johar (4-35) did most of the damage to Ivybridge’s batting line-up.
Civil’s chase was not entirely problem free as they lost three wickets getting 14 runs on the board.
Nathan Lister (24no) and Abraham Thomas (30no) knocked off the remaining runs with the minimum of fuss. The game lasted fewer than 33 overs from start to finish.
HATHERLEIGH 2nd XI defeated Kenn by two wickets in a high-scoring affair from the D Division West.
Openers Martin Swannell and Chris May both got into the 50s for during a stand of 108 Kenn, who went on to reach 263 for eight. Sam Plumb (29) and James Gosling (43) kept the scoreboard flashing.
Will Edwards (3-44) posted Hatherleigh’s top bowling return.
Hatherleigh were labouring at 111 for six in reply after running into difficulties against Kenn bowlers Graham Stone (2-38) and Gosling (3-45).
A stand of 121 for the seventh wicket between Jack Probert (78) and skipper Danny Forrester (74) paved the way for Hatherleigh to win it with seven balls to spare.
BARTON 2nd XI edged a tense derby date with Torquay & Kingskerswell by the narrow margin of just seven runs.
Barton skipper Adam Last made a top score of 33 against his former club, and Sree Sankaranaryanan was close behind on 29, in Barton’s total of 149 all out.
Kiwi Tobias Delahunty claimed four Barton wickets for 43 runs and there was a three-for-eight bag for Abnu Bakar.
Torquay & Kingskerswell started brightly with Bobby Western (43) and Fiaz Ebrahim (32) chipping away at the arrears.
A six-wicket spell from Barton’s Jack Shelton (6-20) tipped the balance in Barton’s favour as T&K slid to 142 all out.
