Sidmouth were two wicket winners when they entertained Exmouth in a Devon League Tier One Premier East meeting at the Fortfield.

After losing the toss and being asked to field first, skipper Zac Bess gave the new ball to Tom Simmons and Josh Bess and Simmons struck early, removing former Sidmouth player Rory Thomas for sis with the score on seven.

Tim Piper then joined James Horler and the pair added 150 for the second wicket which came about via a Zac Bess catch off the bowling of Josh Bess.

Piper top scored with 93, Horler’s contribution was 56 and there also knocks of 24, from Exmouth skipper Andrew Buzza and an unbeaten 33 from Fin Marks.

In terms of the bowling returns, Tom Simmons’s figures were 2-52 from eight while the Knowles return was 2-43 from five. On a day when bowling with a damp ball was the order of the day, the most economical returns came from Jordan Fowler (0-30 from eight) and Josh Bess (1-32 from eight).

Rain meant that Duckworth-Lewis was called into play and, bizarrely, it ended up meaning that Sidmouth were then tasked with scoring 252 in 39 overs – 18 runs more than the Maer men had posted!

Alex Barrow and Josh Bess launched the reply and they took the score to 50 when Barrow fell for a 33-ball 13.

Luke Bess and Josh Bess then added 43 in just short of five overs before the latter was runout having faced 34 balls for his 58 runs, all but eight of which came in boundaries!

Luke Bess was out next, but not before he had slammed 38 from 29 deliveries and all but two of his runs were boundaries.

The fourth wicket fell with the score on 198 with the dismissal that of Byron Knowles for a 33-ball 39.

Young Knowles fell midway through the 26th over and, when skipper Zac Bess (42 from 35 balls) was fifth man down, his side were 215-5.

Three wickets then fell in quick succession meant Sidmouth required 21 to win with only last man Fowler still in the pavilion with pads on.

However, Sidmouth lost four wickets for 16 runs after the captain was dismissed by Lawrence Greenway (3-55), which left 21 to win with only last man Fowler to come.

Cameron Grainger (seven from 22 balls) and Tom Simmons (six from 10 balls) got Sidmouth over the line with two overs to spare.

Sidmouth have yet to lose a game that counts in the six-match series and with a seven-point lead over Exmouth look favourites to qualify from the East pool.

Tomorrow (Saturday) Sidmouth travel to Budleigh.