UPLYME & LYME REGIS (6pts) 151 (21pts) lost to FILLEIGH 156-7 by 3 wickets

A HALF-CENTURY from Zimbabwean seamer Mark Mbofona got Filleigh out of a sticky situation in a three-wicket win at Uplyme.

Batting first on a damp wicket, Uplyme openers Rob Thom and Laurie Thomas set about their jobs in businesslike fashion.

After carefully playing themselves in, Thom set about the Filleigh attack with a series of boundaries, while Thomas was content to play a support role.

Their undoing was the introduction of Mbofona who took the pace off the ball and had Thom well caught by Mike Prideaux five short of his first 50 of the season.

Thomas (38) continued to bat well until he tried to force the issue and returned a catch to the bowler.

Having realised that it was difficult for batsmen to get the slower bowler away, Filleigh turned to the spin of veteran Prideaux.

He bowled with good line and length and finished with figures of 4-25 from seven overs.

Uplyme hadn’t seemed to have the learnt the lesson from the previous week’s defeat at Feniton as no-one in the middle order was able to show the application needed to bat through the innings.

Mark Batey (13) and Tyler Wellman (11) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures in a final score of 151.

Uplyme came out fighting after tea and got the start they needed when Nick Dinnison dismissed Harrison-Hooten.

Further wickets came from Warner, Steve Batey and Rhys Davies to leave Filleigh tottering on 42-4.

However, they were rescued with a middle-order partnership between Mbfona (55) and Hickman (39).

After such a good start the Uplyme attack faltered and although Batey, Davies and Dinnison took a further three wickets, some of the bowling was wayward and 31 runs in the form of wides contributed to a three-wicket win for Filleigh.

UPLYME & LYME REGIS 157-5 (16pts) beat WHIMPLE 140-7 (4pts) by 17 runs UPLYME’S players left the field on a high after getting the better of second-placed Whimple in a rain-affected Devon League Second XI D Division East clash.

A very heavy shower led to a late start and the match was reduced to 30 overs a side.

The visitors lost the toss and were put in to bat but openers Dave Norman and Eddie Clarke were unfazed by the conditions and scored at four an over for the first 10 before the former was bowled for 23.

Tim Daniels came in at number three and increased the run-rate, striking three fours and a six in his 31.

With eight overs to go, Uplyme were 102-2 and should have capitalised on the situation, but Clarke was caught at deep square leg for 37 and Wesley Holmes was bowled by the accurate Will Bardot.

It was left to Daley Holmes and Wallace Blackmore to put on an unbeaten partnership of 30, which took the score to 157.

Whimple had 40 on the board after 10 overs but they had lost two wickets, one each for Wesley Holmes and Blackmore.

The dangerous Bardot then reached his half-century and was looking to accelerate going into the closing overs.

Uplyme skipper Rod Holmes then turned to the spin of Daley Holmes and slow left arm of Rodney Rowe.

This combination put the brakes on the Whimple reply and they had reached 100 by the 24th over but with the loss of four wickets.

The breakthrough for the visitors came with the introduction of Jolly Bugg who bowled Bardot for 61 with a slower ball that completed deceived the batsman.

To their credit, Whimple did not give up and 12-year-old Cameron Kidd struck Blackmore for 12.

Kidd was unable to do the same to Wesley Holmes who conceded only three in the last over to ensure an Uplyme victory by 17 runs.

The win propels Uplyme to second in the table and puts them in a great position going into Saturday’s home game against leaders Seaton.