Sidmouth’s three senior cricket teams made it a clean sweep of wins for the second successive Saturday.

The 1st XI defeated the side that started the day as leaders of the Premier Division, beating the County Ground side on their own turf by a margin of three wickets.

The 2nd XI entertained a Kilmington 1st XI that had won four successive matches after an opening day defeat, and the Fortfield men march on at the top of the C Division East table after a sixth straight win, defeating the villagers by 108 runs and, completing another hat-trick of wins, the 3rd XI made it five wins form six F Division East outings as they made short work of beating Upottery II.

Sidmouth 1st XI

Exeter won the toss and opted to bat, but a catch by wicket keeper Cameron Evans-Grainger off the bowling of Josh Bess saw an early end to Ben Green, the Somerset and England Under-19 player out for five with the score on 19. It was soon 34-2 and then 36-3 as another catch by the glovesman – this time off Aviwe Mgijima and a first wicket of the afternoon for Will Murray did the damage. The fourth wicket doubled the home total, but the partnership was ended by a leg before decision in favour of Matt Cooke and half the home side were back in the County Ground pavilion with 110 on the score board – the fifth wicket falling to a catch by Charlie Miles off Matt Cooke. A Henry Gater inspired run out accounted for the sixth Exeter wicket and seventh fell to a Murray leg before. A Nick Gingell catch off Charlie Moles and two further wickets for Mgijima – one, a third catch behind by wicket keeper Evans-Grainger and the other a catch held by Will Murray and the home were bowled out for 165 with the final wicket falling two balls into the 50th and final over of the innings.

In terms of the bowling returns, Aviwe Mgijima’s figures were the best with 3-25 from 9.2 overs. There were two wicket hauls for Will Murray (2-18 from 10) and Matt Cooke (2-36 from eight) and single wickets for Josh Bess (1-44 from 10) and Charlie Miles (1-27 from 10). The other bowler used was Luke Bess, who sent down two overs (0-14).

If the travelling Fortfield faithful thought they’d see a run chase ‘stroll’ by their favourites then they were in for a rude awakening for the reply was quickly in a mess at five for three!

Matt Cooke was first to go, caught behind off Tom Pedel to the very first ball he received. Luke Bess fell in similar fashion, in his case to his seventh ball, this one sent down by Philip Mecredy and, when Aviwe Mgijima was clean bowled first ball by Mecredy, Sidmouth were 5-3. Crucially, opener Josh Bess was still there and he and Dec Lines began to get their side back into the game as they added 47 for the fourth wicket with Lines scoring 26 from 31 deliveries with four fours and a six before he was sent back. Elliott Rice then scored a two boundary 14 to help add 30 for the fifth wicket, but, with his departure, half the Sidmouth side were out and the total was only half of what was required at 82-5.

Henry Gater scored a 27-ball 20, but when he fell, with Bess still there, the score was 128-6 and it was soon 133-7 with the loss of Nick Gingell, caught for four.

That brought experienced campaigner Will Murray to the wicket. Having Murray at nine has often been a catalyst to turning a difficult situation into a winning one and so it was to be again as he stayed with Bess to see the opener to an unbeaten half century and Murray was not out 22 from 21 deliveries and Sidmouth sealed a three wicket win with almost 16 overs to spare. Josh Bess carried his bat fro the first delivery through to the conclusion. He faced 91 deliveries and hit seven fours and one six.

The win sees Sidmouth to the top of the table at the one-third mark of the Premier Division campaign.

Premier Division top four after match day six

SIDMOUTH 99

Exeter 98

Heathcoat 87

Exmouth 83

Sidmouth 2nd XI

The Sidmouth 2nds continue to be all-conquering in their C Division East campaign and they made it six wins from six outings with a 92-run win over Kilmington. Isaac Thomas (76), Byron Knowles (64) and skipper Anthony Griffiths were the principle scorers in a big total of 278-6 from their 45 overs.

Visiting Kilmington, who had won every game they had played since their opening day defeat, were bowled out for 186 with Daley Holmes (3-12), Ed Hurley (2-24), Charlie Dibble (2-40) and Byron Knowles (2-44) amongst the wickets.

C Division East top four after match day six

SIDMOUTH II 116

Ottery St Mary 105

Whimple 93

Kilmington 92

Sidmouth 3rd XI

Jash Patidar hit a superb century to help guide the 3rd XI to a 148-run win over Upottery.

Patidar hit 16 fours and three sixes in a knock of 110. He opened with Thomas Moore and the pair put on 107 for the first wicket before Moore fell for 47.

Miles Dalton was next in – and put – but not before he had scored 20 in a partnership of 66 for the second wicket and, when David Gibson (13) was third out with the score on 193, Patidar was still there. The youngster was fourth man down having scored over half the team’s 203-4 when he was dismissed. Jordan Fowler was trapped leg before without troubling the scorers and the last man out was We Holmes, for five, as Graham Munday (33, with three fours and three sixes) and George House (1), were the not out batsmen as Sidmouth closed on 278-6 after their 40 overs.

Upottery had no answer to a clinical Sidmouth bowling effort as all five bowlers called into action shared the wicket taking with Wes Holmes and Jordan Fowler both claiming three wicket hauls. Holmes finished with figures of 3-20 from six overs and the Fowler return was 3-28 from seven. George House claimed two wickets for nine runs from two overs and there were single wickets, and identical figures, for opening duo Lee Clayden and Toby Seldon, who both sent down eight overs for a 1-23 return.

Upottery were bundled out for 103 in 31 overs leaving Sidmouth 2nds once again handsome victors and seemingly on a non-stop charge to promotion.

F Division East top four after match day six

SIDMOUTH III 105

Seaton II 78

Bradninch II 74

Upottery II 73