Ottery St Mary were undone by some of their own former teammates when they lost by a margin of 100 runs on their visit to Kilmington for a Tolchards Devon League C Division East game.

Ottery skipper Will Harrison won the toss and asked the home side to bat first and the Kilmington openers took the total to 51 before a Dan Flower catch, off the bowling of Harrison saw the Otters claim a breakthrough. Home progress was steady – they were 192-5 with Oliver West clean bowling former Ottery player Billy Reed for 34 and Sam Brook (2) and Zac Johns (1), also claiming wickets.

The Kilmington tail wagged sufficiently for them to close on a commanding 272-9. Brook took a couple of further wickets to top the Ottery bowling honours with figures of 4-38 from six overs and Zac Johns’ return was 2-52 from seven overs. Harrison (1-42 from nine) and West (1-29 for seven) were the other Ottery wicket takers.

The Ottery reply saw the loss of Alex Clements without scoring and Dan Flower for three – both caught and, when Henry Mutter was caught and bowled for 12, the reply was 71-3. Opener Oliver West was still there, but he lost a steady string of fellow batters as wickets fell at regular intervals. Jack Malden – with a six boundary 35 – offered some support, but it was a one-man resistance thereafter with West the 10th and final wicket to fall when he was finally dismissed, caught for a splendid 84 with Ottery all out for 172 after just 26.2 overs.

So, it’s a win and a defeat from the first two games of the new league season for the Otters. One big plus is the wicket taking of Sam Brook – his 4-38 in this game, added to the 4-15 in the opening day win over Exeter II, leaves him with the mighty impressive early season figures of 8-53!

On Saturday (May 19) the Otters travel to Braunton 1st XI.