Only one of three Sidmouth senior XIs saw action on matchday 14 of the Tolchards Devon Cricket League.

Sidmouth 1st XI

The 1st XI were washed out in their top-of-the-table Fortfield meeting with Exeter and that was also the case for the third XI who were washed out in the F Division East game at Upottery.

In terms of their bid to land the top honour, Sidmouth 1st XI Sidmouth remain firmly in the mix for they are third on 203 points, seven fewer than table-topping Exeter.

So who are the top four meeting over the final three weeks of the season?

Exeter (currently top with 230 points): (A) Bradninch; (H) Heathcoat; (A) Hatherleigh.

Heathcoat (currently second with 226 points): (A) North Devon; (H) Exeter; (A) Sandford.

Sidmouth (currently third with 223 points): (A) Bovey Tracey; (H) North Devon; (A) Exmouth.

Plymouth (currently fourth with 208 points): (H) Hatherleigh; (A) Sandford; (H) Bradninch.

Sidmouth 2nd XI

Sidmouth 2nd XI did see play, but, on a day when the toss of the coin was so important, Sidmouth skipper Antony Griffiths lost the toss and the Kilmington skipper wasted no time in asking ‘Griff’ to get his openers to pad up and into action.

It was always going to be a tough task batting first in the damp conditions at Kilmington and Sidmouth, battled as best they could before being bowled out for 104 with the 10th and final wicket falling to the final ball of the 32nd and last over in a match reduced to 32 overs a side after a delayed start owing to rain.

Elliott Rice and Nick Mansfield launched the Sidmouth innings, but Mansfield was run out before he had scored a run and, when Thomas Moore was also run out, in his case having scored eight, Sidmouth were 54-2. Rice was next t fall, clean bowled having scored 31 – 20 of them coming in fours – and Sidmouth were then 54-3.

Skipper Antony Griffiths and Byron Knowles fell in quick succession to leave Sidmouth 63-5 and the bottom half of the batting order could only muster 41 runs between them with the best being the 13 from Cameron Evans-Grainger in the number seven berth.

Fionn Wardrop was the last man out, caught off the final ball of the innings leaving Charlie Dibble as the not out batsman with two to his name.

Wardrop struck twice in what was a successful Kilmington run chase. . he bowled opener Tom Gooding when he had scored just four leaving Kilmington then 29-1, but the only other wicket was the one of Matthew Pile, bowled by Wardrop for 17 with the score on 84. Josh Short finished unbeaten on 66, with all but two of his runs coming in boundaries and the other not out batsman at the close was Billy Reed with 12.

Wardrop finished with figures of 2-38 from five overs.

Sidmouth have slipped off top spot for the first time this season and go into the final three games of the season trailing new leaders Kilmington by a dozen points.

As for the respective top two’s remaining three games, they are:

Kilmington: (A) Exeter II; (A) Whimple; (H) Budleigh Salterton II

Sidmouth: (H) Ottery, (A) Budleigh; (H) Whimple

Sidmouth 3rd XI

Sidmouth III were washed out in their F Division East match at Upottery, but id did not harm their title hopes for nearest rivals Bradninch II were also thwarted by the rain.

With two games remaining (Bradninch have three to play), Sidmouth III currently hold a 28 point lead.

This coming Saturday (August 18), Sidmouth go to Honiton and Bradninch visit Seaton. The following Saturday (August 25), Sidmouth entertain Bradninch at Newton Poppleford. The final Saturday of the season sees Sidmouth without a game, but it they win at Honiton and then defeat Bradninch they will be champions.

Bradninch, if they win at Seaton and then defeat Sidmouth, will still have to defeat Braunton on the final day to deny Sidmouth the title.