NORTH DEVON are at their most dangerous when they play with freedom.

So Sidmouth are likely to be nervously looking over their shoulders for the rest of the Francis Clark Devon Cricket League season.

Despite being second best in their top of the table clash with North Devon at Instow on Saturday, Sidmouth held on for a draw.

The 12 points they earned, compared to North Devon's 14, kept them nine points clear of their opponents at the top of the premier division with eight games to play.

Mike Hedden, the North Devon captain, was angry that his side did not have more to show for their efforts, but believes it is Sidmouth who now have more reason to be nervous in the remainder of the season.

"We outplayed them in all departments and ended up drawing it," he said.

"Despite how well we played, there was only two points' difference.

"It was a much better result for them, but what it does do is they will now realise how good we are because before they were only judging us on other people's say-so.

"If we win every game, we win the league. That's how we're looking at it.

"We have got nothing to lose, we can go out and express ourselves every week, just play good cricket and enjoy ourselves."

North Devon had warmed up for the big league match by beating Hatherleigh in the North Devon Twenty20 Cup final on Friday evening.

They took that form into their innings on Saturday, although their 266 all out was 20 or so runs short of their target.

Opener Rob Gear passed 50 for the fourth time this season, making 69, and Matt Nobes also raised his bat, posting 55.

Dan Bowser, who made 42, took a liking to the bowling of his Devon county captain, Neil Hancock, hitting him for three sixes.

Sidmouth made a ponderous start against new-ball bowlers Craig Overton and Paul Heard and it soon became clear a draw was the most likely result, leading North Devon to leave obvious gaps in the field in a bid to encourage some shots.

"We had to keep them interested," said Hedden.

"They never tried (to win it). We were chasing them (in the league table) and they didn't have to go for it."

North Devon's next chance to catch up with Sidmouth is on Saturday when they go to eighth-placed Bovey Tracey. The leaders host mid-table Plymouth.

Overton kept his place in the Devon team for their Minor Counties Championship match against Herefordshire this week.

After his impressive debut against Wales, the 16-year-old was out first ball in the first innings at Eastnor Castle and went for two in the second. He was not given the chance to bowl as Devon went down to a five-wicket defeat.

Overton's twin brother, Jamie, was twelfth man.