Pride of place must go to the 1st XI team, who are new to the Second Division after last year�s Third Division title winning season. They could not have had a tougher opening with a week one visit to the side who were relegated from the top tier of Sunday League cricket last September.

Braunton won the First Division title eight times in the 1990s and have a rich pedigree, but that counted for nothing as Bradninch recorded a three wicket win. It was �new boy� Louden Bhatti who took the honours as he scored the match winning runs, thumping former England Test star Mark Lathwell for a huge six bringing up the opening day victory.

The hosts batted first and were restricted to a close of 169-9; two wickets for debutant Louden Bhatti, Ross Acton and another player making his first league appearance for the club � Lucas Fencil.

Bradninch then got home by three wickets with Louden crowning a fine first game for the side, hitting former England player Mark Lathwell for six off the first ball of the game�s penultimate over. Earlier Gary Newall top scored with 36, one more than Ross Acton whilst Gary Chappell hit 22.

The first wicket of the new season for Bradninch fell to Eliot Acton who had Joel Murphy�s safe hands to thank for him becoming the first Bradninch bowler to take a Division Two victim. The honour of scoring the first run went to opener Gary Newall.

Game two for the 1st XI saw them travel to Barnstaple & Pilton, a side that finished last year�s Second Division campaign just .60 of a point average from the drop to Division Three, but again the Bradninch side looked very comfortable at the higher level.

Tim Piper led the way with a magnificent 140, Gary Chappell hit 88 and the veteran Simon Bailey chipped in with 50 in a Bradninch total of 306-3. Then Les Kent, Rob Acton and Billy Wakeley each took two wickets as the hosts were restricted to 195-8, Eric Beer top scoring with 32.

So two games played, and two wins and that makes for an early lead in the Second Division table - as a marker for games to come - well that same Braunton side who were confidently despatched in week one have since played three more games, and won them all, beating Shobrooke Park, Barnstaple & Pilton and Westleigh.

The full list of Division Two Results so far is

Week 1

Braunton 169-9
(T Mitcham 43, I Roberts 26; L Bhatti 2-25, R Acton 2-28, L Fencil 2-30).
Bradninch 174-7
(G Newall 36, R Acton 35).
Bradninch (20pts) bt Braunton (7) by 3 wkts.

Shobrooke Park 248-8
(B Randall 75, P Anning 37; A Abbot 3-41, J Higgs 3-51).
Braunton 249-4
(J Higgs 104no, E Holmes 35no).
Braunton (20pts) bt Shobrooke Park (4) by 6 wkts.

Week 2

Braunton 316-6
(A Paddison 126, M Lathwell 78no; J Bendall 2-51).
Barnstaple & Pilton 2 187
(R Holme 56; A Paddison 3-23, M Lathwell 3-16).
Braunton (20pts) bt Barnstaple & Pilton 2 (2) by 129 runs.

Bradninch 306-3
(T Piper 140, G Chappell 88, S Bailey 50).
Barnstaple & Pilton 2 195-8
(E Beer 32; R Acton 2-25, L. Kent 2-32, B Wakeley 2-32). Bradninch (20pts) bt Barnstaple & Pilton 2 (4) by 111 runs.

Braunton 166-9
(B Huxtable 26, S Jenkins 22no).
Westleigh 146
(J Ford 70; B Huxtable 3-14).
Braunton (20pts) bt Westleigh (10) by 20 runs.

Shobrooke Park 279-9
(E Turner 99, J Sweeney 38no, J Catala 3: I Hobbs 3-29, G Fitt 3-20, M Jones 2-43).
Lynton & Lynmouth 283-3
(S Shaikh 125no, G Jones 70).
Lynton & Lynmouth (20pts) bt Shobrooke Park (3) by 7 wkts.

North Devon League Division Six

The club�s Sunday 2nd XI made a winning start to life in the North Devon League with a six wicket win over Ilfracombe 2nds at Kensham Park. Louden Bhatti and the evergreen Les Kent each bagged a pair of wickets, but the bowling honours went to father and son pair Simon and Mark Bailey.

Dad Simon bagged 3-13 and schoolboy son Mark took 1-17 as the visitors were restricted to 152, a total Bradninch passed for the loss of just four wickets thanks to 69 from Alex Dunlavey, who got great support from Ollie Cottrell and Club Chairman Derrick Foan, who both scored 20.

Division Six Results to date

Week One

No games

Week Two

Ilfracombe 152
(A Pink 31; S Bailey3-13).
Bradninch 2 153-4
(A Dunlavey 69, O Cottrell 20, D Foan 20).
Bradninch 2 (20pts) bt Ilfracombe 2 (4) by 6 wkts.

Halberton & Sampford Peverell (20pts) bt Filleigh 3 (0) by 172 runs.
(D Gollop 103, T Sambrook 69, D Coles 33no).
Filleigh 3 144
(W Karsten 2-30), S O'Livey 2-32).
Halberton & Sampford Peverell 316-5