After a frustrating start of narrow defeats and cancelled fixtures, Budleigh Salterton CC picked up their first win in the A Division of the Tolchards Devon Cricket League.
Hosting a Cullompton side also looking for an opening victory, Budleigh opted to bowl first and it proved a fine decision, as they ripped through the visitors with a tremendous display in the field.
Joel Murphy was man of the moment for Budleigh, finishing with superb figures of 5-16, as the Cullompton line-up struggled to contend with his unerring accuracy.
Ed Doble picked up three wickets and there was a brace for Will Oxland, as Cullompton could only post a total of 110 runs.
Oxland was the man to remove the Cullompton openers, although the visitors did rally with a third wicket partnership of 60 between James Shere (25) and Jason Parr (37).
Doble removed Shere and it was then over to Murphy for the demolition of the Cullompton lower order.
Budleigh started their reply with the early loss of Harry Parkin for eight before Oxland and Marc Trotman settled any nerves with a composed partnership that took the home side to 40.
Trotman was dismissed lbw for 11 but Oxland continued to build a steady innings and victory was in sight when he was finally removed with the score on 68 runs.
Cullompton’s only hope was a Budleigh collapse, but the opposite happened, as Tom Oxland added a quickfire 26 runs and the total was reached by Matt Kimber (26) and James Doble (110), completing a six-wicket victory.
Captain Lloyd Murrin told the Devon Cricket League website: “We put a top performance together for the duration, and the bowlers were superb.”
Next up for Budleigh is a trip to Abbotskerswell, who are also without a victory in the early stages of the season and a great chance for the club to take another step forward in the A Division.
Tavistock hold a narrow lead over Bradninch at the top of the division, followed by North Devon, Plympton, Torquay, Barton and then Budleigh in seventh.