Devon Cricket League E division Yelverton first v Woodland Fort YELVERTON'S fine start to the season came to an end in a tight encounter with Woodland Fort at Langton Park.  Fort won the toss and unsurprisingly asked Yelverton to bat under grey skies.  Worth (2-39) on debut bowled a hostile opening spell and took the early wicket of Geoff Brain with a fine ball which the opener edged to the keeper. Youngster Rob Bennett (20) came to the wicket and played some good pull shots before being bowled by Worth.  Ian Loze hit a fine 83 and with Farnham (16) took the score up to 96 before Farnham fell to a stumping by Will Sykes, also on debut for the Fort, off the accurate Blake (3-45).  With 17 overs and seven wickets in hand Yelverton looked to increase the scoring rate but struggled with the slow pitch and slow bowling of Blake to post a total of 188 for the loss of six wickets. After the tea interval, the Fort reply started aggressively, taking the attack to the Yelverton opening bowlers.  Both Dennis (23) and Sykes (45) went for their shots and ran some quick singles before Dennis was run out.  Shrivastav (2-46), Harrison (2- 33) and Guy (2-42) all took wickets for Yelverton as Fort slumped to 96-5 and then 130-8 as the game looked beyond the visitors.  However, Ivey (39 not out) and Reynolds (19) took the attack to Yelverton and capitalised on some loose bowling and poor fielding to put on an excellent 51 for the ninth wicket.  It was left to Worth to face the start of the final over with nine needed to win and Yelverton needing to take one wicket.  Worth dismissed Stevens first ball for six over mid off, missed the next and then smashed him over extra cover for four to win the match for the visitors on 190-9. Man of the match: Ian Loze. Woodland Fort (18pts) beat Yelverton (8 pts) by one wicket. l This week Yelverton entertain mid-table Lustleigh at home – 2pm. Countess Wear v Yelverton first XI SKIPPER Rob Guy once again called correctly at the toss and despite the grey skies and rumbling thunder chose to bat first.  The Countess Wear opening bowlers made full use of the conditions and with the extravagant swing and seam movement from the surface, Yelverton were soon in trouble as both Farnham and Bennett were dismissed with just six on the board. Ian Loze (49) came to the wicket against his former teammates and was dropped at first slip in what turned out to be a costly error.  Loze and Brain (30) slowly rebuilt the innings, putting on a patient 83 for the third wicket off 24 overs.  Once Loze and Brain fell it was Nicolas (28 not out) who played patiently to take the score up to 171 after the reduced 42 overs. In reply Countess Wear were skittled out for 61.  It was an immaculate fielding performance by Yelverton.  Sanjiv Shrivastav (6-15) bowled accurately and extracted prodigious movement from the pitch and Countess Wear were reduced to 34-8. Shrivastav was well backed up by the excellent Stevens (2-22) and some good catching and outfielding. Man of the match: Sanjiv Shrivastav.  Yelverton (18pts) beat Countess Wear (4pts) by 110 runs. Devon Cricket 2nd XI League division C Heathcoat Seconds v Yelverton Seconds   Yelverton maintained their early season form with a fourth win at Heathcoat in East Devon to take over at the top of the C Division table. Skipper Kevin Beare lost the toss and Yelverton were asked to bat first at Heathcoat's Knightshayes home.  Beare fell to the first ball of the second over for a duck but the remaining opener Jason Degg and youngster Matt Tamsett took the score along swiftly to 19 before Tamsett (12) fell to a good slip catch.  Degg was joined by Gerry Keen at the wicket and the pair took the score along to 50 before Degg (21) was bowled.  Mike Chetwynd joined Keen at the wicket but received a brute of a delivery first ball which he edged to gully for a duck.  The loss of two wickets left Yelverton on 50-4 and some repair work was required.  New batsman Dan Vince and Keen carefully accumulated a 23 run partnership before Keen departed lbw for 20 with the total on 73 - 5.  Yunis Sulliman was the next batsman to the wicket and he forged a 32 run partnership with Sulliman the main aggressor scoring a quick 21.  Sulliman fell to a sharp catch behind by the wicketkeeper standing up with the score on 105.  Vice-captain Chris Pearson was the next batsman to join Vince in the middle and they put together the largest partnership of the innings.  Pearson (19) played on with the score on 149 after a seventh wicket partnership of 44.  The not out Vince was kept company for the last seven overs of the innings by veteran Jerry Warland and they put together a partnership of 27 for the eight wicket as Yelverton closed on 176-7.  Vince remained 43 no and Warland 18 no.  Partnerships for the sixth, seventh and eight wickets had realised 103 runs and gave Yelverton a defendable total. After tea Heathcoat reply started confidently with an opening partnership of 27 before Carter took the wicket of Andrews caught by Keen.  The remaining opener Parkes followed caught at the wicket off Pearson (1-14) who had replaced Carter (1- 14). Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals to Vince (2-32) and courtesy of a run-out as Pearson swooped at square leg and returned smartly to keeper Degg.  Heathcoat's fate was sealed by the introduction of spinners Warland and Chetwynd who knocked over the tail to dismiss Heathcoat for 114 in 35 overs.   Warland ended up with 3-22 off 7 overs and Chetwynd 2-6 off 4. Yelverton man of the match: Dan Vince.  Yelverton Seconds (19 pts) beat Heathcoat Seconds (4) by 62 runs. l This week, Yelverton Seconds make the long trek to Braunton in North Devon. Yelverton Second XI v Ipplepen WITH the weather threatening to intervene yet again, Ipplepen were inserted on winning the toss, despite the glorious sunshine. Opener D Alsop was quickly deceived by one of Tony Carter's disguised extra slow, low full tosses for four, and was lucky to get that many, after surviving a more than confident appeal for lbw when caught in front off the stumps on the crease 13th ball of the innings having yet to score. However, Ipplepen were quickly reduced to 26-3, by tight bowling from Tony Carter and Adrian Hood and some tight fielding which claimed the run out of S Fursey (not grounding his bat). The Ipplepen batsmen staged a fight back and although losing a fifth wicket at 45 reached 130 for 6 - K Bell falling victim to another piece of excellent fielding, run out by a direct hit from J Degg from 25 metres. Bowlers Hood (3-40) and Carter (4-30) cleaned up what was left, and Ipplepen were bowled out for 159, with K Bell and 53 and R Hay on 43. The Yelverton reply didn't get off to a great start when K Beare was out lbw for seven. However, Jason Degg and Matt Tamsett put on 67 for the second wicket before Tamsett was well caught in the deep for 22, Gerry Keen then partnered Degg to the finish line (161-2). The winning margin was eight wickets with Degg finishing with 94 not out and Keen 31 not out. Man of the match: Jason Degg.  Yelverton Seconds (20pts) beat Ipplepen Seconds (4pts) by 8 wickets. Tamar Cricket League section B Yelverton thirds v Lifton   Yelverton thirds came unstuck on Saturday afternoon losing their first game of the season against Lifton at Crapstone.  Visitors Lifton totalled 185 off their 40 overs with wickets for Cottrell (4-62), Taylor (3-40) and skipper Ash Phillips (2-4).  In reply, many of the Yelverton batsmen got a start but were unable to convert into a match winning score. The main contributors were Richard Garland (29), vice-captain Lee Johns (25), Chris Cottrell (23) and Peter Garland (20) but Yelverton faded to 149 all out to lose by 36 runs.