Whimple slumped to a third successive D Division defeat, this one to previously winless Bridestowe.

Skipper Jono Burden was an angry chap post match saying: “We were dreadful; actually we were not even that good. It was as bad an all-round show as you can get. We did not bowl well, fielded poorly and then batted abysmally. The attitude throughout the team was simply not even close to being acceptable and heads will roll. Changes simply have to be made after that collective garbage!”

Only Phil Hope (2-40) and the skipper himself (2-25), made much of an impact with the ball as the visiting side closed on 208-6.

The reply was troubled from the off with only Trevor Griffin (16) making any sort of impression as Phil Hatton claimed 3-10 and the home side were bundled out for a meagre 83.

Burden said: “Putting them in on a green wicket was a shoe-in for our bowlers to get out and enjoy themselves but the opposite happened. Some of the bowling was dreadful, much more of it was worse than that! Then, just as I thought the day could not get any worse we served up such an unacceptable collective effort with the bat. It’s not even a performance I feel I can simply put down as a bad day at the office because we were so poor and that’s three successive defeats now for a side who could, and should, be doing much better than that.”

This Saturday Whimple travel to a Whitchurch side who will start the day sat bottom of the table, 13 points short of Burden’s men who now sit a disappointing seventh, just seven points above the drop zone.

Whimple II march on at the top of the table after a fourth win in four outings, winning by a whopping 225 runs at Kentisbeare II. Steve Palfrey and Kev Thompson both slammed centuries as Whimple closed on 348-6 with skipper Barry Wright hitting an unbeaten half century. Wes Burden then claimed a fivefer haul as the Mid Devon side were bowled out for 123.