Devon second XI B
Yelverton seconds v Heathcoat seconds
YELVERTON seconds dipped to their third defeat of the season losing by seven wickets to in-form side Heathcoat. On a sunny afternoon Yelverton batted first and their openers Jason Degg and Ian Loze started in confident fashion with Degg dealing mostly in boundaries.
The pair posted the 50 partnership in the 11th over and it had reached 75, when Degg edged a delivery from Birt-Mitchell behind for a well played 46. Gul Khan joined Loze and the pair took the total past the 100 mark. The left arm spin of M Williams slowed the scoring rate and when the partnership had reached 70, Loze fell for 67 caught at mid-wicket off Williams. James South was next man in and used his 6ft 11ins frame to good affect hitting a brisk 20 with a couple of towering sixes as he helped Khan put on 49 for the third wicket before South was bowled by Drew with the total on 194. A flurry of wickets fell in the closing overs and the innings closed on 224-8. Heathcoat's D Drew taking 4-44.
Heathcoat started sedately with Tony Carter bowling impeccable line and length. The score had reached 39 when skipper Chris Pearson (2-31) induced M Parkes (17) to skew a catch to Khan at cover. B Latchem followed in Pearson's next over, caught by Degg at extra-cover for 2 to leave Heathcoat on 45-2.
New batsmen A Birt-Mitchell came on to hit a flurry of boundaries and with opener Harding the pair raced along scoring at an average of six an over. Skipper Pearson introduced Mike Chetwynd and Andy Taylor into the attack. The partnership was finally broken on 133 (off 19 overs) with the score on 178 when Degg removed Harding for 83, well caught low down by keeper Jez Croymosan. Despite giving a number of chances, Birt-Michell went to his well-deserved century accompanied by M Blackmore as the pair compiled an unbroken partnership of 47 for the fourth wicket to take Heathcoat comfortably home. Birt-Mitchell, dropped on 98 was undefeated on 102 at the end.