Sandford II finding the adjustment tough - as Exeter move out of C Division drop zone

SANDFORD II remain tucked in behind the top two in Division C East following a six-wicket win at lowly Upottery.

- by CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

Upottery, last season's D Division East champions, are finding it tough at the next level up with just two wins to their name so far.

Skipper James Mitcham, who topped 1,100 league runs in Upottery's promotion-winning season, made a top score of 71 in a team total of 164 all out. Next best were 20 extras.

Best of the bowling by Sandford came from Ryan Glass (3-34) and Ollie Knight (3-29).

Sandford had a couple of problems early on - Ben Kidson 2-50) the bowler to blame - but it was plain sailing once Joe Hopkins (21) got together with Byron Knowles (66no).

Hopkins and Knowles pushed the chase along to 104 for four. Glass (28no) joined Knowles for the last leg.

Exeter II inflicted a 110-run drubbing on midtable Bradninch & Kentisbeare II that moved them out of relegation orbit.

Freddie Cockram (52) and Felix Joseph (61) hoisted 112 for Exeter's second wicket and the runs kept coming from Elliott Barnes (54) and Sean Langford towards a 45-over total of 273 for seven.

Sean Strange (3-52) was B&K's most successful bowler.

The B&K run chase was done and dusted at 68 for five due to a top order duffing up by Owasis Ahmad (4-25). Ankit Badwal (57) and Strange (25) fended away total collapse, but wickets for Harrison Gribble (2-60) and Jon Lewis-Oliver (3-27) had B&K all out for 163 with more than 14 overs to go.