Ottery St Mary lost their Tolchards Devon League Group Three B semi-final when they were beaten at home by Shaldon Optimists, who booked a place in the final tomorrow (Saturday) at Cullompton, winning by a margin of 52 runs.

The visiting team won the toss and opted to bat first and closed on 252-6 from their 40 overs.

They were led to that total by a superb century from Sebastian Linnitt who scored 122 from 140 deliveries hitting 21 boundaries.

It was fourth change bowler Jonathan Triner who took the bowling honours for the Otters with a return of 4-26 from six overs.

Ottery closed on 200-7 from their 40 overs with the bat.

Richard Jackson top scored with an unbeaten 51 and other runs came from Freddie Eul-Barker (35), Jonathan Triner (28) and George Mutter (24).

Ottery were also boosted in their total by 35 extras – 24 of which were wides!

Ottery St Mary 2nd XI lost their Tolchards Devon League Group Three C semi-final when going down to Topsham St James 1st Xi by a margin of seven wickets.

In the match, played at Kenn CC, the Otters lost the toss and were swiftly invited to bat first.

In conditions that certainly suited bowling over batting, wickets fell at regular intervals with the side bowled out for just 79 in 31 overs.

Anthony Dean was the mainstay in terms of keeping his wicket intact and he top scored with 29 from 56 balls faced.

No one else survived for longer than the 35 deliveries that Dan Flower faced for his 13 while Ashok Prasad was the only other batsman into double figures with 12.

Luke Tierney picked up a brace of early wickets to give the Otters some hope, but, from 15-2, it was the Topsham St James all-round Mark Pillips who saw his side to the brink of victory as he scored 44 from just 38 balls with four fours and three sixes. A Luke Tierney catch off the bowling of Bob Hope, did end the Phillips innings, but by then the Tops were just two runs shy of victory and they crossed the winning line soon after.