UPLYME & Lyme Regis 246 (20pts) beat KILMINGTON 160 (5pts) by 86 runs

STEVE Batey fell just three runs short of a century as Uplyme & Lyme Regis produced a complete performance to stun Kilmington in the Devon League E Division.

Buoyed by their victory at Kentisbeare the previous week, Ashley Caddy’s men put on 246 before going on to skittle their opponents for 160 with a stunning display with the ball.

The victory takes Uplyme up to fifth in the table and they are now setting their sights on continuing their winning run at Kenn on Saturday.

Caddy said: “It was a great all-round display and to be honest it has been coming.

“One week we would bowl well and the next we would bat well but it appears both departments have come together now and hopefully we can keep that going. “We have always known that if we could put a run together it would take us right in amongst those at the top end of the table and the fact we have beaten both Kentisbeare and Kilmington pretty convincingly over the past two weekends should give us a lot of confidence going into Satur-day’s game at Kenn.

“Unfortunately, we will be without Mark Batey for that one but the seconds had a good win at the weekend as well and it will give one of them a chance to make the step up. Apart from that everyone else is available.”

On losing the toss, Uplyme were inserted on a good track and they were soon making progress with Mark Batey (34) and Rob Thom (31) putting on an opening stand of 62.

Thom then fell to a fine delivery from Izzy Wickramartne (2-54) before Steve Batey took up the mantle and began to find the boundary on a regular basis to continue the onslaught.

The Batey brothers enjoyed a partnership of 69 before Wick-ramartne came up with the breakthrough again to peg Uplyme back to 131-2.

But despite his younger sibling now being back in the pavilion, Steve Batey carried on regardless alongside new batsman Caddy (34) to lead the hosts past the 200-mark with consummate ease.

Maurice Beviss (1-36) then trapped the Uplyme skipper leg before but the damage had already been done as 206-3 eventually went on to become 246-5 with Wellman (7no) and Jamie Toates (1no) closing the innings after Steve Batey was caught by Beviss for 97.

Caddy added: “It was a good toss to lose in many ways because it was a good track and the outfield was lightning.

“Matt and Rob set the foundations with a steady start and we just built from there with Steve going on to bat superbly and being desperately unlucky not to reach what would have been a deserved century.”

Steve Batey (2-41) put that minor disappointment behind him by claiming the early dismissal of John Lavender (0) but the visitors were soon making in-roads through Dave Cook (67) and Tom Gooding (31).

The pair put on 76 and looked in fine fettle but when Toates (2-14) found the latter’s front pad the innings capitulated with Caddy (4-32) and Neil Price (2-48) going on to help skittle the visitors for just 160.

Caddy said: “We knew we had to be patient with the ball and it paid off. We kept putting it in good areas and as soon as we got a couple of breakthroughs we steamed through them to complete what was a superb team performance.”