ASHBURTON’S topsy-turvy season in C Division West continued when Kingsbridge hammered them by 143 runs at the Butts.
The Ashes’ highs have included topping 250 against Kingsbridge first time round, and South Devon, while the lows are all-out scores of 54 against Ivybridge – and now 70 against Kingsbridge.
Opener Jack Brown played the anchorman role for Kingsbridge with 103 in a total of 213 for eight.
Brown put on 167 for the first wicket with James Fletcher (41) and was on 99not out when the first wicket fell.
Neil Edmonds, a former Kingsbridge player, dismissed Brown at 171 and went on to claim three for 32. Alex Browne finished unbeaten on 22.
Matt Coon (3-16) and Chris Yeo (2-32) were Ashburton’s other wicket takers.
Lloyd White (26), 21 extras and Ryan May (10) were the only double-figure contributions to Ashburton’s meagre total. Five batters did not manage a run between them!
The bulk of the damage was done by Bhanu De Silva (4-16) and Neal Peach (4-22) as the last six wickets fell for just six runs.
White, the Ashburton captain, said conditions were challenging for batsmen, but Kingsbridge’s top order mastered them.
“Brown and Fletcher showed everyone how to bat on that wicket – and credit to them both,” said White.
“Brown in particular who took risks, but they paid off.
“I was proud of the way we fought back. Turning 167 for none to 211 for eight was some effort and showed how tricky batting was.
“We never got going with the bat and need to take more individual responsibility to get scores on the board, me included.”
Elsewhere, Chudleigh stay anchored to the foot of the B Division table after crashing to a nine-wicket defeat against visiting Budleigh Salterton.
Rain was a factor at Kate Brook as it limited to Chudleigh to a 33-over innings, which only yielded a modest total of 127 for seven.
Trim Sandercombe made a top score of 26 for Chudleigh, whose other chip-ins came from Mark Solway (18), Luke Quaintance (17) and Will Heather (15).
Budleigh’s bowling honours went to Joel Murphy, Ed Doble and Sam Whitehead with two wickets each.
Biggest cheer of the first session came after Joe Marley took a breathtaking one-handed catch in the cordon to dismiss Chudleigh’s overseas run getter Manny Bhullar for nine.
Bhullar had slammed the previous two deliveries from Sam Whitehead four boundaries when he picked out Marley at gulley.
Budleigh openers James Doble (71) and Whitehead (46no) put on 120 for the first wicket to make the outcome academic.
The winning hit came in the next over when Max Mejzner took a single off Mark Solway.
