Honiton 2nds maintained their perfect Tolchards Devon League 2nd XI D Division East season with a four wicket Mountbatten Park win over Kilmington 2nds.

Just getting a team onto the pitch proved a problem – indeed, at 1pm on the matchday there were just nine players, but a father of one of the club colts and another player carrying an injury stepped forward to make up the numbers.

Kilmington batted first and Sean Perry enjoyed himself taking the visitors to 73 before he was out having scored all but a dozen of those runs!

It was Richard Hill who stopped the Perry charge, trapping him leg before and he also clean bowled Graham Watts to leave Kilmington on 89-2. That was soon 103-4 and, despite a fine 36 from Les Baker, Kilmington were restricted to a closing total of 174-8. As well as the Hill brace of wickets, his figures being 2-20, there were wickets for Jason Harris (2-36) and Andy Brinsford (2-50) and single wickets were taken by Corey Lapping and Will Cowley.

At 69-4, the fact that a number of key players was missing looked set to hurt the Honiton cause.

However, the fifth wicket partnership turned the game on its head as Andy Brinsford joined skipper Craig Lapping.

The pair made batting looked decidedly easy. Lapping eased past his half century and was finally dismissed for a splendid 87 with Honiton just three runs from victory.

Brinsford scored the winning runs with a boundary leaving him unbeaten on 34.

Perry (2-19 from five) completed a good all-round shift for the losing side.

On Saturday (June 17) Honiton seek to make it seven wins from seven starts when they entertain Upottery.