UPLYME & LYME REGIS 200-9 (20pts) beat SHALDON OPTIMISTS 100 (5pts) by 100 runs

AN UNBEATEN half-century from Mark Brimicombe and Adam Caddy’s five-wicket haul secured Uplyme & Lyme Regis an impressive win at promotion-chasing Shaldon Opti-mists in Devon League D Division.

Batting first, Uplyme were wobbling at one point on 97-5 but Alex Taylor (48) and Brimicombe (50no) guided the visitors to exactly 200.

And, after Jack Lamb-Wilson (3-29) accounted for three of the first four Shaldon batsmen, Caddy raced through the tail with 5-25.

It had been a very shaky start for Uplyme to say the least with Mark Batey and Alfie Bellworthy going for ducks and Rob Thom only able to score eight.

Uplyme were in real trouble at 12-3 and although Ben Whittington (10) was the first man to reach double figures, 25-4 seemed to spell danger for the visitors.

But Taylor and Caddy (28) steadied the ship, adding 72 for the fifth wicket before Mark Couch had Taylor caught by Craig Greenwood two short of his 50.

Captain Steve Batey did well to keep the scoreboard ticking over and when he departed for 34 Uplyme were on 157-7.

Brimicombe batted sensibly, keeping the strike when joined by tail-enders Lamb-Wilson, Paddy Barraclough and then Neil Price, who was not out nought at the end of the innings.

However, Shaldon must have fancied their chances of chasing down 201 for victory, but they too got off to a disastrous start when Todd Bullman was caught by Barraclough off Price for a duck.

Seamus McKenna, one of the league’s top run scorers, could only muster 19 on this occasion as Lamb-Wilson removed him, Richard Boss and Couch to leave the Optimists on 39-4.

There was some resistance from Karl Blackburn (28), but when he went and Jamie Day fell to Caddy for 17 the game was up for the Optimists.

In D Division East of the 2nd XI League, Uplyme saw off Uppottery by three wickets with Emily Baker (2-24) among the wickets for the victors.

Uppottery were all out for 143 batting first, Wallace Blackmore taking 3-22, before Uplyme knocked off the runs for the loss of seven wickets – Dave Norman and Eddie Clarke both made 32.

Feniton provide the opposition for both Uplyme clubs on Saturday with the seconds at home.