THEY managed to make a start at Woodbury, where play got under way at 2.30pm. Sadly, after six overs, the heavens again opened and the two sides took sanctuary in the Malsters pub at Clyst St Mary. Woodbury skipper James Kavanagh (22) and Tim Greenslade

THEY managed to make a start at Woodbury, where play got under way at 2.30pm. Sadly, after six overs, the heavens again opened and the two sides took sanctuary in the Malsters pub at Clyst St Mary. Woodbury skipper James Kavanagh (22) and Tim Greenslade (6) safely negotiated the half dozen overs to be completed to have their side on 32-0, before play ground to a halt. Woodbury have now seen half their matches this season hit by the weather: "It's thoroughly miserable for everybody concerned with the sport right now," said a dejected Kavanagh.Woodbury will be hoping for better luck with the weather when they visit Halberton this Saturday. The 2nd XI are at home to Kilmington.BUDLEIGH under-12s went down by twelve runs against Whimple, despite fine knocks from Harry Parkin (33 ret'd), Joe Marley (30 ret'd) and Sam Conway (10), but the team's total of 105-4 was bettered by Whimple's 117, in which Will Wilson hit 30 before retiring and Alex Evens chipped in with 17, whilst there were also a charitable 46 extras. The Budleigh bowlers shared the wicket taking around, Toby Seldon and Lawrence Constable both bagging braces, whilst Harry Conway and Sam Smith each claimed one and both Joe Marley and Joe Willey took catches.Budleigh (U10) coach Ray Dawson described his side's meeting with Kenn as: "a jolly good game of cricket that served up a real close contest." Max Mejzner hit three boundaries as he and Josh Williams produced the best efforts with the bat for Budleigh, but they slipped to a narrow defeat despite a superb effort with the ball from Alex Taylor who took 3-3 and held a smart return catch off his own bowling.Woodbury under 12s beat Culmstock by 7 wickets, thanks to some fine bowling that displayed the side's all round talent with no fewer that six bowlers claiming wickets. George Owen (2-4), Alex Manning (1-5), James Roberts (1-7), George Jarman (1-10), Ben Parnell (1-14) and Edward Cook (1-19) were the wicket takers and, in some superb support fielding, there were catches held by Manning and Cook and young Cook also claimed a run out with a 'bullet like' throw that hit the stumps! Woodbury got home with just under four overs to spare with Riordan Deehan-Jackson hitting four 4s in an unbeaten knock of 30 and James Roberts matched that score with a six and four 4s, as he too 'retired' and Manning completed a fine all round individual effort with 11 not out.Topsham St James under-12s' had bowled out hosts Sandford for 93 when the rains arrived to wash the Creedy Park game away. Adam Tanner, Tom Richardson and David Orchard had each bagged a brace of wickets whilst Sam Fisher had taken a smart catch.Whimple (U15) are through to the County final of the MCC National competition after a fine all round display took them to victory at Instow on Friday night. Chris Golding's side batted first and were in some trouble at 64-4 before Ollie Coates (51 ret'd) and Alfie Keats (36no) combined to help their side to a close of 140-6 and then, with the hosts well placed, Matt Ploughman clean bowled the dangerous Craig Overton. From then it was all Whimple, with Foyez Rahman claiming a wicket with the final delivery of the contest to see the side home by a margin of 36 runs and into the Final.INTERNATIONAL cricket is returning to Exmouth later this month when Devon will take on Kenya at the Maer ground.Kenya are in England for two weeks as part of their preparations for the World Twenty20 qualifiers in Belfast in early August.Devon are providing the opposition for some of their warm-up games, one of which is is a 50-over friendly at Exmouth on Sunday, July 27.An added bonus for cricket fans is a Twenty20 game at Exeter the following afternoon (4pm) between the Kenyans and the county side.Exmouth are used to hosting big games - numerous NatWest fixtures against First Class counties have been held on the Maer - and the United States played there in 2001.Kenya approached Devon recently looking for games to replace tour matches in Denmark, which were cancelled by the home country.l PREPARATIONS are well under way for Devon's Twenty20 game against Somerset at Budleigh Salterton on August Bank Holiday Monday.Somerset are heading to Ottermouth as part of the benefit game schedule planned for ex-England opener Marcus Trescothick.Tickets for the game are priced at £5 each. They can be bought in advance from the Devon Cricket Board website (www.devoncricket.co.uk).ONLY a handful of games started on a soggy Saturday in the Devon Senior League - and not one of them was played to a conclusion.Three games started in the Premier Division, including Budleigh Salterton's against lowly Torquay.Torquay managed to wring an extra point out of a soggy affair at Ottermouth by picking up two wickets in the 12.2 overs bowling time they had.Usman Malvi sent back former West Indian Test star Omari Banks for a duck in the first over, then had Devon's Sandy Allen caught at slip for 19.Steve Spoljaric was 29 not out, and Bob Dawson unbeaten on 10, when the game was halted.There was no play at all at Paignton, where Exmouth were the visitors, or in the game between Sandford and Exeter.Exmouth entertain Sidmouth this Saturday. The 2nd XI are away to the same club.Budleigh 1st XI travel to Plymouth. The 2nd XI are at home to Plymouth 2nd XI.