IT looks like a two-horse race for one promotion place out of the C Division East after chasers Sandford slipped-up against Ottery St Mary.
Unbeaten Heathcoat (222pts) remain out in front with second-placed Seaton (201) still just about in sight of them.
Sandford’s 41-run defeat by Ottery St Mary hasn’t changed their league position – they remain third – but they are now 53 points behind Heathcoat.
Heathcoat, without leading run scorer Tom Lock and seam-bowling skipper Lee Dixon, chased 176 to win against Exmouth without too many difficulties.
Skipper Sam Radford top scored for Exmouth with 43 after Tom Rintoul (25) and Will Gingell (26) made runs in the top for. Elijah Pyne and Ollie Dawe both made 20 down the order.
Heathcoat spinner Joe Parkinson went one better than his four-wicket bag against Bradninch & Kentisbeare last time out with a five-for-32 haul.
Jeremy Bedford – the unexpected Aussie who turned-up out of the blue at the start of the season – top scored with 70 as Heathcoat chased in a rush.
Dan Butler and Will Hall-Tomkin were the supporting ‘artistes’ with a matching pair of 36s. Dawe (3-35) was Exmouth’s leading wicket taker.
OTTERY St Mary dealt a blow to Sandford 2nd XI’s already slender promotion prospects in the C Division East when they defeated them by 41 runs.
Ottery St Mary’s total of 229 for five proved a few too many for Sandford to chase down.
Jon James (28), Shaun Hawkins (25) and Byron Knowles (34) had all come and gone getting Sandford to 147 for five with 10 overs to go.
The asking rate of eight-plus an over was a stumbling block in the final 10. Jack James (33no) was the only batter to make much headway in an all-out total of 188.
Joe Birch (3-41) and John Buckland (3-38) did the damage with the ball for Ottery. Jody Clements (2-22 off 9) have nothing away.
Rhys Norman (70no) top scored for Ottery after following opener Sam O’Nyons (30) out to the middle. His stand of 93 with Hayden Johnston (44) was the foundation for a total of 229 for five.
Ottery St Mary’s total of 229 for five proved a few too many for Sandford to chase down.
Jon James (28), Shaun Hawkins (25) and Byron Knowles (34) had all come and gone getting Sandford to 147 for five with 10 overs to go.
The asking rate of eight-plus an over was a stumbling block in the final 10. Jack James (33no) was the only batter to make much headway in an all-out total of 188.
Joe Birch (3-41) and John Buckland (3-38) did the damage with the ball for Ottery. Jody Clements (2-22 off 9) have nothing away.
Rhys Norman (70no) top scored for Ottery after following opener Sam O’Nyons (30) out to the middle. His stand of 93 with Hayden Johnston (44) was the foundation for a total of 229 for five.
EXETER 2nd XI slumped to a seven-wicket defeat against second-placed Seaton after a woeful display by their frontline batters.
Oli Gribble (62) was the only member of the first eight men in to last long as Exeter plunged to 61 for seven.
Kai Croft (4-33), Ben Morgan (2-15) and Archie Trott (2-33) all helped themselves to wickets as Exeter batters came and went in a hurry.
Dan Stark (21) and Marcus Neary (17no) showed some stickability at the end, but a total of 149 all out was never going to trouble Seaton.
Opener Matt Hewer (37) played the anchorman while runs at the other end from Tristan Wakeley (52) and Sam Goodier (16no) secured a Seaton win with more than eight overs to go.
ALPHINGTON & Countess Wear find themselves propping up the C East table following a 15-run defeat in the relegation battle with Uplyme & Lyme Regis.
Uplyme were basement tenants going into the game, but have moved up two places out of the drop spots at Alphington & Countess Wear’s expense.
With just 13 points between the bottom five in the division, the situation could change in a hurry.
Joe Elsworth led U&LR to 247 for three with an unbeaten 105, which he scored from 87 deliveries. Along the way there were stands of 70 with Mark Batey (33), 76 with Bailey Levin (38) and 61 with Sam Farrow (27no).
Tynan Hill and Lawrence Marsh were the only A&CW bowlers to operate below four runs an over.
Skipper James Bovey (31) and Wessel Oosthuizen (51) got A&CW’s run hunt going. Marsh (77) and Jack Mills kept the pressure on U&LR up to 200 and beyond
It looked like a done deal for A&CW when the chase stood at 236 for six with more than six overs to go and four wickets intact, including Jack Mills on 34. They Mills got out.
Sam Farrow took two wickets in two balls and Levin removed last man Jamie Withers two balls later as A&CW folded on 242.
BRADNINCH & Kentisbeare 2nd XI dropped back into the C East bottom two following a nine-wicket pounding in the basement battle with Upottery.
Freddie Gillett’s studious knock of 48 from 72 balls was the only score of note in B&K’s all-out total of 102.
Ben Kidson (3-26) got into B&K’s top five, Rob Tasker (3-21) did a job on the middle order and Andy Pulman (3-24) largely dealt with what was left.
Upottery raced to 85 without loss in reply before opener Ryan Pulman went for 50. Matt Broom (27no) and Tasker (9no) joined-up the dots.
Bradninch & Kentisbeare have dropped down from seventh to ninth. Upottery have travelled in the opposite direction.
With only 13 points between all the clubs in the bottom five, the relegation scrap has a long way to go yet.
