Devon seconds B division

Yelverton seconds v Bideford seconds

THE YELVERTON seconds kept in touch with the B division front runners with a 36 run victory over visitors Bideford seconds. 

Yelverton batted first on a damp wicket and Bidefords opening bowlers D Willcocks and A Crisp used the conditions to good effect using the seam. 

With the score on 16 Yelverton skipper Jason Degg was the first wicket to fall, caught behind off a top edge.  Gul Khan went for 2, misjudging the line of a delivery to be bowled behind his legs and when Andy Taylor (14) top-edged an attempted pull to be caught behind the score was a parlous 42-3 off 16 overs. 

Former Yelverton first XI skipper Tim Fawbert and veteran Gerry Keen knuckled down in a partnership of 41 for the fourth wicket. 

With the advantage starting to swing back in favour of the home side again, the loss of Keen for 19 with the score on 82, lbw shortly followed by Fawbert for 22 on the same score precipitated a mini-collapse to 85-7 off 35 overs. 

Of the remaining batsmen, only vice captain Chris Pearson with 12 not out made much impact as Yelverton closed on 104 all out off 43.5 overs.

Bidefords wickets were shared around, with Willcocks (2-36 off 13), Smale (2-28 off 13), King (2-13 off 6) and Crisp (3-20 off 8.5) all contributing.

Yelverton were convinced that they had a total that they could defend, and so it proved as Geraint Heath (4-35 off 14) and Tony Carter (2-24 off 11) worked their way through the Bideford batting line-up reducing them to 41-6 off 14 overs, with only L Kerr with 16 making much headway. 

The introduction of Chris Pearson proved decisive as in 3.5 overs he picked up the remaining four Bideford wickets (three bowled and one caught by Carter) for only one run (a no-ball) as Bideford were bowled out for 68 in the 30 over to leave the Bohemians victorious by 36 runs. 

Last man out was D Willcocks for a top score of 19 who had resisted stoically for 16 overs.

n This week, Yelverton seconds travel to third placed Braunton seconds.