Sidmouth slipped to a fourth defeat of the Francis Clark Devon League top flight season when they went down by three wickets to Exmouth at their Maer ground home.

Sidmouth skipper Will Murray was very clear about why his side had failed to win the game.

He said: “We did not get enough runs. It’s rare for me to say anything negative about then batting for that department has delivered time and again. However, at Exmouth we were far too slow in the early exchanges and that slumber seemed to stick with us until the arrival at the wicket of Pete Randerson and Luke Bess who got us motoring. Nick Gingell played his part too. Those three apart it was not one of our finest days with the bat.”

He continued: “At tea I felt we were light with our runs. Of course, with our bowling attack we are capable of defending any sort of total, but it was not to be on this occasion.”

Sidmouth batted first and opening pair Liam Lewis and Matt Cooke were parted in the eighth over when Lewis was dismissed with the total on 27.

Anthony Griffiths joined Cooke and the pair added 46 for the second wicket when Griffiths fell for 19 with the score on 73 in the 25th over.

When Cooke was fourth man out for 44 with the total on 112 the run rate was still well below four.

It was Pete Randerson (49) and Luke Bess (43) who gave the innings real spark, adding 66 for the fifth wicket in just over ten overs.

Three wickets were lost in the last two overs and the innings closed on 237-8.

Scott Barlow knocked over the stumps of Exmouth skipper Richard Baggs with then reply on 15 and five overs bowled.

However, as had been Murray’s fear, the home batsmen were running at a steady five runs per over and so were well up with the rate for then next 25 overs.

It became 200 in the 40th over from which point it was all plain sailing and, even though wickets fell along the way, the home run chase was timed to perfection with victory chalked up with three wickets and five deliveries remaining consigning Sidmouth to a first defeat in three meetings this season with Exmouth.

There remains the possibility the two sides could, meet again for they are both in semi-final action next month in the Devon Senior Cup.