Heathcoat off the bottom of early table after win against Exmouth

HEATHCOAT are off the mark and off the bottom of the Devon County League Premier Division thanks to a 136-run win over visiting Exmouth.

- by CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

Rob Holman and Peter Randerson both made half-centuries or more in Heathcoat's total of 245 for eight.

Exmouth slumped to 38 for five in response, largely under pressure from Heathcoat paceman Joe Hancock, and despite a modest revival were bowled out for 109.

Victory took Heathcoat past North Devon down in the basement, but they remain in the bottom two with eight points needed to get past Cornwood and out of it.

With Plymouth (fifth), Sandford (eigth) and North Devon (10th) on the horizon, Heathcoat are aiming to play their way up the table. “There are a few big weeks coming up for us and we are looking to take this momentum into them,’ said Dylan Penberthy-Hutchings, the Heathcoat captain.

Tom Hatton (22) and Penberthy-Hutchings (26) gave Heathcoat a decent start, which was taken to the next level by the left-and-right combination of Holman (71) and Randerson (54).

The Greenway brothers - George (3-46) and Lawrence (3-36) - got into Heathcoat’s middle order. Aided by two more wickets for the returning Lachlan Fisher (3-43), Exmouth took the last seven poles for 39 runs.

“Rob Holman and Pete Randerson set the game up beautifully, taking us to 191 for three, and we were set for a big one with a strong middle and lower order,” said Penberthy-Hutchings. wUnfortunately, we lost wickets in clusters and had to settle for 245.”