IVYBRIDGE have now gone three games without a win in the A Division after going down by 28 runs to leaders North Devon.

The Bridge have only taken 14 points from the last 60 on offer since defeating Bovey Tracey four games ago. That downturn has accounted for their decline from third to fifth in the table.

Captain Huxtable said he had little or nothing to complain about as far as his side’s efforts were concerned.

Said Huxtable: “Despite the result, I was really happy with our performance!

“We bowled and fielded well. Happy with the way we went about the chase. Had a few things gone our way, I’m sure we could have pushed it very close.”

North Devon’s top five batters were largely responsible for taking 274 runs, for eight wickets lost, off the Ivybridge attack.

Openers Jay Rothery (41) and Navinda Vanderbona (31) were out at 63 and 106 respectively as the runs started flowing.

Jack Moore, batting first wicket down, made a top score of 85 at run-a-ball pace while pushing the score along to 216 for four. Jack Whittaker (21) chipped in.

Definate Mawadzi (26) and Jack Popham (25) added more runs in a late dash.

Skipper Adam Huxtable (3-44) and Mickey Copeland (3-64) were Ivybridge’s leading wicket takers. Farzad Zafil, Lewis Clarke and Tom Worth all operated at less than five runs an over.

Ivybridge opener Dinesh Raheja, not for the first time in his peripatetic journey around the Devon League, played the anchorman role in the business of scoring runs.

Raheja made 78 off 116 balls during 159 minutes in the middle as the Bridge reached 187 for four with ten overs to go. Copeland (27) and Harry Solomon (46) chipped in.

Moore (4-49) removing Raheja changed the game. Popham (3-36) took two more as 187 for four 191 for seven. Safi was 21 not out when time was up with the score on 246 for eight.

Elsewhere, the form book was thrown out of the window as a promotion-chasing Stoke Gabriel side were defeated in the B Division by relegation-threatened Braunton.

Braunton bowled Stoke out for 199 then cantered to victory with more than 12 overs to go.

Stoke started strongly – openers Justin Pringle (24) and Tyler Hunter taking them to 71 for one, then lost three wickets in a rush.

Abhishek Anand (73) and Jack Tolley (21) rebuilt, but once they were separated by Dan Brierley (2-45) only Adriaan Maxwell (16) got into double figures.

Anand was the last man out to seamer Luan Matthews De Menezes who took three for 14 in his second spell for match figures of three for 41. Callum Mitchell and Theo Valeri nabbed two wickets each.

Braunton’s reply was solid rather than anything else until Theo Valeri (58) and Kyle Faber (23) joined forces at 48 for two.

Their 60-run stand was the stabilising element Braunton needed for Valeri, Mitchell (41) and Charlie Tucker (19no) to press on and win the match.

Jack Tolley, the Stoke Gabriel skipper, said selection disruption hindered his plans for the game.

“We had five out from the side that won at Barton in the previous game and just didn't have enough to be competitive with the ball and in the field,” said Tolley.

“Availability is looking better next week. Well done to Braunton who played well and deservedly won.”

Meanwhile, Kingsbridge handed Paignton 2nd XI a 175-run drubbing in a one-sided affair at the Butts.