Clyst St George 2nds are now 23 points clear at the top of the F Division East table with one third of the season gone after a sixth successive win, a three wicket victory over Axminster.

Clyst skipper Gareth Hall won the toss and, having seen how damp the Axminster wicket was, wasted little time in opting to have first go with the ball!

His decision paid dividends and a Matt Knight catch off Will Furniss was followed by a smart caught and bowled by Furniss and the home side were 11-2!

Skipper Hall held a catch to give Ollie Manning a wicket and, after first Hall and then Knight had both held a second catch - each off the bowling of Jack Gerrard, Axminster had seen half their side returned to the pavilion with just 41 runs on the board!

The lower order did manage to double the score before the final wicket fell with the total on 88 after 33.2 overs. Jack Gerrard took the bowling honours with a return of 4-15 from eight excellent overs while Will Furniss's return was 2-27 from eight overs and Ian Edworthy finished with 2-26 from seven overs and two balls.

The Clyst reply was hit by the running out of opener Simon Burell for one with the score on four and, when Harry O'Dwyer was caught for three the 'run chase' sat at 11-2. With conditions, as they had done all game, favouring the bowlers, the third wicket partnership of 28 between Richard Cousins (19) and Matt Knight (23) was crucial for it settled the run chase down.

However, wickets continued to fall, three of them going down with the reply in the 70s! Once the seventh wicket fell with 15 runs still required, the outcome of the match was back in the balance, but Adam Ykhlef (12) and Jack Gerrard (6) were not to be moved and the pair guided their team to a sixth straight win with a partnership of 18 for the unbroken eighth wicket.