Our old friend Duckworth-Lewis intervened to give Sidmouth victory in an entertaining local derby with Exmouth in the Premier Division of Devon Cricket.
Sidmouth have seen their campaign blighted by rain more than most clubs but that finale seemed a long way off when the Exmouth visitors opted to bat first, suffering a stuttering start with the loss of captain Tim Piper for five and Billy Rudolph for a duck.
Pete Turnbull and James Horler set about restoring the Exmouth innings, lifting the visitors to a far more promising 73-2 before Turnbull was removed by a stumping from Cameron Evans-Grainger after clever bowling by Charlie Miles.
Louis Morrison was next to join the steadfast Horler, moving the score to 102 when he was caught by Miles off the bowling of Byron Knowles.
Horler continued to pin down the Exmouth innings, eventually falling for a fine 69 to leave the Maer men struggling on 120-5. Miles then removed Andrew Buzza leg before after adding 12 runs.
From the brink of skittling out Exmouth for a low total, the home side were pegged back by a flowing partnership between George Greenway (43) and Finn Marks (49).
Exmouth finished 233 all out, with Miles leading the wicket-takers on 3-34. Tom Simmons, Dylan Hurst and Byron Knowles all took a pair of wickets.
Sidmouth began their chase in confident fashion, with Alex Barrow and Isaac Thomas taking the home side past 50 before Barrow (33) was caught by Matt Coult.
Like his Exmouth counterpart, home captain Luke Bess was removed fairly quickly, beaten leg before by the bowling of Turnbull.
Matt Cooke joined Thomas in the middle and they amassed a solid partnership of 80, broken by a Turnbull catch from Greenway’s bowling, with Thomas on 50.
Another fine stand between Dylan Hurst (20 not out) and Henry Gater (45 not out) had Sidmouth on course for victory, when the rain interrupted to set a revised target of 195. It proved enough for victory under the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Sidmouth travel to Bovey Tracey this weekend and sit fourth in the table, while seventh-placed Exmouth have a home game against Hatherleigh.