The halfway mark of the Tolchards League B Division season has been reached and Ottery St Mary suit bottom of the table having lost all eight games they played in the first half of the season and their 55 point haul leaves them 35 from safety. The Otters’ latest defeat came in the home meeting with Seaton.

The visitors batted first and the Ottery bowlers did their work well to restrict Seaton to a close of 213-7 after their 45 overs.

Jody Clements shaded the bowling honours with his return of 2-35 while Rob Crabb ended with 2-36 and Joe Birch (2-56), also bagged a brace. The other wicket taker was Will Harrison (1-33). All four bowlers sent down full complements of nine overs.

Ottery needed a solid start in the run chase, but they lost Alex Clements for three to a run out and Rob Johns was trapped leg before to leave the reply 24-2.

Dan Flower (30) and Joe Henkus (16) saw the score to 65 before the third wicket went down. There was then a flurry of wickets as Ottery slipped to 90-7 and 104-8. Tom Jeacock (2) and Henry Mutter (36) then battled away to add 30 for the ninth wicket, but once Mutter departed for the reply’s top offering, the end came quickly with Ottery all out for 145 after 39.5 overs.

Ottery start the second half of their season on Saturday (July 2) with a visit to fourth-bottom Barton. A ninth straight defeat and the Otters will be doomed, but, if they were to upset the odds, it might spark a revival. All is not yet lost – but they do need to start winning soon.