STOKE Gabriel CC 1st XI pulled-off an unlikely 24-run win over Barton after being bowled out themselves for 107.

A procession of Stoke batters came and went for scores in the teens as the Villagers slid to 58 for five then 80 for eight. Best of the batch were Abhishek Anand (17) and Mike Smith (16).

Will Culver managed 23 and was party to stands that added 33 while Muhammad Basit (4-16) worked through the tail. No other Barton bowler took more than one wicket.

Barton soon ran into problems against Stoke paceman Isaac Withington (5-45) as they crumbled to 38 for five in reply.

Smith (2-6) kept the pressure on, then Stoke skipper Jack Tolley (1-21) and spinner Justin Pringle (2-12) applied further pressure.

Barton only managed two double figure scores on the way to 83 all out: a pair of patient 15s from youngsters Devan Sinha and Riley Calland.

Stoke stay second in the B Division table going into the second half of the season, which takes them to lowly Braunton this Saturday.

Barton, three points and one rung above the relegation zone, are away to Plympton.

Elsewhere, Ivybridge suffered a batting disaster against Budleigh Salterton, who bowled them out for 90 and won at a canter by six wickets in the A Division.

It was Ivybridge’s second defeat in a row – Heathcoat turned them over seven days earlier – and drops them down to fifth in the table with exactly half the season gone.

Ivybridge’s woes began from the first ball of the game when opener Abraham Kopparambil was bowled by Hugo Hughes.

Dinesh Raheja also went cheaply – in his case caught behind off Hugh Moore – then Hughes snaffled Zack Dunn and Josh Zimmerman in a running total of 38 for four. Hughes went on to claim five for 28 from nine overs.

The middle order was battered by Sid Fereday, whose four-for-14 return accounted for most of them.

The only reason Ivybridge got from 56 for eight to 90 all out was Farzad Safi making 23 not out batting at number 10.

Budleigh had a similar start to Ivybridge as opener and captain Ed Doble was bowled fourth ball by Josh Coker. That was largely where the similarity ended!

Surviving opener Luke Davies took his time over an unbeaten 34 that took Budleigh all the way. Hughes (20), Max Mejner (13) and James Doble (17) all got on board for part of the journey.

Coker (3-23) was Ivybridge’s most successful bowler.

Meanwhile, Ivybridge 2nd XI were ln the wrong end of a five-wicket scoreline when they tangled with their Ipplepen counterparts in Filham Park.

The Bridge got to 209 for eight in a 45-over game via a route that included just one stand greater than 30. Tom Worth (48no) and Owen Howard (39) put on 78 for the seventh wicket to move the score along from 102 for six.

Jack Edworthy (3-56) and Sam Hennessy (3-31) were Pens’ main wicket-taking bowlers. Josh Perry (2-31) took the others.

Veteran opener Jeff Heath spearheaded the Ipplepen run chase with 67 at the top of the order. He went at 134 for four to Harvey Johnson (2-24). Hennessy had already been and gone for 22 by then.

Skipper Adam Peters (19) and Alberto Courtice (54no) got Ipplepen within two runs of victory with a stand of 74 for the fifth wicket.