DEFEATS for the top two have catapulted North Devon to the summit of the North Devon Holiday Homes Cricket League.

The Instow side ruthless ripped second-placed Bradninch apart by nine wickets on Sunday, while morning leaders Sandford were surprised by Filleigh at Creedy Park.

Saturday skipper Matt Westaway was in inspired form for the reigning Devon League champions, and his punishing spell of 5-19 meant Bradninch were fired out for 193.

Of that total, overseas star Ryan Butterworth contributed 86 while Jason Hayes (3-46) feasted on the remnants left by Westaway.

In reply, North Devon blasted their way to the top of the table thanks to Scott Amos (59no) and Dan Pickard (55no), with James Starkey (46) the only man lost.

Over at Creedy Park, Filleigh completed an unlikely double over Sandford courtesy of Sunday's narrow 14-run win.

And once again, it was a 'five-fer' that played a large part in the victory with Jamie Palmer the hero.

He took 5-30 in a tremendous 8.5 overs, including the crucial early wickets of opener Russell Discombe (2) and Brian Leach (1) that blew apart the foundations of the Sandford run-chase.

Earlier, Filleigh had set them a target of 209 to win thanks to great knocks from opener Nick Dartnall and Mark Prideaux.

Dartnall was eventually caught by Jason Matten off a Ryan Glass (4-45) delivery for 78, while Prideaux (43) was one of four Richard Foan (4-40) victims.

However, Palmer's early double strike changed the complexion of the game, leaving Sandford rocking on 13-3.

Foan (48) and Doug Hondo (69) helped resurrect the innings, and they looked far more capable of launching an assault on 140-5.

But Jonny Hickman (3-35) followed up his earlier dismissal of opener Simon Ashplant with the scalps of Hondo and skipper Paul Smith (11) to put the ball back in Filleigh's court.

Pete Steer desperately tried to guide his side home with an unbeaten 13, but their bid ended when Palmer returned to complete his raid and leave the hosts all out on 194.

At the other end of the table, Lynton & Lynmouth have joined Beaford in the bottom two after suffering a 176-run hammering at the hands of Bideford.

Aussie Mick Warne capped off his most industrious weekend yet with a superb 76, while Dave Hart (57no) and Matt Allin (32) excelled against a bowling attack of Matt Ryan (4-78) and Nick Bowen (2-35) to help the visitors rack up 274-8.

Marc Bettiss (3-30) and Pete Waterman (2-5) then ensured a throughly miserable day for the top flight's new boys, who were dismissed for just 98. Harry Chapman-Walker top-scored with an unbeaten 23.

The region's top score of the weekend came at The Lawn where Phil Steward smashed an unbeaten 133 in Newton Tracey's seven-wicket defeat of bottom side Beaford.

The hosts were chasing 243-8 – Mike Wigley's 39 and Ali McMillan's 38 the chief contributions for Beaford.

Steward made sure the job was done, with a little help from Gary Chatham's 46. Simon Gear had earlier taken 3-35.

Hatherleigh kept up the pressure on the top two in Division 2 thanks to a 47-run defeat of Ilfracombe at Killacleave on Sunday.

The visitors elected to bat first and posted an imposing 214-7 on a slow pitch, with Rob Chapman (57), Tom Rogers (35) and Gareth Tidball (47) doing most of the damage.

In reply, Dave Hart (52) opened the Combe innings well, but fellow opener Dan Brierley went for a duck as one of Stephen Miles' (3-43) three scalps.

Jamie Sutton was the only other batsman down the order to get to grips with the bowling, but his 49 wasn't enough to keep Hatherleigh from winning.

In the division's only other game, Dave Branch helped Victoria Park claim a 35-run win over Westleigh.

Colin (60) and Neil Bettiss (42no) had helped the visitors conjure up 198-7 and, just when James Ford (57) was getting comfy in the Westleigh reply, Branch snapped to take 5-42 and dismiss the hosts for 163.

Holsworthy have climbed up to second spot in Division 3 after their four-wicket success at home to Barnstaple & Pilton 2nds.

Brady Saunders (34) and Steve Wheatley (29) helped Barum tally up 153, and it would have been more were it not for 15-year-old Jack Greening's excellent 3-2 from 2.5 overs at the end.

Matt Williams (35), Steve Drew (27), Keith Drew (23no) immediately got to work with the reply, and they reached 154-6 despite pressure from Wheatley (2-22).

At the other end of the table, bottom side Bratton Fleming 2nds picked up a vital win in their quest to avoid the relegation trapdoor.

They beat North Devon 2nds by four wickets, and the star of the show was Adam Payne.

Chasing North Devon's 153, opener Payne (87no) carried his bat for the entire reply while wickets were tumbling around him – notably from Jon Wainwright (3-24) and Dave Smale (2-44).

Earlier, Oli Hunt (3-10), Patrick Crane (3-23) and Paddy Dartnall (3-38) had kept the visitors' scoring to a minimum.

Phil Anning (115) and Chris Ford (94) were in big-hitting form to help Shobrooke Park put Incorrigibles to the sword by 119 runs.

Their scores formed the lion's share of a 258-7 total, and Jason Barnes (5-23) sent the Witheridge side home for just 139.

In the division's other game, leaders Morebath kept up their winning form with an 11-run defeat of Cheriton Fitzpaine.

Shebbear's incredible unbeaten run in Division 4 is finally over after their depleted side were soundly beaten by 88 runs against Kelseymen.

As a result, they have surrendered the league leadership to perennial high-scorers Bude.

The Cornish boys clubbed 235-7 to beat Bideford 2nds by 110 runs – Joel Ambrey (73) and Warren Rumble (38) leading the way.

Ben Purcell (3-24) then helped to dismiss Biddy for 125, with Kevin Fishleigh (34) providing the only real resistance.

Elsewhere, Colin Hatt drilled 80 to hand Lynton & Lynmouth 2nds an exciting two-wicket win over Victoria Park 2nds.

Hatt's knock saw Lynton to their target of 205 with two wickets intact, despite the best all-round efforts of John Gordon.

He had earlier clubbed an unbeaten 57 in Park's 204-5, and shared a third wicket stand of 100 with Tim Lane (40), before claiming 3-32 in an attempt to silence the winners.

Mike Hedden kept Weare Giffard's title hopes alive in Division 5 as he starred with bat and ball in a six-wicket defeat of North Molton.

The Devon League player took 4-19 to wipe out Molton for 164-9 – Terry Turner top-scoring with 46 – and then whacked an unbeaten 73 to seal the win.

His batting partner in crime was Jay Wittram, who ended the successful run-chase just one shy of a half-century.

Weare Giffard's title hopes depend on Halberton slipping up . . . and that doesn't look likely.

The Mid Devon side maintained their 100% record at the top of the table with a 70-run defeat of Barnstaple & Pilton 3rds.

Dan Coles hit 57 for the winners, while George McEndoo top-scored with 27 for Barum.