Cricketers were in action across the South Hams at the weekend. There was drama for Stoke Gabriel, defeat for Kingsbridge and five-wicket win for South Devon.

Stoke Gabriel captain Jack Tolley will be a nervous wreck by the end of the season if his team keep leaving it to the last gasp to close out matches.

Stoke’s one-wicket win at Abbotskerswell was the fourth game in a row in either league or Corinthian Cup that went right down to the wire.

Abbotskerswell put 176 for eight on the board thanks largely to second-wicket pair Richard Harmer (44) and Ed Smout-Cooper (55), who put on 85. Thirty-one extras helped the total along!

Of the eight bowlers deployed by Tolley, only Issac Withington (4-32) and spinner Dan Bullock (2-20) had much joy.

Stoke took the scenic route to victory that took them via 46 for five after a duffing-up from Abbots’ Aussie new boy Anthony Miller (4-29) and James Tyler (4-54).

Adriaan Maxwell (40) and Liam Mair (46) put on 94 to revive the chase, which Withington finished off with 18 not out.

Said Tolley: “The game swung back and forth all day! At five down inside six overs it was going to take some winning.

“Adriaan and Liam batted brilliantly! Hoping to keep this good form going this weekend.”

Toby Codd, the Abbotskerswell player-coach, was stoical in his post-match summing up.

“Unfortunately, we came on the wrong side of the result in a good game of cricket,” said Codd.

“Our big positive was the debut of Anthony Miller. No doubt he'll be a huge threat to the division for the rest of the season.”

Teignmouth & Shaldon overwhelmed Kingsbridge by 78 runs after piling-up a whopping 309 all out at the Butts.

Ruben Minnaar walloped the Kingsbridge bowling for 105 off 56 balls – 15 fours and five sixes – as T&S dashed to 175 for three.

Josh Couch (41) and Alastair Cliffe (85) did their bit too. Cliffe, in at 79 for two, was involved in partnerships that added 211 runs to the tally.

Although bat ruled over ball while T&S batted, Connor Rothwell (4-59) and Jack Brown (2-41) emerged with respectable bowling figures for Kingsbridge.

Kingsbridge ran out of time with the score on 231 for nine. Jack Brown top-scored with 57 at the top of the order. There were runs for James Westlake (26) and James Fletcher in the top five, and 35 from Rothwell.

Minnaar (3-33) and Ross Jameson (3-12) were T&S’s most successful bowlers.

South Devon warmed-up for their top-of-the-table clash with Cornwood 2nd XI this Saturday with a five-wicket win over Plymstock 2nd XI

There were two wickets each for South Devon skipper Jonny Martin (2-12) and Mali Marshall (2-18) as Plymstock were bowled out for 162.

Mike Blackmore top scored for Plymstock with 56. Dave Ling (29) and Al Thomas (36) both chipped in.

Dan Yates led the South Devon reply with a half-century, aided and abetted by Aaron Hammett (22). Ling and Simon Light claimed two wickets each.

It was third-placed South Devon’s fourth win on the spin and moved them within three points of second-in-the-table Cornwood, whom they face this Saturday on the Marsh Road ground.