Ottery St Mary 1st XI moved to within three points of league leaders, Ipplepen, as they skittled the South Devon side for just 87 in last weekend’s eagerly anticipated top of the table clash, writes Ian Townsend.

In a contest liberally doused with mediocre batting, after Otters’ skipper, Jody Clements produced a battling innings to a least give his bowlers something to bowl at, Ipplepen had no answer to left arm paceman, Will Harrison, who claimed five wickets to emphatically end the home side’s 100% start to the season.

Asked to bat first on a green wicket, Ottery crawled to just 44 off their first 21 overs during which the wickets of George Biggs, Matt Kirk and Steve Forbes were lost. Jody Clements and Lewis Townsend (14) began to pull things around as they added 29 before Townsend holed out to cover off Kiwi left arm spinner, Andrew Mason. Clements (43) was batting with admirable control, however, unleashing some fine cover drives as he added a precious 59 with Exeter University student, Will Munford who hit out well against the spinners in posting 38 (2 x 6s) before yorking himself against young seamer, Sam Wakeham. From 132-4, the visitors suffered a catastrophic collapse as they incredibly lost their remaining six wickets for seven runs in the course of six overs. Mason, assisted by some very sloppy batting, returned the remarkable figures of 7-18 from his 11.2 overs!

The Ipplepen reply began in farcical fashion as openers Dave Harris (1) and Joe Abbott (10) contrived to run themselves out in successive balls to leave the home side at 17-2. Wily old seamer Mark Woodman then began to exert a real stranglehold on the scoring and Harrison reaped the benefit, bowling both Sam De Friend (0) and Matt Quartley (2) before inducing Jack Lewis (1) to knick behind to Alex Clements. Ipplepen never recovered from 35-5 and, after Woodman claimed the richly deserved wicket of Mason, lbw for five, Harrison produced a terrific delivery which swung away, then nipped back in to castle star batsman Luke Tuckett (10). The young left armer completed a fine ‘fivefer’ by bowling Tom Dyer before leg spinner Sam Loud ended a brave 29 run ninth wicket stand between Wakeham and Paul Thomas, Jody Clements catching the former at long-on. Rob Johns completed the job by trapping Thomas (11) lbw and the Otters will now go into Saturday’s derby at Whimple in high spirits.

Ottery St Mary 139 (J.Clements 43, W.Munford 38, A.Mason 7-18, S.Wakeham 2-12) Ipplepen 87 (S.Wakeham 21, Extras 21, W.Harrison 5-31) Ottery St Mary (17pts) bt Ipplepen (5pts) by 52 runs.