Clyst St George batsman Sam Read is just 21 runs shy of becoming the first batsman in the Tolchards Devon League to reach 500 runs this season after his third century of the campaign helped the Bohea Field men to a 100 run victory over Feniton when the sides met in a top-of-the-table D Division East contest.
The visitors won the toss and invited the home side to bat first and Chris Ferro and Sam Read launched the home innings and took the score to 60 before Ferro was sent packing, caught and bowled for eight.
Ten runs were added before Dan Kenyon became the second home wicket, in his case out for one. That brought Freddie Creer to the wicket to join Read and the pair took the home effort to 147 before Creer was bowled for 21.
Read was next to depart with his side's score then 168-4 and, at that stage, Read had dominated proceedings, facing 106 balls for his 119 which included eight fours and no fewer than seven sixes!
Andrew Donovan and Jayakrupakar Nallala gave the innings a late boost as they put on a quick-fire 70 for the fifth wicket with Nallala next man out but not before he had walloped 42 from just 27 deliveries. Ollie Chatterjee was sixth man down, caught for two and that left Bertie Creer (1) and Donovan (31 from 29 balls) as the not out batsmen as Clyst St George closed on 246-6 in 45 overs.
When Feniton batted, it was Bertie Creer who made the initial breakthrough with the visitors on 32. Two more wickets fell before the Feniton score reached three figures - both visiting batsmen being caught by Nallala off the bowling of Owen Walton.
From 96-3, the reply slipped to 112-6 as Sam Read claimed a wicket and Freddie Creer picked up two. Bertie Creer held a catch to give brother Freddie his third wicket and it was soon 130-8 as centurion Read bagged his second wicket. The end came soon after as Freddie Creer completed his 'fivefer' to see Feniton bowled out for 142 in 37.1 overs.
Freddie Creer topped the bowling honours with a splendid return of 5-21 from 7.1 overs. Sam Read completed an excellent afternoon's all-round shift with 2-25 from seven over and Owen Walton's return was 2-21.
The win, a fifth of the D Division East campaign, leaves Clyst St George 13 points clear at the top of the table with one-third of the season completed.
This Saturday (June 15), sees Clyst travel to Mid Devon to meet Kentisbeare.
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